SOIL SURVEY OF BAiSTNER COUNTY, NEBRASKA. 49 



The type represents alluvial and colluvial slope material. Tor- 

 rential rains and strong winds have undonbtedl}^ played an im- 

 portant part in its formation. 



The soil occupies rolling to gently undulating slopes. Both the 

 surface and subsurface drainage are good, though in no place ex- 

 cessive. 



The type is a relatively important agricultural soil in Banner 

 County, on account of its large extent. It is not so well adapted to 

 cultivated crops as- some of the finer textured types, but with care- 

 ful management gives fairly good yields in average years. About 

 15 per cent of it is under cultivation, and the rest is included in large 

 stock farms and ranches on which beef cattle and horses are grazed. 

 The native vegetation consists of stipa, sand grass, grama grass, and 

 a small amount of blackroot. 



Of the cultivated crops, wheat occupies the largest acreage and is 

 the chief cash crop. Rye, oats, and corn are grown to a considerable 

 extent. Most of the rye is sold outside the county, though some is fed 

 on the farms where produced. Corn and oats are all fed to stock. 

 Spring wheat is grown more extensively than winter wheat, though 

 the latter is gaining in acreage each year. Only the earliest matur- 

 ing varieties of corn are planted, on account of the shortness of the 

 growing season. Wheat yields 12 to 15 bushels, rye 15 to 18 bushels, 

 oats 20 to 30 bushels, and corn 12 to 15 bushels per acre. 



Beef cattle are generally shipped in the fall, when 2 or 8 years 

 old, to eastern markets as feeders. 



No crop rotation is practiced. The soil is easily handled and 

 can be cultivated under any moisture conditions without injury. It 

 has, however, a tendency to blow badly unless carefully managed. 



The land of this type sells for $20 to $30 an acre, depending upon 

 the improvemnts and location. 



The cultivated areas should either be seeded to winter cover crops 

 or plowed and seeded very early in the spring in order to prevent 

 the soil from drifting. It is advisable to grow crops requiring the 

 minimum amount of tillage and when cultivating to leave the sur- 

 face soil as rough as possible. 



BRIDGEPORT VERY FINE SANDY LOAM. 



The surface soil of the Bridgeport very fine sandy loam consists 

 of 8 to 14 inches of loose, mellow, brown to grayish-brown very fine 

 sandy loam. The surface 6 inches is generally darker in color than 

 the lower portion, owing to a slightly larger content of organic mat- 

 ter. In places the surface soil contains an unusually large amount of 

 very fine sand and approaches a loamy very fine sand in texture. 

 There is little change in the color or texture of the material until a 



