258 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [U53G, 537, 538 



by yellow sand or gravel ; the latter being always readied at a 

 depth of fifteen to twenty fee', at which a £ood supply ol freestone 

 water (generally brought up by sweeps), is obtained The surface 

 of this hum mock, which slopes off gradually into the bottom proper, 

 is almost perfectly level to the eye ; here and there, however, 

 limited ridges composed of gravel, pebbles, or " Orange Sand."' 

 Stand out in the plain like islands — prominent instances of 'which 

 may be observed on the road from Aberdeen to Columbus on the 

 east side of the river ; while small patches of the same kind are 

 found more or less all over the region (:>42). 



The soil is generally fertile, and well suited to holh cotton and corn ; in some 

 points where (as near Columbus j it is very sandy and gravelly, it will at least 

 bring fine sweet potatoes. It may, as a general thing, be considered as being 

 naturally underdrained ; though in some localities the loam stratum is too 

 thick to alow the water to subside readily into the underlying sand and gravel. 

 The timber is various; throughout, the Bottom Fine (P. taeda) and Dogwood 

 are very prominent; near Smithville, these are accompanied by Blackjack, 

 Post, Spanish (' Heel") and Scarlet (" Sp-mish") Oak ; lower down, as between 

 Athens and Aberdeen, the Che>nut White Oak, Sweet Gum, Black Gum, and 

 (upland) Hickories prevail largely. As we approach the river, the timber 

 gradually assumes somewh it more of the bottom character, and Cypress, Tupelo, 

 Jblackberry, Shell-bark Hickory, Ash, etc.. appear. — The region is, thus far, not 

 nearly as much settled as its fertility and easy cultivation would seem to war- 

 rant, in consequence, it is said, of the prevalence of fevers — which will, no doubt, 

 disappear in due course of time, as has been the case elsewhere. 



53(3. In Lowndes county, where the wide bottoms of the Buttahatchie and 

 Looxapalila join the Tombighee flat, it occupies a very large area on the ea>t side 

 of the river. On the west (or right) side of the river, however, this soil occurs 

 but sparingly — only where large and sudden bends occur. As a general thing,, 

 the Tombigbee is skirted on the west side, either on, or at no great distance Irom, 

 the bank, by high, sandy hills, whose lower portion consists of the greenish mica- 

 ceous sand of the Tombigbee Sand Group (If 108}, while the upper consists of 

 Orange Sand or, in a tew instances, of the Rotten Limestone ol the prairies 

 (II 106). Usually there intervenes between the latter and ti e river, a tract ol high 

 and hilly sandy land, some miles in width, which in some regions (Aberdeen) 

 possesses a fertile loam soil, in others (between Aberdeen and Columbus) consists 

 of Black Jack and Post Oak ridges, fn>m which there is a gradual transition, 

 through yellow loam uplands, to the prairies proper. 



537. The west side ol the Tombigbee in South Itawamba is generally occupied 

 by Pine Hills or Post Oak ridges, for several miles from the river; beyond, the 

 country gradually assumes the character ol the lands on lower Big Brown's 

 Creek (see above, 1J531) and then passes into the " White Lime Country." The 

 same transition occurs in north-east Itawamba — the agricultural features being, 

 as will be perceived, pretty correctly indicated by the lines of the geological 

 formations. As regards the occurrence and use of natural fertilizers in ihe 

 regions just described, the reader is referred to the Geological Report (II 140, if.) 

 and General Part of the Agricultural Repoit (1f450). 



5bfc. "White Lime Country" of Tishomingo and Itawamba. 

 This region, indicated on the map (like the Prairie region proper) 

 by a yellowish-green tint, and underlaid by the i-otien L nusione 

 or its equivalents (11 l(V,ff.}, comprises the'besi lands of'l.oih coun- 

 ties, and is characterised by a gently undulating surface, and soils 

 prevalently heavy (and to a great extent calcareous), Irnin which 

 the Pine is absent (except sometimes near its borders, on higher 



