8 BULLETIN 341, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
overshot wheels, the principal use of this power being for pumping 
water to the farm buildings. In the early days many of the lowland 
pastures were irrigated. Some of the old trenches can still be seen. 
SOILS. 
Figure 4 represents the distribution of the principal soil types 
cf the surveyed area. It will be observed that the Chester loam 
is by far the most important soil in the region, followed by the 
Manor loam. These two soil types occupy nearly the whole area, 
there being scattered here and there small patches of other types. 
This area was selected partly because of unusually uniform soil con- 
ditions. The elimination of important soil differences makes it pos- 
sible to study other factors of profitableness in farming to great 
edvantage. 
The Chester loam is described by the Bureau of Soils as a silty 
loam, which means that it is somewhat heavier and more compact 
than an ordinary loam soil. The soil is, on the average, about 10 
inches deep, having a smooth texture with little coarse grit except 
in the subsoil. The Manor loam, the next most important soil type, 
differs from the Chester loam mainly in containing more coarse, 
micaceous material. It is also somewhat less productive. 
The soils of this area have in general been formed by the disin- 
tegration of granitic rocks, which are deficient in lime, though im a 
few places there are limited areas of limestone outcrop. The soils 
are not naturally highly fertile, though when properly managed they 
may be made distinctly so. 
The pastures consist almost entirely of Kentucky bluegrass, and 
are remarkably productive when the deficiency of lime in the soil is | 
considered. Their productivity is, in the main, due to the rather 
heavy character of the soil and to the excellent care taken of the 
pastures (see fig. 4). -In this area farmers manure and lime their 
pastures frequently, and it is not uncommon to find pastures, espe- 
cially those in the stream bottoms, with a carrying capacity of one 
cow per acre. : 
AGRICULTURAL HISTORY. 
Records of the early agriculture of Chester County are meager. 
The county was established by law in 1682 and wa formally or- 
ganized in 1685. It was then an important agricultural area, the 
county seal selected in 1683 bearing a plow in recognition of its 
agricultural character. Indeed Chester County has always been 
noted for its progressiveness in agricultural matters. Some of 
the first American plows and hay-cutting implements were invented 
ty 
