6 BULLETIN m., U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
every county level stretches of uplands may be found. These level 
tracts are the most highly prized of the uplands and from an agricul- 
tural standpoint compare favorably with the valleys. (See fig. 5.) 
Wherever these more level upland tracts are large enough for the 
establishment of several farms, prosperous communities have been 
built up, often many miles from a railroad. Very little of the level 
upland remains uncleared, and the few timbered tracts which are left 
are scattered and of small area. 
In the hilly or rolling uplands of the counties studied farms are found 
here and there in such places as the original settlers thought could be 
cleared and farmed to the best advantage. In many places the farms 
are widely scattered, but in other sections, where the clearing process 
has been more intensive, farms may be found relatively close together. 
The greater part of the remaining woodland is probably too rough for 
profitable cultivation of crops. 
Fig. 5.— Type of '-level uplands" in the vicinity of Licking. Texas County. Such lands are practically 
all under cultivation, and prosperous villages will be found near by, though often they are 20 miles from 
a railroad. 
STONES. 
Reference has been made to the stony character of this country as 
a whole. (See fig. 6.) A very small percentage of the area is prac- 
tically free of stones, and such stone-free ground is almost without 
exception found in the bottom and in the level-upland soils. The 
amount of stone is variable. Large areas may be found of solid rock 
with only a very thin covering of soil. It is evident that such areas 
can never be of much agricultural value. Very large areas have 
broken stone of varying sizes and amounts incorporated with the 
soil. The quantity of such broken stone may be so great that it 
appears to cover the' ground completely. Cultivating such soil en- 
tails very hard labor. Where the quantity of stones is sufficient to 
interfere seriously with cultivation, some farmers make it a practice 
to remove them. To clear the soil entirely of stones this work has 
to be done repeatedly for several years, as each plowing brings more 
stones to the surface. This is a laborious operation, but one which 
