THE MIAMI SERIES OF SOILS. 31 
consist of a good farm house, large dairy and stock barns, and usu- 
ally one or more silos for the storage of the corn crop. Such n 
group is shown in Plate VIII, figure 2. The work stock is quite 
generally of good quality and of sufficient weight to accomplish the 
tillage of this soil. A large part of the farm work is done by the 
use of horsepower machinery. 
Tile underdrainage has been installed only to a small extent in 
this soil. The larger part of the type is fairly well drained in its 
natural condition, but the more nearly level areas, especially where 
the subsoil is compact, heavy clay loam, are materially benefited by 
the use of tile. The yields of all crops are increased, while the profit- 
able production of alfalfa and even of red clover depends to a con- 
siderable degree upon the use of tile drains to improve the drainage 
of the subsoil. 
The crop rotations upon the different areas of the Miami loam 
vary considerably. The general practice is to plow sod land for the 
growing of corn. The next year the land is seeded to oats. This 
crop is usually followed either by w T heat or barley, and a seeding 
to mixed timothy and red clover or to clover alone is made with the 
second grain crop. The land is allowed to remain in hay for two 
or more years. It may be pastured the last year in sod. Potatoes, 
beans, sugar beets, or other intertilled crops are usually planted on 
sod land, although the local practice varies somewhat. 
Little commercial fertilizer is used upon the Miami loam. The 
cheaper grades, rather high in phosphoric acid, are used for wheat 
to some extent. The stable manure produced upon the farm is com- 
monly applied to the land to be plowed for corn. Some farmers 
use the manure as a top dressing on the grass land the second year 
after seeding. Practically no use of green manuring crops is made, 
and the stable manure and the sod, which is turned under for the 
corn crop, are depended upon for the maintenance of organic mat- 
ter in this soil. A field in which clover sod is being plowed under 
is shown in Plate IX, figure 1. It is probable that considerable 
improvement in the condition of the more sloping areas of this 
type could be effected through the use of winter cover crops, to be 
turned under to increase the organic matter in the surface soil. 
Although the subsoil of the Miami loam is generally well sup- 
plied with lime, it has been found profitable to apply lime to the 
surface soil when seeding to clover or alfalfa, Usually 1,000 to 
1,500 pounds of quicklime or 1 to \\ tons of ground limestone per 
acre is sufficient to put the surface soil in good condition for the 
growing of the leguminous crops. 
Practically all of the Miami loam which is not too steep or stony 
for cultivation is utilized for cropping. The type may be classed 
as a very good general farming soil, upon which corn, oats, wheat, 
