38 BULLETIN 141, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



which has yet been found. The total area of this type thus far en- 

 countered amounts to 122,368 acres. 



The surface soil of the Clyde silt loam, to an average depth of 10 

 or 12 inches, consists of a dark brown or almost black silt loam. It 

 contains a large quantity of organic matter and is rarely gritty or 

 friable. The subsoil is a dark gray or drab silty clay loam which 

 is decidedly compact and sticky. The subsoil occasionally contains 

 some fine gravel and pockets or lenses of sand. In some areas, par- 

 ticularly in the Saginaw area, Michigan, bowlders are scattered over 

 the surface of the higher lying portion of the type. In general it 

 is nearly stone free. 



Usually the surface of the Clyde silt loam is nearly level or gently 

 sloping. It is almost always depressed below the level of surround- 

 ing upland soil types, although in one or two areas where the Clyde 

 silt loam occupies upland positions its surface is gently rolling. In 

 almost all cases the Clyde silt loam is very poorly drained in its 

 natural condition. This arises from the surface topography of the 

 type and from the fact that it occurs in basins and along stream 

 courses where the natural drainage has not become established. In 

 nearly all cases the drainage of this soil through open ditches and 

 tile underdrainage is necessary before agricultural occupation can 

 take the more intensive forms. 



A very small proportion of the total area of the Clyde silt loam 

 has been brought under cultivation. In general the areas are either 

 timbered or occupied by marsh grasses. In the Saginaw area, Michi- 

 gan, where the type is found upon the gently rolling uplands, prac- 

 tically the entire area has been brought under cultivation for the 

 production of farm crops. Corn, oats, and hay are the chief crops 

 grown upon it in the area, while a limited acreage is devoted to the 

 production of sugar beets. Where the drainage is adequate the crop 

 yields are fair to good. In other localities only small tracts of the 

 Clyde silt loam have been drained and in southern Wisconsin, corn, 

 timothy, alsike clover, oats, peas, and sugar beets constitute the 

 principal crops. Corn gives excellent yields where drainage is good. 

 It has been found in seeding to mixed grasses, that alsike clover is 

 better suited to this soil than red clover, especially until drainage 

 has been thoroughly established. 



The Clyde silt loam is naturally a strong productive soil and ade- 

 quate drainage is the chief need for its more intensive occupation. 

 In many instances a single line of tile would serve to drain consider- 

 able areas of this soil while in the larger tracts it would be necessar}*" 

 to install open ditches to serve as main outlets into which lateral 

 tile drains could be led. 



