TT560, 561, 562] pontotoc ridge. 2G7 



ridges sometimes extend into this region, forming large scollops, 

 and sometimes almost cutting off from the main body minor tracts 

 of fertile -oil. 



5o0. "The Buncomhts" . — Near the southern border of the county, 

 iu T. 6, RR. H and 4 E., we find, included mainly between Wilhite's 

 and King's Creek, the singular soil of the '•Buncombes" — a red 

 sandy loam deeply tinged with iron, and filled with smooth. shining, 

 brown pebbles, of a rounded shape (TT3;-$fi), to such an extent that, 

 to the uninitiated, the soil in many points l<«oks unpromising in the 

 highest degree, an I almost too stony for tillage. Yet these 

 uplands bear a vigorous growth of Oaks, Hickory, " Poplar", 

 Black Walnut, Umbrella-Tree (Magnotin aariculatn), Locust 

 (Rnbinia), etc., and will yield, with little trouble, 60 to 80 bushels 

 of corn, and more than a bale of cotton per acre ; aided to all 

 of which, it "wears well", and will be easily resuscitated by 

 means of the greensand marls which abound in the region (1435, 

 136 ; 144). conjointly with the use of the subsoil plow. 



obi. ;i Red Land". — These ferruginous, concretionary pebbles 

 characterize, more or less, all the first class uplands, and more 

 especially the '"Red Lands" of the Pontotoc Ricliro. although they 

 are not often found of so large a size as in the '•Buncombes," but 

 vary from that of a poppy-seed to that of a buckshot, as in the 

 prairies (#36 ; oi7). They are frequently not observable in the 

 surface soil, but may very generally be noticed in the subsoil. The 

 loam stratum which forms the latter is often of considerable 

 thickness— from 6 to 10 feet on the ridges, and of a deep orange, 

 or "red" tint. 



From its mallowness, it is disposed to wash badly unless protected ; but the 

 great fertility even of the lowest portions of the subsoil may be readily judged 

 of by the luxuriant growth of weeds which covers the sides of these "red 

 washes", so soon as bv exposure to the atmosphere for some time (fallowing — 

 1f357) they have been sufficiently stimulateil. The same effect, of course, 

 would follow the use of the calcareous marls so commonly accessible on the 

 Rid^e, or of the lime burnt (rom the " bored limestone", which, as has been 

 stated (Hl53), is far superior to the purest lime, for agricultural purposes. 

 Deep culture, therefore, both for the purpose of bringing up the fertile subsoil, 

 and for the prevention of wishing; and th3 use of the calcareous m inures of 

 the region (if possible conjointly with vegetable matter, in which most of the 

 soils ofthe Ridge are deficient), will long be sufficient to maintain the productive- 

 ness of these soils; am m* waosa advantages is, also, a great capacity for 

 resisting extrern js of wet and drouth, which would bj increase 1 by the further 

 addition of lime (443). 



56.!. " Mala/to S)Us." — Of course there is, within the class of 

 soils thus generally characterized, a considerable number of varie- 

 ties which, for the reasons given (15.17 2 ). have not as yet received 

 special consideration. Besides the extreme " red lands " character, 

 in which the deep- tinted surface soil often contains but a trace of 

 vegetable matter (1424), one of the most frequent, and most 

 esteemed kinds of land is the "mulatto soil" of the western portion 

 of the Ridge. 



