YOUxMG COUNTY. 503 



SOILS. 



The soils of the county are of three distinct varieties, according to their 

 sources. The river valleys are a red sandy loam, and are formed from the 

 different strata along their course. They are very fertile and have been en- 

 riched by passing through the great gypsum beds along the upper Brazos. 

 These valleys are probably the best lands in the county. 



Another class is the black sandy soils found along the creeks. They are 

 derived from the strata found along the several courses of the streams. The 

 limestones, the sandstones, the clay beds have all contributed to their com- 

 position. These soils produce abundant crops of grain and cotton. 



Another class of soils owe their origin to the immediate underlying strata 

 of the several localities. In some places where the soil is derived from the 

 disintegration of the limestones and the blue shales it is inclined to be black 

 in color, and is in larger bodies than any of the other kinds. Again, the land 

 is principally derived from the sandstone or conglomerate, and is more or less 

 sandy. 



This kind of land is generally overgrown with timber and brush. It is 

 none the less productive, and will probably produce more kinds of grain than 

 the prairie lands, taken one year with another. 



TIMBER. 



This county may properly be called a timbered county. It is at the western 

 boundary of the "Upper Cross Timbers." There are, however, some large 

 prairies in the northern part of the county, but all are within easy reach of 

 the timber. The timber is mostly post oak and blackjack on the uplands, 

 with elm, hackberry, cottonwood. burr oak, and water oak along the creeks 

 and rivers, while mesquit is abundant along the margins of the large prairies, 

 and sometimes covering whofe districts of country. 



WATER. 



Water for domestic purposes is found abundantly almost everywhere in 

 shallow wells. There are places, however, where the clay beds are very thick, 

 and where it is almost impossible to get water at any depth. The clay beds 

 make excellent places for open tanks, and with a little work in making them 

 there can always be an abundance of water stored for all purposes. There 

 are not many springs in the county, and there is not much probability that 

 artesian water of good quality can be found by deep boring. If water should 

 be found that would flow from a deep well, it is more than probable that it 

 would be highly impregnated with salts of various kinds. 



