300 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. [1638, 639, 640, 641 



the "Red Hills'' is generally very poor in vegetable matter, which ought to be 

 supplied to it in any convenient shape, and would, no doubt, greatly increase 

 the " safety " and productiveness of the soil. 



I have been informed that similar heavy, red soils occur in the adjoining 

 portions of Holmes, and even in the N. edge of Madison, I have seen patches 

 of soil resembling it— regarding which, of course, the same would probably 

 hold true, as in regard to those of Attala. Whether or not the red soil occurs 

 in E. Attala, which is said to resemble, in general, the X. W. portion, just 

 described, I am not informed. 



638. The ridge on which Kosciusko is situated, is sandy, and 

 timbered with Post Oak, Black Jack, Spanish ("Red") Oak, some 

 (true) Red Oak, and Short-leaf Pine, the soil being rather inferior. 

 Such, with the exception of the bottoms and homroocks, is the 

 character of the soil of S. Attala and the N. E. corner of Leake, 

 (the only portion of that county which I have visited) ; the surface 

 being rather hilly and broken, and settled chiefly along the streams. 



The slope from the hills W. of the Yockanookana towards the bottom of the 

 latter is very gradual, and is well settled ; its growth being the same oaks oc- 

 curring further inland, but of a better character, and with more Hickory and less 

 Pine ; the soil, however, is very variable. On the upper portions of the slope, 

 the subsoil is a pale yellow loam. Lower down, in what might be considered 

 the hommock or second bottom of the river, the soil (and subsoil which is of 

 the same aspect) is a gray, ashy silt with ferruginous dots, resembling not a 

 little the light soil of the Chickasaw Flatwoods (1f572 ; 575, if.), yet it produces 

 well and is not liable to cause failure of the crops in extreme seasons ; it is 

 timbered with Beech, Hickory, White, Black, Scarlet (" Spanish ") and Spanish 

 ("Red") Oak, Elm, and Bottom Pine. The soil of the bottom proper is some- 

 what similar (^[602). 



639. In N. Madison, on the heads of Siniash Creek, there is a 

 tract of fine, gently undulating yellow loam uplands, where no 

 Pine is seen ; the latter tree re-appears, however, as we approach 

 the Big Black towards Goodman, on the higher ridges, where the 

 loam is thin, or almost wanting ; while the general surface of the 

 country, although hilly, is not too much so for cultivation, and 

 possesses a fair soil. Southward, however, towards Canton, the 

 ridges become lower and the country gradually assumes the face of 

 the region S. of Canton, which will be described in another place 

 (1624, ff.). 



640. We now turn back northward to the Ijoosha Scoona River, 

 in Calhoun county, the hilly pine lands N. of which have been 

 above described (*[631, ff.). 



I have not visited the portion of Calhoun county lying S. of the same, which, 

 while in general resembling the N. portion, has been described to me as being- 

 more fertile on the whole, than the latter. Its upland soils seem to resemble, 

 in many localities, more those of the Hills of the Flatwoods Region (if 587, ff.), 

 than those of the yellow loam. Such is the case in the S. E. corner, where- 

 alone I have myself examined them (1T589). The ridge soils retain their clayey 

 character, and their timber of White Oak, Spanish (" lied ") Oak, Hickory, and 

 scattered Pine, alternating with Black Jack and Post Oak ridges, up to Tapashaw 

 Creek, on the Houston and Bellefontaine road. The bottom lands of the 

 Tapashaw are much praised, the timber and soil resembling that of the Potlock- 

 ney (H539), as is the case with the creeks of this region generally. 



G41. Beyond (S. oi) the Tapashaw, the ridge lands are more sandy, and on the 



