16 FORAGE CROPS IN NEBRASKA. 



SOIL. 



A full discussion of the soils of Nebraska is given in the report of 

 the geologist, E. H. Barbour, in the Annual Report of the State Board 

 of Agriculture for 1894, page 61. It may be remarked that the basis 

 of the agricultural soils of Nebraska is silt rather than clay, such as is 

 found in the Eastern States. The State is divided into live soil regions, 

 two of which — the Bad Lands and the Western Region — are in the 

 extreme western portion of the State, and do not lie in what is now a 

 crop district. The other three are the Drift, Loess, and Sand Hill 

 regions. From the crop standpoint the first is the most important, 

 as it lies in the region of greatest rainfall. The Drift is of glacial 

 origin, and is agriculturally a rich soil. The Loess, or wind drift, is 

 a deposit covering all the southern portion of the State, and is 

 also a rich soil. The Sand Hills, which comprise the northern por- 

 tion of the State north of the Platte and extend from Holt to 

 Deuel counties, are less adapted to crops, but locally, where the con- 

 ditions of moisture are favorable, results show that the agricultural 

 possibilities are considerable. 



In general, it may be said that the soils of Nebraska are highly 

 favorable for the production of crops and the product is limited chiefly 

 by rainfall and to a less extent by temperature. In many parts of the 

 State there are small areas of soil, known as gumbo, which are poorly 

 suited to crops, being too alkaline or too poorly drained. But such 

 areas are relatively very insignificant. 



CROPS. 



East of the one hundredth meridian the rainfall is usually sufficient 

 for the cultivation of crops without irrigation. This meridian is 

 approximately that precipitation line for the annual rainfall of 20 

 inches. West of this, crops of some kinds are uncertain under the 

 present methods of farming, although winter wheat and such drought- 

 resistant plants as sorghum and Kafir corn are grown. The climate 

 here is characterized by being very hot in summer and very cold in 

 winter. The snowfall is usually slight. It is in this region that 

 irrigation has reached its greatest development, although it is practiced 

 occasionally in the eastern portion of the State to supplement the 

 rainfall. 



