34 
SOIL SURVEY OF JACKSON COUNTY 
When the county was first settled, wheat was grown exten¬ 
sively on this soil, but very little is now produced. It is con¬ 
sidered a fair corn soil, and the yields are practically the same 
as on the Knox silt loam. Potatoes can be grown successfully, 
though the acreage is not large. 
The rotation of crops most commonly practiced consists of 
corn, followed by oats or barley, with which clover and timothy 
are seeded. Hay is cut for one or two years, and the field may 
be pastured for a year before being again plowed for corn. 
Cultivation of this soil is not difficult, and a lighter class of 
implements and stock can be used than on the silt loam type. 
The selling price of land of this type is quite variable, depend¬ 
ing upon location, character of the surface, texture of the soil, 
and improvements. In the most favorable locations, the gently 
sloping and nearly level portions of the type sell for sixty to 
one hundred dollars an acre. The rougher places which are 
more distantly removed from towns are held at twenty-five to 
fifty dollars an acre. 
VESPER FINE SANDY LOAM 
(.Including Vesper Loam) 
The Vesper fine sandy loam is an extensive type of soil. It 
lies in the east end of the county in a compact body three to 
five miles wide extending from the vicinity of Merrillan east 
to City Point. 
The surface soil consists of six to ten inches of grayish-brown 
fine sandy loam. On some places, the surface one-half inch is 
dark brown or black due to more organic matter in it. The 
subsoil is a yellowish or mottled fine sandy loam or fine sand. 
At from twelve to thirty inches deep the subsoil becomes a stiff 
compact, mottled, or bluish sandy clay loam or clay. This tight 
clay layer varies from two to twelve inches in thickness beneath 
which again is found sand, sandstone or shale rock. The rock 
generally lies at about twenty-four inches beneath the slight 
knolls while on the flats and lower ground, the surface soil is 
generally somewhat sandier than usual, the clay layer thicker 
and the rock lies at greater depths. 
The topography varies from flat to gently undulating. In a 
few places, bordering streams, the land is more rolling, but this 
condition is not at all extensive. The drainage of this soil is 
