SOIL SURVEY OF LOUISA COUNTY, IOWA. 43 



Small pebbles are present throughout the 3-foot section. This soil is 

 confined to two areas, totaling about 2 square miles, in the Mississippi 

 bottoms in the northeastern corner of the county. Drainage is 

 ample, and owing to the porosity of the subsoil the type tends to be 

 droughty, though to a less extent than would an upland or terrace 

 soil of the same texture, as the river keeps the water table relatively 

 high under all the bottoms. This soil is protected from overflow by 

 levees, and all of it is in cultivation. Corn is the principal crop, 

 followed by rye and wheat. Some truck crops are grown. Corn 

 ranges in yield from 15 to 35 bushels per acre, rye from 5 to 20 

 bushels, and wheat from 10 to 20 bushels. 



CASS SANDY LOAM. 



The surface soil of the Cass sandy loam is a dark-bro\\Ti to bro\\Ti 

 sandy loam, with a depth of 12 to 17 inches, underlain by a brown 

 sandy loam to sand which passes into a light yellowish brown sand to 

 coarse sand. In some situations the coarse sand is confined to the 

 extreme lower part of the 3-foot section, or is absent. There is no 

 sharp line of demarcation between surface soil and subsoil. A few 

 areas of very fine sandy loam, too small to map separately, are included 

 with the type, as well as two areas of coarse sandy loam, the latter 

 occupying about 2 square miles in the northeastern corner of the 

 county. The soil has a tendency to drift somewhat during high 

 winds. 



The Cass sandy loam occurs in many areas in the first bottoms of 

 the Iowa and Mississippi Rivers. It is generally slightly elevated 

 above the surrounding soils. Drainage is ample, and during periods 

 of drought crops are somewhat damaged. Unless protected by levee 

 the type is subject to overflow. 



Owing to its small total extent, this is a relatively unimportant 

 soil. Where it is cultivated corn and rye are the main crops. Corn 

 yields 15 to 45 bushels per acre, and rye 5 to 22 bushels. Formerly 

 the coarser areas were used to some extent for the production of 

 truck crops, particularly watermelons and cantaloupes. The total 

 acreage in these crops has now decreased, but sweet ]>otatoes are 

 grown on a larger acreage than formerly. 



The estimated selling price of this land is S80 to $180 an acre, de- 

 pending largely on the degree of levee protection. 



CASS LOAM. 



The surface soil of the Cass loam is a dark-bro^^^l to black loam, 

 with a depth of 10 inches. The subsoil is a dark-brown loam to 

 sandy loam, tinged with reddish brown, passing into brown and then 

 into yellowish-brown sandy loam. In the lower part of the 3-foot 



