6 



BULLETIN 941, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



every county level stretches of uplands may be found. These level 

 tracts are the most highly prized of the uplands and from an agricul- 

 tural standpoint compare favorably with the valleys. (See fig. 5.) 

 Wherever these more level upland tracts are large enough for the 

 establishment of several farms, prosperous communities have been 

 built up, often many miles from a railroad. Very little of the level 

 upland remains uncleared, and the few timbered tracts which are left 

 are scattered and of small area. 



In the hilly or rolling uplands of the counties studied farms are found 

 here and there in such places as the original settlers thought could be 

 cleared and farmed to the best advantage. In many places the farms 

 are widely scattered, but in other sections, where the clearing process 

 has been more intensive, farms may be found relatively close together. 

 The greater part of the remaining woodland is probably too rough for 

 profitable cultivation of crops. 



Fig. 5.— Type of "level uplands" in the vicinity of Licking, Texas County. Such lands are practically 

 all under cultivation, and prosperous villages will be found near by, though often they are 20 milesfrom 

 a railroad. 



STONES. 



Reference has been made to the stony character of this country as 

 a whole. (See fig. 6.) A very small percentage of the area is prac- 

 tically free of stones, and such stone-free ground is almost without 

 exception found in the bottom and in the level-upland soils. The 

 amount of stone is variable. Large areas may be found of solid rock 

 with only a very thin covering of soil. It is evident that such areas 

 can never be of much agricultural value. Very large areas have 

 broken stone of varying sizes and amounts incorporated with the 

 soil. The quantity of such broken stone may be so great that it 

 appears to cover the ground completely. Cultivating such soil en- 

 tails very hard labor. Where the quantity of stones is sufficient to 

 interfere seriously with cultivation, some farmers make it a practice 

 to remove them. To clear the soil entirely of stones this work has 

 to be done repeatedly for several years, as each plowing brings more 

 stones to the surface. This is a laborious operation, but one which 



