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520 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1922
The Miles series of soils covers the largest total area in the county.
These are brown to purplish-red soils underlain by purplish-red
subsoils of clay. They are derived, through weathering, from the
unconsolidated sediments that cover a large part of the county.
The Miles fine sandy loam, including its phases, is the most extensive
soil in the county. The Miles soils are especially favorable
for farming in a region where the moisture supply sometimes is deficient,
and are well suited to the grain sorghums, sorgo, cotton,
vegetables, and fruits.
The Vernon soils have purplish-red to dark reddish brown surface
soils and a purplish-red subsoil. They are derived from the
weathering of material derived from the Red Beds formation. The
important types are the very fine sandy loam and the clay loam.
The very fine sandy loam is a good soil, well suited to the general
crops of the region, but it is very susceptible to erosion. It is not
cultivated extensively, as it lies mostly in large cattle ranches. The
clay loam is a strong soil suited to cotton, the grain sorghums,
sorgo, and wheat, but crops on this soil do not withstand dry conditions
very well.
The Abilene soils are dark-colored to nearly black soils with dark
subsoils. They aire. suited to the general farm crops, but are not
very extensively developed.' 'The-. c1-y loam. and fine sandy loam
are the more important'types, the loam and silty clay loam being
of slight extent. These soils are probably suited to alfalfa, if carefully
managed.
The Richfield soils. occurring on the high plains, are very dark
brown to nearly black in the surface layer, and have a dark-colored
subsoil. The Richfield silty clay loam is utilized largely for the
production of grain sorghums, cotton. and wheat.
The Amarillo soils are high plains types with purplish-red soils
and a purplish-red to salmon-colored subsoil. The silty. clay loam
is well suited to the general farm crops, including wheat. It is a
strong soil and nearly all in cultivation.
The Randall clay occupies the beds of small intermittent lakes
throughout the region. It is a heavy, dark soil, but is poorly drained
and not cultivated.
The Cottonwood loam is a shallow soil underlain by gypsum beds.
It has little agricultural value and is used only for grazing.
The Spur series is represented by types that have chocolate-brown
to nearly black surface soils and a chocolate-brown subsoil. These
are recent-alluvial soils of importance in the southern part of the
county. They are rich and productive and valued by the farmers.
The important types are the fine sandy loam and the clay loam.
They are suited to the grain sorghums, sorgo, cotton, corn, and
alfalfa.
The Derby fine sand occupies very small areas of gray fine sand,
underlain by yellow fine sand. It drifts badly in heavy winds and
is not cultivated.
The Miller soils are purplish-red alluvial soils, this color continuing
to a depth of several feet. They are valuable agricultural soils,
but are not extensive enough to be important in this county.
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