THE MIAMI SERIES OF SOILS. 31 



consist of a good farm house, large dairy and stock barns, and usu- 

 ally one or more silos for the storage of the corn crop. Such n 

 group is shown in Plate VIII, figure 2. The work stock is quite 

 generally of good quality and of sufficient weight to accomplish the 

 tillage of this soil. A large part of the farm work is done by the 

 use of horsepower machinery. 



Tile underdrainage has been installed only to a small extent in 

 this soil. The larger part of the type is fairly well drained in its 

 natural condition, but the more nearly level areas, especially where 

 the subsoil is compact, heavy clay loam, are materially benefited by 

 the use of tile. The yields of all crops are increased, while the profit- 

 able production of alfalfa and even of red clover depends to a con- 

 siderable degree upon the use of tile drains to improve the drainage 

 of the subsoil. 



The crop rotations upon the different areas of the Miami loam 

 vary considerably. The general practice is to plow sod land for the 

 growing of corn. The next year the land is seeded to oats. This 

 crop is usually followed either by wheat or barley, and a seeding 

 to mixed timothy and red clover or to clover alone is made with the 

 second grain crop. The land is allowed to remain in hay for two 

 or more years. It may be pastured the last year in sod. Potatoes, 

 beans, sugar beets, or other intertilled crops are usually planted on 

 sod land, although the local practice varies somewhat. 



Little commercial fertilizer is used upon the Miami loam. The 

 cheaper grades, rather high in phosphoric acid, are used for wheat 

 to some extent. The stable manure produced upon the farm is com- 

 monly applied to the land to be plowed for corn. Some farmers 

 use the manure as a top dressing on the grass land the second year- 

 after seeding. Practically no use of green manuring crops is made, 

 and the stable manure and the sod, which is turned under for the 

 corn crop, are depended upon for the maintenance of organic mat- 

 ter in this soil. A field in which clover sod is being plowed under 

 is shown in Plate IX, figure 1. It is probable that considerable 

 improvement in the condition of the more sloping areas of this 

 type could be effected through the use of winter cover crops, to be 

 turned under to increase the organic matter in the surface soil. 



Although the subsoil of the Miami loam is generally well sup- 

 plied with lime, it has been found profitable to apply lime to the 

 surface soil when seeding to clover or alfalfa. Usually 1,000 to 

 1,500 pounds of quicklime or 1 to 1£ tons of ground limestone per 

 acre is sufficient to put the surface soil in good condition for the 

 growing of the leguminous crops. 



Practically all of the Miami loam which is not too steep or stony 

 for cultivation is utilized for cropping. The type may be classed 

 as a very good general farming soil, upon which corn, oats, wheat, 



