GROUP OF POORLY DRAINED SOILS. 
49 
most economical and profitable crop production can be secured 
by the use of mineral fertilizers containing phosphorus and 
potash. Such crops as alsike clover and timothy, buckwheat, 
and corn may be expected to give good results on this kind of 
land under good management. Corn may not always mature 
because of the danger from frosts on the low land, but one is 
reasonably certain of always securing good silage. 
CLYDE SILT LOAM. 
The surface soil of this type to a depth of about eight inches 
consists of a black friable silt loam which contains a very large 
amount of organic matter. The subsoil begins as a dark-colored 
silt loam to about twelve or fourteen inches, when it becomes 
somewhat lighter in color, frequently being of a grayish or blue 
tinge and also being lighter in texture. The subsoil is quite 
variable, but is most often sandy loam below eighteen inches. 
In a few instances it was found to be a very fine sand which 
was mottled in color. 
There are some variations, but the most important one is where 
the surface is really a clay loam, and the subsoil a heavy bluish 
silty clay loam with lenses of sand in the lower subsoil. This 
phase could justly be classed as Clyde clay loam, except that its 
very limited extent makes it of little importance. This type is 
of limited extent and of minor importance. It is confined to 
the eastern and southern parts of the county, and occurs in a 
number of widely separated areas. One of these, and perhaps 
the largest, occurs in Section 15 in the town of Osborn. Other 
areas are found in Sections 22, 23, and 24, in the town of Elling¬ 
ton, and in Section 6 in the town of Center. Several other small 
tracts occur in the town of Dale. The surface of this soil is level 
or having only a very gentle slope. Because of its low position 
and level surface, the natural drainage is very poor, and before 
it can be used for cultivated crops drainage is necessary. 
But very little of this land has been cleared and placed under 
cultivation, owing to the fact that its drainage is very deficient. 
The best timber has been removed, and some of this land is now 
being used as pasture land. Where it is possible to drain this 
soil, it can be made very excellent land. 
In the improvement of this soil, drainage is the first consider¬ 
ation. From the standpoint of the amount of plant food which 
