58 BULLETIN 142, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



and in restricted localities by the production of special crops such as 

 tobacco and tomatoes. A considerable part of the corn grown is sold, 

 while all of the wheat is produced for cash sale. The balance of 

 the corn, the greater part of the oat crop, and nearly all the forage 

 are fed upon the farm. In Ohio and Indiana the feeding operations 

 consist chiefly of the fattening of cattle bought for this purpose. 

 Associated with the feeding of stock is the fattening of hogs raised 

 on the farm. Many of the counties in western Ohio and central 

 Indiana which are dominated by the Miami clay loam and the Miami 

 silt loam, annually sell more than a million dollars worth of these 

 two animal products. In fact, the chief form of animal industry 

 consists of fattening beef cattle, the cattle being followed in the feed 

 lot by hogs. Dairying is only developed in these counties to a limited 

 extent where local markets or shipping facilities render it particu- 

 larly profitable. In Michigan, however, the dairy industry rather ex- 

 ceeds in importance the fattening of beef cattle. Hogs are grown 

 both on the dairy farms and with the beef cattle. In Wisconsin the 

 type is found in the dairy section, and the growing of forage crops 

 and the feeding of dairy cows are the chief industries. 



SUMMARY. 



A general consideration of the crop uses and adaptations of the 

 soils of the Miami series indicates that the more gravelly and sandy 

 soils of the series are relatively unimportant agriculturally be- 

 cause of limited total extent, defective moisture-holding capacity, 

 and a generally rougher topography. Yet some of these soils, par- 

 ticularly the Miami fine sand and sandy loam, would constitute 

 valuable special-crop soils if they were suitably located with respect 

 to markets. 



The Miami fine sandy loam, loam, silt loam, and clay loam com- 

 prise by far the greatest area of the soils of this series, and thej^ are 

 well suited with respect to topography, drainage and moisture con- 

 ditions, and climatic surroundings to the growing of the most im- 

 portant staple crops of the temperate region. The Miami fine sandy 

 loam is the coarsest textured soil of the series which is well suited 

 to general farming. It is a fairly good soil for the production of 

 corn, oats, and hay, and is well suited to the growing of beans and 

 Irish potatoes. The occurrence of considerable areas of the type 

 under special climatic conditions has encouraged its use for orchard- 

 ing and the growing of grapes and small fruits. 



The Miami loam is an excellent general-purpose soil, and is ex- 

 tensively used for the growing of corn, oats, and hay, with beans as 

 the chief special crop. It is also suited to orcharding upon a domestic 

 scale. Climatic conditions have favored the development of the dairy 

 industry. 



