12 



BULLETIN 71, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



depth of the muck on this tract varied froni 6 to 18 inches. Below this came a 

 layer of mixed turf and silt about 1 foot in thickness, and from here on down 

 to a great depth occurred pure silt which would be classed as " Sharkey clay." 

 The ground-water level stood a little less than 2 feet below the surface, which 

 is about the average depth of drainage secured on this tract. The first 10 

 samples in the table were taken from the layer of pure turf, the next four, Nos. 

 10, 11, 14, and 15, from the layer of mixed silt and vegetation just under the 

 layer of pure turf, and the last four, Nos. 16, 17, 26, and 27, from a field on the 

 same tract that had been cultivated for two years, but had not been cultivated 

 in 1910 when the samples were taken. The condition of these last four sam- 

 ples shows the result of plowing deeply, thus mixing the silt and the pure turf, 

 and gives an idea of the conditions that may be expected after the fields have 

 been cultivated for a time. 



The following table gives the results of tests of the muck on area No. 4, 

 which lies a little farther out from Bayou La Fourche than does area No. 3. 



Results of soil tests on area No. If, Raceland, La. 





Depth 



of 

 sample. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 days 

 since 

 rain. 



Weight per cubic foot. 



Water in soil by volume. 



Depth 

 of 



water 

 table. 



No. of sample. 



Nor- 

 mal. 



Satu- 

 rated. 



Dry. 



Nor- 

 mal. 



Satu- 

 rated. 



Gain. 



Muck: 



28 



Inches. 

 4-9 

 4-9 

 3-8 

 3-8 



10 

 10 

 14 

 14 



Lbs. 

 48.9 

 51.2 

 59.2 

 58.2 



Lis. 

 "*63.Y 

 ""63.*8* 



Lbs. 

 10.0 

 10.8 

 10.0 

 10.2 



Per ct. 

 62.2 

 64.7 



78.7 

 76.8 



Per ct. 



Per ct. 



Inches. 

 18 



29 



84.7 



20.0 



18 



34 1 



12 



351 



85.8 



9.6 



12 







1 Samples 34 and 35 were undoubtedly too moist for optimum percentage of moisture. 



The conditions on area No. 4 were similar to those on area No. 3, except that 

 the land on No. 4 had been well drained only eight months and had not been 

 cultivated. The top of the muck was covered to a depth of about 4 inches with 

 a tough sod full of heavy grass roots, but below this sod these roots tapered 

 out to very fine rootlets. The samples contained pure turf, which was very 

 similar to samples 12 to 33, inclusive, of area No. 3. 



The samples recorded in the following table were taken from area No. 2, 

 which lies about 1 mile back from Bayou La Fourche, near Lockport, La. 



Results of soil tests on area No. 2, Lockport, La. 





Depth 



of 

 sample. 



Num- 

 ber of 

 days 

 since 

 rain. 



Weight 



per cubic foot. 



Water in soil bv 



volume. 



Depth 



of 

 water 

 table. 



No. of sample. 



Nor- 

 mal. 



Satu- 

 rated. 



Dry. 



Nor- 

 mal. 



Satu- 

 rated. 



Gain. 



Muck: 



18 



Inches. 

 10-15 

 8-13 

 7-12 

 8-13 



3- 7 

 2- 7 



2- 7 



3- 7 



4 

 4 

 14 

 14 



4 

 4 



14 

 14 



Lbs. 

 54.4 

 52.0 

 52.9 

 52.0 



112.0 

 80.0 

 74.8 



111.5 



Lbs. 



""73."6" 

 61.5 



'""85." 6" 



Lbs. 

 21.9 

 13.4 

 14.0 

 10.7 



88.6 

 48.3 

 47.0 

 81.9 



Perct. 

 52.0 

 61.8 

 62.2 

 66.1 



37.5 

 50.7 

 44.5 

 47.4 



Perct. 



Perct. 



Inches. 

 22 



20 







22 



40 



94.4 

 81.3 



32.2 

 15.2 



26 



42 



22 



Silt: 



19 



24 



21 







24 



41 



61.8 



17.3 



26 



43 



26 











