soils must be plowed and cultivated. They hold moisture very well and with- 

 stand dry periods better than the sandy soils, although during a prolonged 

 drought these soils will bake and crack. The rapid run-off that occurs makes 

 these silty soils highly susceptible to erosion, and protective soil conser- 

 vation measures are necessary to maintain them in a high state of pro- 

 ductivitv. 



Major Crop Adaptations 



\^ell Adapted 



Intermediate 



Poorly Adapted 



Small Grains 



Barley 



Oats 



Winter Rye 



Winter Wheat 

 Grasses 



Brome 



Millet 



Orchard 



Redtop 



Reed Canary 



Sudan 



Timothy 

 Legumes 



Alsike Clover 



Birdsfoot Trefoil 



Ladino Clover 



Red Clover 



Soybeans 



Corn 



I ruck Crops* 



Orchards 



Legumes 



Alfalfa 



Winter \ etch 



None 



* Includes potatoes; specific vegetables will have somewhat varying atlaptations. 



Soil Management Group 25 



Elmwood fine sandy loam 



The Elmwood soil has a sandy layer approximately 18 to 24 inches thick 

 overlying silt or clay material. The natural drainage is classified as moder- 

 ately well drained. This soil is not quite as well drained as those in Group 

 23. since the silt or clay material is more compact and as a consequence does 

 not permit the downward movement of water as rapidly as does the surface 

 layer above it. As a result, in wet seasons, w^ater will percolate through the 

 sand and accumulate on top of the silt, producing a seasonal perched water 

 table. In a relatively dry season, the moisture relations on these soils are 

 very good for crop growth, but when the season is wet. crop yields are 

 reduced because of the excess of moisture. They are adapted to a fairly 

 wide range of crops in their natural drainage condition, but the yields 

 are subject to the seasonal variations in the amount of rainfall. Artificial 

 drainage possibilities would be w'orth investigating for specialized crops 

 such as vegetables, where the lengthening of the growing season and the 

 removal of excess moisture during a wet season would be extremely bene- 

 ficial to crop vields. 



57 



