12 



BULLETIN 652, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Results of soil tests on Lafourche drainage district No. 12, subdistrict No. 3, 



Ra eel and, 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 



Pounds. 

 48.9 

 51.2 

 59.2 

 58. 2 



Pounds. 



Pounds. 

 10.0 



10.8 

 10.0 

 10.2 



Per cent. 

 62.2 

 64.7 

 78.7 



76.8 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



Inches. 

 18 



29 



63.7 



84.7 



20.0 



18 



34 1 . 



12 



35 ! 



63.8 



85.8 



9.0 



12 







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



The conditions on this area were similar to those on subdistrict No. 2, 

 except that the land on the former 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 

 soil these roots tapered out to very fine rootlets. The samples contained 

 pure turf which was very similar to samples 12 to 33, inclusive, of subdis- 

 trict No. 2. 



The samples recorded in the following table were taken from Smithport 

 Plantation, which lies about 1 mile back from Bayou Lafourche, near Lock- 

 port, La. 



Results of soil tests on Smithport Plantation. Lockport, 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- Satu- 

 mal. rated. 



Gain. 



Muck: 



IS...; 



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 



Pounds. 

 .54.4 

 52.0 

 52.9 

 52.0 



112.0 

 80.0 

 74.8 



111.5 



Pounds. 



Pounds. 

 21.9 

 13.4 

 14.0 

 10.7 



88.6 

 48.3 

 47.0 

 SI. 9 



Per cent. 

 52.0 

 61.8 

 62.2 

 66.1 



37.5 

 50.7 

 44.5 



47.4 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



Inches. 

 22 



20 









22 



40 



73.0 

 61.5 



94.4 



81.3 



32.2 

 15.2 



26 



42 



22 



Silt: 



19 



24 



21 









24 



41 



85.6 



61.8 



17.3 



26 



43 



20 













This tract was a part of the grass-covered prairie which contained a num- 

 ber of scattering groves of small willows. It had been cleared and drained 

 for about five years. Its elevation above mean tide level is about 1 foot. The 

 top soil is a layer of almost pure silt 6 to 10 inches thick' which has been 

 laid down on a layer of muck perhaps 12 inches thick at a comparatively re- 

 cent date. Below this muck is a deposit of pure silt extending to a great 

 depth. The turf or muck in this tract is perhaps older than that of sub- 

 district No. 2, Raceland; it seems to have been formed from the same kind 

 of vegetation, but it is heavier and much darker than that of the latter dis- 

 trict. This is due probably to the weight of the layer of silt which had 

 been deposited on it. The ground had been cultivated in 1910, and the part 

 moved by cultivation was quite hard and dry; however, this cultivation did 

 not reach below the layer of silt, into the muck. The first four samples were 

 taken from the layer of muck, while the next four were taken from the silt 

 overlying the muck. Both layers of soil were tested so as to get an idea of 



