THE RED AND BROWN LOAM REGION OF THE COTTON BELT. 75 



the blue marl lands, derived from a blue marl v ^icli lies near the top 

 of the Cretaceous series. 



The timber upon these blue marl lands is a curious mixture of gums, 

 bottom oaks, and long-leaf pines, all draped with the long moss. A large 

 body of this kind of land is met with in eastern Alabama, where it is 

 well known for the fine cotton crops which it produces. 



(Based on the older limestone formations.) 



These lands are of two kinds, viz: 



a. The red and brown calcareous loams, occurring east of the IMis- 

 sissippi River, in the basin of Tennessee, and in the valleys of East 

 Tennessee, northwestern Georgia, and northeastern Alabama, and de- 

 rived from the limestones of the Silurian and Subcarboniferous forma- 

 tions; and 



b. The red loam uplands and prairies of Arkansas and the Indian 

 lN"ation, based upon the red shales of the Coal-measures, and the red loam 

 lands of Texas, which are derived from red sandstones and clays, partly 

 of Triassic age and partly of undetermined age. 



a. Red and hrotvn loam lands east of the Mississippi. — (1) The Basin of 

 Middle Tennessee is an elliptical basin of some 5,000 square miles area, 

 underlaid by the limestones of the Lower Silurian age. The surface of 

 the basin is moderately undulating, or rolling; it was once heavily tim- 

 bered with oaks, walnuts, hickories, &c., which have been in great 

 measure removed and the land brought under cultivation. 



The occurrence of cedar glades is a characteristic surface feature of 

 the basin. These are rocky places, generally flat, and more or less 

 covered with red cedar. (Safford.) 



The soils of this basin are derived from the disintegration of lime- 

 stones of different grades of purity, and hence vary considerably in qual- 

 ity. The two principal varieties are those derived from the Trenton, 

 and from the Kashville or Hudson River formations, respectively. The 

 former are, as a rule, more clayey, the latter more siliceous. 



These lands are fertile and well adapted to the cultivation of corn, 

 cotton, tobacco, &c. As will be seen from the percentage map, a large 

 proportion of this area is devoted to cotton. 



(2) The Valley of East Tennessee, and its continuation through North- 

 west Georgia into the Coosa Valley of Alabama, is a complex trough 

 composed of a number of subordinated valleys separated by ridges, 

 having, like the valleys, a general northeast and southwest direction. 

 The soils of these valleys, as they are derived from the rocks of several 

 different formations, v ary considerably. The one extreme is a stiff clayey 

 loam of deep red color, found in greatest abundance along the south- 

 eastern edge of the valley. This is the best of the soils. 



On the other extreme are light sandy loams of grayish to buff colors. 



