CHAPTER III, 



SOILS, ETC. 



The soil of Iowa has become justly famous for its fertility, 

 and it may well be doubted whether there is an equal area of 

 the earth's surface that contains proportionably so little until- 

 lable land, or whose soil has so high a degree of average 

 fertility. After careful consideration of the results of my 

 examinations, I do not hesitate to thus publicly announce my 

 estimate that ninety-five per cent of the surface of Iowa is 

 tillable land. The State being, as previously explained, with- 

 out ranges of mountains or hills, or other barren surfaces, and 

 everywhere covered with a soil of such fertility and depth, its 

 agricultural capabilities are almost beyond computation, and 

 agriculture must ever remain the principal element in the 

 prosperity of our Commonwealth. 



The desirableness of giving to the public all possible 

 information concerning our soil is fully appreciated, but 

 being convinced that little really practical good can result 

 from a series of quantitative analysis of them, these have 

 been omitted and discussions of the subject are confined to 

 the physical examination and general description of its 

 varieties.* 



The soils of the State may be separated into three general 

 divisions which not only possess different physical characters, 



* For views upon the subject of soil- analysis which are eminently correct and well 

 expressed, the reader is referred to an article in the American Journal of Science, Vol. 

 XXXII, II Series, by Prof S, W. Johnson, of Yale College, and non-resident Professor 

 in the Iowa State Agricultural College. See also later publications by the same 

 author. 



