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SOIL SURVEY OF SAN SABA COUNTY, TEXAS. 61
sand of the alluvium, however, occurs in lenses which are thin and
of small extent.
This type occurs on low, leveelike ridges along the banks of the
Colorado River throughout its course in the county. It forms narrow,
elongated strips and at no place occupies the entire width of
the broader bottoms. The land is in places rather uneven and hummocky,
but the topography does not constitute a serious obstacle to
successful farming. The drainage is good. The soil is easily cultivated
because of its light texture and retains moisture at least as
well as the heavier types. It is generally farmed in connection with
the Miller silt loam and devoted to the same crops. It is probably
not quite as productive as the heavier soils where the latter are properly
cultivated and is not so favorably situated as the silt loam for
irrigation.
Improvement in farming on this type could be effected by the
adoption of some more systematic crop rotation. A soil of this
character offers good opportunities for the extensive growing of
such crops as cowpeas, peanuts, and sweet potatoes in connection
with the raising of hogs.
MILLER SILT LOAM.
The Miller silt loam is a chocolate-red to chocolate reddish brown
silt loam to a depth of 10 to 15 inches, where a more compact silt
loam or silty clay loam of a chocolate-red color is encountered. The
type is rather uniform, and in many places there is little difference
in color or texture to a depth of 3 feet or more. The soil effervesces
freely with acid, indicating a rather high percentage of lime.
The principal variations from the typical soil are in texture, much
of the material closely approaching a fine loam, while small spots
of clay loam occur in depressions. In places a thin layer of sand
occurs in the subsoil, but in general the substrata of alluvium
consists mainly of clay or silt to a depth of 30 or 35 feet.
The Miller silt loam is the principal bottom-land soil along the
Colorado River. The land is nearly level or slightly undulating. It
is sufficiently well drained for farming, and the topography and
elevation are favorable for irrigation. The greater part of the
alluvial plain lies 35 to 45 feet above the normal level of the river,
and is seldom overflowed.
The bottoms on the San Saba side of the river do not attain any
considerable width, the maximum being but little more than a
mile, while the average width is less than one-half mile. The type,
therefore, does not have a very large total area, but it is one of the
more valuable soils adapted to farming and practically all of it is
under cultivation, with a considerable proportion irrigated.