U S .

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«D”

EPARTME NTEOF A G R ICU LTU RE .

BUREAE..

0~

F SOILS-

l

—MILTON WHITNEY chief .

IN COOP E R A TION $W ITH THE STATE OF IN DIAN A DE P AR TME NTOFG E OLOG Y , E DW AR D B AR R ETT, STATE G E OLOG IST,

x $

SOEJYSURVEY‘

OF x

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ouNTY ,u

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T.M B U SHNELL OF THE U . S. DE P A RTME N T OF A GR ICU LTU R E 1R A IN CHA R G E , A N D WENDELL B ARR ETT;OF THE IN DIA N A

DE P A RTME NT OF'

G E OLOG Y .

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Q f

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LE NDON , 1mm $;N émnm

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iofi

B U R E A U OF SOILS .

MIi TON WHITNEY , Chief of B u reau:A LB ERT G . R ICE , Chief Clerk.

'

SOIL SU RV E Y .

CIiRTIs F . MA RnU T, InOnarga.

G . W .-B .AU MANN , Exe cutive A ssistant.

COMMITTE E ON THE CORRE LATION A N'

D OLA SSIFICA TION SOILS .

CURTIS F . MARB UT , Chairman .

HU GH H . B ENNETT , Inspe c tor, So u the rn Division .

‘

W . E DW A RD HEARN , Inspe ctor, Sou thern Division.

THOMA S D . R ICE , Insp e ctor, N orthe rn Division.

W . E . MCLENDON , Inspector , N o rthe rn Division .

MACY H . LAI’R AN , Inspe ctor, W esternDivision .

f J . .W . MCKE RICHE R , S ecretary .

U . S . DE P A RTME N T OF A G R ICU LTU R E .

BUREAU OF SOILS—MILTON WHITNEY . Chief .

IN CO O P E RATION W ITH THE STATE OF INDIANA DE P ARTMENT OF

G E OLOG Y , E DW ARD B ARRE TT , STATE G E OLO G IST .

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTER COUNTY ,

INDIANA .

T. M . B U SHNE LL, OF THE U . S . DE PA RTME NT OF A G RICULTUR E ,

IN CHA R G E , A N D W E NDE LL B A R R E TT,OF THE INDIANA

DE PA RTME NT OF G E OLOG Y .

W . E . McLE NDON ,INSP E CTOR

, N ORTHE RN DIV ISION .

$A dvance She e ts—Field Operations o f the B u re au o f So ils,

W ASHIN GTONGOVERNMENT P RIN TIN G OFFICE

1918

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.

U . S . DE P ARTM E NT OF A G RICULTUR E ,

B URE AU OF SO ILS,

Washington ,D . a , Decemb er 24 , 1917 .

SIR : I have the honor to transmi t herewith the manuscript reportand map covering the survey of Porter County

,Ind . and to request

that they be published as advance Sheets of the field operations ofthe Bureau of Soils

,1916

,as authorized by law .

The selection of this area was made after conference with theState o f ficials cooperating W i th the Bureau in the W ork of surveyingand classifying the soils of Indiana .

Respectfully,

MILTON WHITNE Y,

Hon . D . F . HOUSTON,

S ecretary of A gr icultu re .

CON T E N T S.

SOIL SU RV E Y OF P ORTE R COU NTY,INDIAN A . B y T. M . B U SHN E LL

,OF TH E

U . S . DE PARTM E NT OF A G RICU LTU RE,IN CHARG E

,and W E NDE LL B ARRE TT

,

OF TH E INDIANA DE PARTM E N T OF G E OLOG YDe scrip tio n o f the are a

ClimateA gric u lture .

Miami fi ne sandy lo amMiami lo am.

Miami Silt lo am.

Cro sb y silt loam.

Carrington Silt lo amCly de silty c lay lo am.

Wau ke sha fi ne sandy loamW au ke sha lo am.

Wau ke sha silt lo amP lainfi eld fi ne sand .

P lainfi eld fi ne sandy loamP lainfi eld lo amLu cas loamLu cas Silt lo amMaume e loamy fi ne sand

Maume e fi ne sandy lo amMaume e lo am.

Maume e silty c lay loamHome r Silt loam.

N ewton fi ne sandy loam.

N ewton loamN ewton Silt loam.

G riffi n Silt loamMu ck

Swamp .

Du ne sand

Summary .

ILLU ST RA T IONS

FIG U RE

FIG . 1. Ske tch map Showing lo cation o f th e P orter Co u nty are a, Indiana

MA P .

Soilmap , P orter Co unty she e t, Indiana.

SOIL SURVEY OF PORTER COUNTY ,INDIANA .

B y . T . M . B U SH N E LL , o f the U . S . D e partment o f'

A gric u ltu re , In Charg e , and

W E N D E LL B A R R E TT, o f th e Indiana D e partme nt O f G e o lo gy .

— A re a In

spe c te d b y W . E . M cLE N DON .

DE SCRIPTION OF THE ARE A .

Porter Coun ty,Ind .

,is located in the northwestern corner of the

State,about 4 0 miles from Chicago . I t is bounded on the west by

Lake Coun ty,on the south by Jasper Coun ty , from which it is sepa

rated by the Kankakee River,on the east by Laporte County

,and

on the north by Lake Michigan .

The county has an area of 4 15 square miles , or acres . Itis roughly rectangular in shape

,with a u niform width east and west

of 15 miles and a maximum length of about 34 miles , the northernand southern boundaries being irregular .Porter Coun ty has three main physio

graphi c divisions : (1) the plain of glacialLake Chicago

, (2) the V alparaiso moraini csystem and associated tillplains

,and ( 3 )

the outwash plain and lake plain of theKankakee Basin .

The glacialLake Chi cago plain adj oinsLake Michigan . I t is about 2 miles wide atthe eas tern boun dary of the coun ty

,and 8%

miles wide where it crosses the westernboundary . Bays of this lake extended upSalt Creek V alley nearly to the P ennsylvania Railroad , and eastward along the Cal

FIG . 1.

— Sketch map showing 1mumet River to Laporte County . tion o f the P orter County area;

TheV alparaiso moraini c system traverses Indiana

the coun ty in a northeast and southwest direction . I t has a widthof 14 miles on the western and about 10 miles on the eastern county

The remainder of the county , comprising the southeastern part ,belongs to the Kankakee Basin .

In general, the topography of the Lake Chicago Plain is level , butthe surface configuration is locally varied by wind action . Alongthe lake front there is a continuous strip of sand dunes , which in

5

6 FIE LD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916.

places reach a height of nearly 20 0 feet . In the eastern end of thisdivision the dune belt averages one—half mile in width

,and has few

depressions,but is backed by a long

,continuous strip of low land .

Adjoining thi s strip the lake sands have covered the glacial depositsfor a considerable distance . North and west of Baileytown the dunesare somewhat lower

,and the belt includes marshy depressions .

The topography of the Valparaiso Moraine and associated groundmoraine is extremely

'

varie d . Much of it is fairly level or gentlyundulating . A comparatively rough belt extends in a general southwesterly direction from Burdi ck through Woodville Junction andsouth of Sedley . It is most rugged southwest of Woodville Junction

,

where the hill slopes are often qui te steep and gulli ed . This belt ismarked by a general rise of over 100 feet from the low land north ofit to the higher land to the south . In it are the headwaters of manysmall streams flowing northward . There are some extensions of thisbroken belt into the higher and more nearly level land

,notably along

the Baltimore Ohio Railroad southeast of W oodville Junction , andalong the Salt Creek Valley .

The undulating till plain lying southwest Of Valparaiso has ageneral slope toward the south and southeast . The Kankakee Plainis very flat throughout .Level bottom lands from a few feet to over one - fourth mile wide

occur along the streams of the county . Often near the headwatersthey are not well defined and not s trictly alluvial

,but along the large

creeks they occupy defi nite valleys lying 2 to 15 feet below the generallevelof the surrounding country . Through the morainic beltnumerous depressions are found

,ranging from a few acres to several

hundred acres in size More than a dozen small lakes occur in suchdepressions in this county .

The general elevation of the flatter lands in the south end of PorterCounty is about 652 to 70 0 feet above sea level . The elevation of theValparaiso Moraine is more than 80 0 feet in the higher part northand northeast of Valparaiso . At the summit in section 30

,town

ship 3 6,range 5 , the elevation is 888 feet . Lake Michigan is about

585 feet above se a level .The b el t Of sand dunes along the Lake Michigan beach probably

averages more than 10 0 feet in height,wi th isolated peaks rising 10 0

feet higher . West of Dune Park these sand hills are somewhatlower and broken with marshes . Jus t back of the dune belt thecontinuous marshy strip about a mile wide is 20 feet above lake level .East of Baileytown the moraine fronts o n this marshy bel t and rises4 0 feet or more above i t . The beach lying a t the foo t of the mora ine continues southwestward to the county line . At the junctionwi th Salt Creek the Calumet R iver crosses this b each and enters thelow

,marshy strip . West of Bailey town the moraine is not in evi

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY , INDIA NA . 7

denc‘

e,but the beach marks a rise of about 15 or 20 feet to a flat plain

which formerly was a part of the lake bed . The deposits on this plainconsist chi efly of clays

,although west of Sal t Creek they are veneered

with sands as far south as the Elgin,JOlie t Eastern Railroad .

The next higher beach line of the old lake evidently existed alongthe sandy

,rugged belt ru nning northeas t from Sedley . However

,at

the foot of this line of b ills the action of glaciation,erosion

,and deposi

tion have left a complicated mixture of glacial and lake materialswi th a rather uneven topography .

Along the western county line the heavy lake deposits extendalmost to the Grand Trunk Railway . A morainic arm protrudesnorthward from Wheeler almost ‘ to the Elgin

,Jolie t Eastern Rail

road . A b ay of the glacial lake extends southward along Salt CreekValley almost to the Pennsylvania Railroad . The shore line thenswings back toward Chesterton

,and a long

,narrow bay extends

eastward to the Laporte Coun ty line . In this bay there are manysandy deposits

,evidently deltas from streams flowing out of the

moraines . It seems probable that when the lake stood at the levelof this highest beach its waters drained through the great gaps inthe moraine west of Valparaiso or along where the Baltimore OhioRailroad now has its line east of Woodville Junction .

Whi le the rise to the top of the main morainic ridge is rapid alongthi s northern border the ridge blends into the outwash plains andKankakee marshes along the

.

southern border wi th no abrupt topographi c change .

The crest of the main Valparaiso Moraine divides the drainage ofthe cou nty and of the continent . North of i t all the waters find theirway into Lake Michigan through the Calumet River

,which crosses

Porter County in an east—west direction . Numerous small streamshead in the moraine and flow northward or northwestward to theCalumet River . The principal creeks are Coffee and Salt Creeks .Th e latter is peculiar in that i t heads in the outwash plain south ofthe moraine and after flowing a short distance southward turns backthrough the gap and flows northwestward through the hills .

Plans have been made for dredging an outlet for the Calumet R iverthrough the dune strip near Dune Park . In that way the drainagewaters would reach the lake in less than IAmiles , instead of flowingto the natural outlet at South Chicago . The Channel would bedeepened so that the current would be reversed

,and the waters of

Deep R iver in Lake County would flow eastward to the new outlet .The proposed Lake Erie to Chicago ship canal is routed through theSalt Creek gap in the Valparaiso Moraine

,whi ch is only 80 feet above

lake level .South of the main divide the smaller streams

,most of which have

been dredged,flow in a general southerly direction until they approach

8 F IE LD OPE RA TIONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916 .

the Kankakee River,where they turn toward the west and flow into

that stream,which is a tributary of the Mississippi River .

Surface drainage is qui te complete through the morainic bel t ,excep t for minor depressions . I t is also fairly good in the lakeplains

,although in the Kankakee Basin i t is largely effected by

dredged ditches and smaller lat erals . The higher outwash soils arewell drained through their porous substratum . In the lake plain inthe northwestern part of the county the stream channels are cutdown about 15 to 30 feet , at which depth there are evidences ofmore porous s trata . However

,these sand beds are too deep to afford

underdrainage . The drainage of a large part of the county could beimproved by the extension of the di tches and the use of tile .

P o rte f County was organized in 1836 . The e arly'

se ttle rs werelargely from other parts of Indiana and the eastern States . Eightyyears ago much of the land was Occupied b y Indians of the Po ttawatamie

,Chippewa

,Sac

,and other tribes . In later years there was

a considerable influx of settlers of Swedish,Norwegian

,and German

descent . Recently farmers from Illinois have come into the countyand settled on the black lands .

The census of 1880 gives the urban population of Porter County asand the rural population as . In 1910 the urban po pu

lation was and the rural population or about 33 personsper square mile .

1 Of the population classed as rural probablyreside in small towns . The most densely populated distric ts arefound around the old settlements such as Valparaiso , Chesterton ,and Hebron . The population of the Kankakee region

,which has

more recently been reclaimed , is relatively sparse . There are veryfew houses north of the Chicago

,Lake Shore South Bend traction

line,along Lake Michigan .

Valparaiso,the county seat

,has a population of according

to the 1910 census . I t was established before Chicago,and is a well

improved,prosperous town . Valparaiso University is located here .

$

Chesterton,in the northern part of the county

,is a prosperous town

of about In Porter,an adj oining town

,there are several

factories . Hebron has a population Of about 850 . Hebron andKouts are in the southern part of the county . Wheeler

,McCo ol

,

Crocker,Burdick

,Boone Grove

,and Malden are smallrailroad towns .

Porter County is traversed in a general east and west direc tion by10 main—line railroads and several branch railroad lines and trac tionlines . From north to south these are the branch line of the ChicagoIndiana Southern Railroad to Dune Park

,themain double - track

line of the New York Central Railroad,the Chicago

,Lake Shore

South Bend Electric line,the double - track main line of the Baltimore

Ohio Railroad,the Wabash main line

,the Elgin

,Jolie t Eastern

1The census c lasses only the popu lation o f towns o f ove r as u rban.

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY , INDIA NA . 9

Railway (Chicago outer belt line) , the Michigan Central double - trackmain line

,the Gary Interurban Trac tion line

,the Pennsylvania

Railroad double - track main line (Fort Wayne route) , the New York,

Chicago St . Louis Railroad main line , the Grand Trunk R ailroad ,the Chesapeake Ohi o of Indiana , the Chicago Erie Railroad

(double track ) , the Pennsylvani a Railroad (Pittsburgh , Cincinnati ,Chicago St . Louis) , and the Chicago Eastern Illinois R ailroad .

Branches of the Gary Interurban Traction line between Chestertonand Valparaiso afford the only north and south rail transportation inthe county . An a uto - bus line has been established between V alparaiso and Kouts . The Pere Marquette R ailroad enters the countyfrom the northeast and runs to Chicago over the Lake Shore linefrom Porter . There are several transfer and connecting pointswithin the county .

A complete system of limestone - surface roads radiate s from V al

paraiso . Improved roads . are numerous in Portage,Westchester

,

Uni on,and Boone Townships . The southeastern part of the county

is less wellsupplied , but the system is being rapidly extended to all

sections . Some Of the roads are surfaced wi th gravel. Over sandylands the roads are -

some time s impro v e d by adding clay , and in clayareas they are sometimes surfaced wi th sand . O ther roads are merelygraded and surfaced with the materials at hand . Most of the roadsfollow land lines , although there are a number of diagonal , short—cutroads . The Lincoln Highway passes through Valparaiso . The onlygood road to the Lake Michigan beach is north of Chesterton atWaverly Beach . Indistinct trails cross the sand dunes at severalplaces .Ruralmail delivery and telephone lines reach all parts of the

county .

Valparaiso , Chesterton , Kouts , Hebron , Malden , Wheeler , andother towns are markets f or the agricultural products grown in theirvicinities . Prices are governed by the market in Chicago . Largequantities of dairy products are shipped to Chicago from this county .

CLIMATE .

There is Do Weather Bureau station in Porter County,but the

records of the station at Hammond,Lake County

,are fairly re pre

sentativ e of local climati c conditions . The mean annual temperature is 4 9° F . The summer mean temperature is about 71° F . , andthe winter mean about 25 ° F . Many and sudden variations intemperature p c cu r . The monthly range may be as great asThe highest temperature recorded at Hammond is 10 4 °

F .,and the

lowest —23° F .

The rainfall averages about 31 inches per annum ,with the heaviest

precipitation in the spring and summer . May is the wettest month .

— 18— 2

10 F IE LD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BURE A U OF SOILS,1916.

There is considerable variation in the monthly rainfall from year toyear

,whi ch has more or less e fl

'

e c t on crop yields . The snowfallaverages nearly 42 inches annually . I t is heaviest in February .

There is an average growing season of 173 days . The averagedate of the last killing frost in the spring is April 27 , and of the firstin the fall , October 17 . The latest date of killing frost recorded isMay 26

,and the earliest

,September 19 .

The following table is compiled from the records of the WeatherBureau station at Hammond

N ormalmonthly , seasonal , and annu al temperatu re and precipitation at Hammond,Lake

Co u nty .

Tempe rature . P re c ipitation .

Month . Abso lu te Abso lu teMean. maxi mini Mean.

mum. mum.

Inches . Inches . Inches . Inches .

D e c emb er 2. 20 3 . 97 7. 6

2. 24 55 l. 07

Febru ary 2. 29 71

Winter

Spring 15 . 50

Summe r

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

31. 22

AG RICULTURE .

The first agriculture of this region consisted of the growing ofmaize by the Indians . The earliest white settlers were fur traders .

The first settlement of whites in the area now embraced in PorterCounty was made at Baileytown in 1822 . A settlement was madesoutheast of Chesterton in 1833

,and this became an important

stopping place on a stage line to Chicago .

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY , INDIA NA . 11

The original land survey was made in 1830—1831. Settlers gradually drifted in from the east , and the country pas sed through theusual pioneer development . A gradually increasing acreage wascleared and cultivated . Wheat was grown and ground at smallmills es tablished on the creeks , and flour practically displaced cornmealas the staple food . At first flax was cultivated

,but later Sheep

were introduced and woolb ecame the chief source of material forclothing . Cattle were raised in increasing numbers on the prairiesand marsh land . There was the usual tendency to occupy first thelighter and the forested soils , because they were easier to handlewith the primi tive implements employed than the heavier soils andprairie lands

,and in addition the timbered areas furnished game

,

firewood,and building material .

In 1850 the Michigan Central and the Lake Shore Railroads wereextended through Porter County to Chicago . The PennsylvaniaRailroad was buil t in 1858 and was soon followed by other lines toChicago .

With the advent of the railroads settlement became more rapi d andall the land was soon homesteaded . The use of binders and o ther improved farm machinery became general in the seventi es

,and this led

to a great increas e in the production of oa ts and wheat,al though corn

has always b e en the leading cultivated crop of the county . In themarsh lands the cutting of wild hay and the grazing of cattle were theleading and practically the only industri es u p to 15 or 20 years ago .

The acreage devoted to marsh hay steadily increased up to 1890,but

by 190 0 i t was greatly reduced , cul tivated grasses , consis ting oftimothy or timothy and clover mixed

,displacing the marsh grass es

in the cropping system .

The following table , compiled from the census reports for 1880 to1910 , inclusive , indicates the general trend in th e production of thechi ef crops :

P rodu c tion of principal crops .

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

B u ckwheat

Hay and 51, 519 42 , 048

12 F IE LD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BURE A U OF SOILS,1916.

In addition to the area in potato es and a small acreage in sweetpotatoes

,the census of 1910 repor ts a total of 558 a cres in vegetabl es .

A total of apple trees,

peach trees , and grapevines is reported

,wi th a small acreage in berri es , chiefly strawberri es .

There are several thrifty pear orchards in the county . A number ofspeci al crops are grown in a small way .

The following table indicates the s tatus of the live—stock industryas reported in 1910 :

Domestic anima ls , P o rter Cou nty , 1910 censu s .

Animals so ld or slau ghtered Number on farms and ranchesCalves

,so ld or slau ghte re d M ilch cows.

Othe r cattle , so ld or A l l o ther cattle . .

Horses andmule s , so ld Horses

Swine , so ld or slau ghtered . H o gsShe ep and goats , so ld or slau ghtere d Sh e ep

The production of cereals combined with dairying and stock raisingis the dominant typ e of agriculture in Porter County . Corn is themost important crop . It is grown as a cash crop on many farms

,

especi ally in the southeastern p art of the county,and furnishes the

bulk of both rough and grain feed on many stock and dairy farms .Timothy hay is fed to work horses and to some extent to cattle onthe farms . Some hay is sold and finds a ready market both in localtowns and in Chic age . Oats consti tute an impo rtanth o rse feed , anda part of the crop is sold . The straw is l argely consumed by stockor used for bedding . W heat is almost strictly a cash crop . Noother cr0 ps Compare in importance with corn

,hay

,oats

,and wheat .

The Indi ana Bureau of Statistics in 1913 reports that amOng thecounties of the State

,Porter County ranks third in acreage and yield

of timothy , sixth in a creage of marsh hay , nin th in acreage of potatoes

,and eighth in acreage of buckwheat .

Dairying develop ed in this section under the stimulus of theChicago market , so that the counties Of Porter and Lake hold almostequal rank as leaders in this industry among Indiana countie s .Although Porter was Sixth in the number of cows milked

,i t was

third in gallons of milk produced in 1913 . The dairying consistsalmost entirely of the production of W hole milk for the retail trade

.

While over gallons of milk were produced in 1913,only

gallons of cream were sold,and .pounds of butter

made . The 1914 figures Showed a decided increas e in the production of cream and butter . Porter and Lake Counti es lead the Statein the number of silos . Porter County now has an average of oneto every farms, and is building Silos at the rate of about 10 0p e r year.

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY,INDIA NA . 13

An active cow- testing as sociation is maintain ed,in which the

average production per cow per year in 1915 was pounds of milk,

containing 283 pounds of butter fat . These figures Show an increaseover the results of the first year’s work of the associ ation and equalthe best records made by any such association in Indiana . Dairiesbelonging to the Porter County associ ation are located almost entirelynorth and west o f Valp araiso . O ther dairy herds are found southwest o i Valparaiso

,but few are located in the southeastern part of

the county .

Porter County ranked fif th in the State wi th a total ofcattle of allkinds in 1914 . There are a few breeding herds of thebeef type

,which

,like the dairy herds

,are headed by purebred bulls .

F eeders are Obtained from these herds,from the steer calves of the

dairy herds,and from the feeder market in Chicago . The fattening

stock is grazed largely on marshy pasture lands and finished withhay

,ensilage

,and corn . The 1910 census reports an expenditure of

for feed on 809 farms in 1909,but i t is prob able that more

of this was used for stimulating milk production than for fatteningstock .

The hog- raising industry is welldi stributed over the county,but

is most important‘

where corn is plentiful and beef cattle are kept .The hogs are a source of meat on the farms

,and in some c ase s the

chief source of income .Several thousand sheep are handled each year in Porter County

,

but relatively few of them are raised here . Feeders are brought into fatten on stubble land and other p astures . They are given li ttleaddi tionalgrain feed and are returned to the Chi cago market .Although a source of some income

,poultry production usually is

only incidental to other farm Operations . Most of the feed is gleanedfrom the waste in grain fields and around the granaries . There arevery few poultry fanciers or egg producers in the county .

There is an average of two teams of horses or mules of the ordin arywork type per farm in Porter County .

The relative value of farm products,as reported in the 1910 census

,

is given in the following table :

Valu e of f armprodu cts, arranged by c lasses .

Cereals . $1, 491, 867 Live sto ck and produ c tsOther grains and se e ds 1, 523 Animals so ld and slu ghtered 3576, 935

Hay and forage 473 , 420 Dairy produ cts , exc lu ding homeV e ge tables 116 , 019 u se

Fru its and nu ts 56 , 065 P o ultry and e ggs . .

Allo ther cro ps 56 , 361 W oo l ,mohair , and goat hair

To tal valu e 88 , 496 , 728

14 FIE LD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916 .

The te po graphie variations in Porter County influence the distrib u tion of crops to some extent . The broad level lands are usuallydevoted to large fields of the cereals . Roughe r land where the use ofimproved farm machinery is difficult is generally used as pasture .

Although the principal crops are all grown on most of the soil typesof Porter Cou nty

,their proportionate acreage and yield per acre v ary

with the different types . Generally the dark—colored soils are usedmore for corn

,oats

,and hay

,and less for wheat than the lighter col

ored soils . The great need of the light - colored land for organicmatter and nitrogen is Often an important factor in influencing thefarmers to undertake dairying or stock raising .

The crop adaptation of different classes of land is usually wellrecognized by the better farmers

,although other considerations

,sUch

as the benefits of crop rotation and the demands of the market oftencause similar crops to be grown on various soils . I t is generallyrecognized that wheat is more likely to winterkillon clay”landsthan on sandier soils

,and that this crop does well on the Maumee fine

sandy loam, b u t not so wellon heavy , dark- colored soils . The light

colored upland soils with heavy clay subsoils are considered too coldand wet for corn in rainy seasons . On the other hand the corn cropmay suffer from drought in dry seasons on the soils underlain by loose

,

sandy substrata . The soils which support a natural growth of plantsindi cating acidity are not seeded to clover wi thout specialpreparation .

On the grain - producing farms an effort usually is made to fallplowall stubble land which has not been seeded to grass . On farms wi thout stock the winter is a relatively idle period . Early in the Springall the land which was not fall plowed is broken , di sked , and b arrowed . Oats are nearly always drilled late in March or early inApril . The rate of seeding is about 10 or 12 pe eks pe r acre .

The fall—plowed land usually,

is disked,harrowed

,and perhaps

rolled to make a good seed bed for corn . This crop is put in afterdanger of frost has passed . It is planted in check rows so that i t maybe cultivated both ways . In this latitude most of the corn is ofrather small early-maturing yellow varieties

,such as the Wabash

Yellow Dent and Early Yellow Dent . Usually the corn is given fromthree to five cultivations

,and is kept quite free from weeds . How

ever,while the hay is being cut and the oats harvested the corn is

likely to receive insuf f icient attention,especially in more poorly

drained fields and in wet seasons .The hay crop consists chiefly of timothy , although considerabletimothy and clover, wild hay , and clover alone are produced . Wherestorage Space is available it is filled and the remainder of the hay isstacked in the higher part of the fields

,or near the barn . Later in

the ye ar a part of it may be baled for market .

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16 F IE LD OPE RA TIONS OF TH E BURE A U OF SOILS,1916.

A S Porter Cou nty has long been a dairy district , the farmers havemore manure available than is usual in Indi an a counties . This supplies in the best and cheapest form organic matter and nitrogen

,the

elements most needed on the light- colored soils . No extensive u s eof commercialfertiliz er has ever been made . In 1909 only 160 farmsreported i ts use

,and the average expendi ture per farm was $36 .

There was a slight but growing demand for potash on the black ormucky lands before the pri ce of thi s materi al became prohibitive .

Complete fertiliz ers are Sometimes drilled in wi th the corn or wheatat the rate of 75 to 20 0 pou nds per acre

,wi th fair average results .

There is an increasing tendency to use phosphatic fertilizers,such as

bone meal and acid phosphate,for corn

,wheat

,and oats

,particularly

on lands which also need lime .

In recen t years much of the $ sour land east of Kouts has beenimproved by liming . Lime usually is applied in the form of fin elygroun d limestone

,at the rate of 1 ton to 4 tons per acre . This may

be Obtain ed at a cost of about per ton,including the freight .

In some cases air—slaked lime has been used wi th good results .Farm labor is an important item in Porter County . In 1909 a

total of farms reported a totalexpendi ture of forlabor . Good farm hands are difficult to obtain ; they receive $30 to

$35 and board per month . Extra help is paid about to $2per day . In harvesting seasons the practice of exchanging labor isgeneral . Most of the laborers are Americans and are efficient .The average size of farms in Porter Cou nty has remain ed about the

same for the last 4 0 years . In the 1910 census it is reported as 125

acres . About 90 per cent of the area of the county is reported infarms

,and of the farm land per cent is classed as improved .

The farms range in size from a few acres to over acres . Farmsof a section or more are not un common .

The 1910 census reports per cent of the farms Operated by theowners

,whi ch is a larger proportion than that in many cou nties in

the corn belt . However,the number of ten ant farms has gradually

increased during the last 3 0 years . Farms usually are rented underthe share system

,the owner receiving two - fi f ths to one- half the crops.

In some cases he pays for a part of the seed and fertiliz er,but he

Seldom has an in terest in the implements and farm stock . Theten ant owns the work stock and tools

, produces the cr0 ps , haulsthem to market

,and usually furnishes the labor for repairs about

the farm . The Owner usually reserves the right to decide what cr0 psshall be grow n

,and it is generally specified that no roughage shall

be removed from the farm . Sometimes the ten ant is required to payc ash rent for pasture land .

The average as sessed value of farm land in Porter County is,

reported in the 1910 census as an acre . Some of the rougher

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY , INDIA NA . 17

and marshy,undeveloped land is v ahied at less than $50 an acre , but

the maj ority of the farmers value their land,wi th improvements

,at

$10 0 to $150 an acre,and some farm land is held for more than $20 0

an acre .

SO ILS .

The soil materi als of the Porter Coun ty,Ind .

,area were ac cumu

lated by various glacial processes . As shown in the opening chapter,

the n orthwestern part of the cou nty is u nderlain by materi als ac

cumulated by deposition in lakes,the southeastern part by deposi

tion from running water and incidental standing water and thecentral part by deposition from glacial ice . In the northwesternand southeastern parts

,therefore

,the materi al consists usually of

sandy clays,silts

,clays and sands

,while across the central part of

the coun ty i t consists predomin antly of bowlder clays . The bedrock consists of limestone

,but i t is so deeply buried by the various

deposits just mentioned that i t is not a factor in the determi nationof the characte r of the soils of the county . The materi al from whi chthey are derived consists of a mixture of clay

,Silt

,and sand pre sum

ably derived from the same or similar sources as the gravel and bowlders occurring wi th them

,whi ch consist of granite and other crystal

line rock fragments,shale

,sandstone

,and limestone . It is therefore

heterogeneous in i ts mineralogical composi tion as well as in i tsphysicalconstitution . I t is from this materi althat the soils of thecounty have been developed by. weathering and by localredeposi tion .

The soils have developed in a humid region where in part of thearea the natural surface drain age is good and in part i t is deficient

,the

former condition being characteristic of a large part of the centralbelt of ice- laid material

,the latter of a considerable part of the smooth

areas in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the county . Thesoils of the whole coun ty

,therefore

,because of the humid condi tions

under whi ch they have developed,are leached of their readily soluble

salts,and the carbonates , consisting of the limestone fragments in the

parent materi al, have been eliminated to a depth of several feet ; onlyin a few cases is any left wi thin the 3 - foot profile to whi ch exami nationis extended . The so ils on the rolling lands have been oxidiz ed andaerated to a depth of several feet as a rule . Those with light textureor underlain at relatively shallow depths by gravel or sand , occurri ngwi thin the area of flat or very smooth topography , have in most casesreached the same stage in their development .The rest of the soils on the flat land areas have developed under

conditions of excessive moisture . They are , as a rule , somewhat lessthoroughly leached of their lime carbonates and are imperfectlyoxidiz ed and aerated in their subsoils

,the extent of these changes

varying in the various types .—18 — 3

18 F IE LD OPE RA TIONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916 .

The soils on the rolling land and certain areas of smooth land werewell enough drai ned and wellenough protected from annual fires t opermit the development of a forest vegetation . Thi s in turn promoted the formation of light—colored soils . They are usually brownto light brown or gray in color and their content of organic matter is

low .

The soils developed under conditions of excessive moisture orinsu fficient subsoil drainage did not favor the development of a forestVegetation . Their native vegetation therefore consisted of grasses .Well—drained soils on areas of flat or smooth land lying adj acent to

or surrounded by areas of wet lands were i nfluenced in the native v ege

tation they produced by the latter , possibly because of the frequen t

fi res on them,so that as a ru le they produced a grass vegetation also .

The greater part of the flat or smooth land area,therefore

,were prai

ries in their n ative state and because of their grass vegetation theyare dark in color and contain a high percentage of organic matter .These soils are prairi e soils , however , and not stepp e soils . Theyare treeless b ecause of excessive moisture , or were controlled byneighboring areas of that kind

,and not because of deficient moisture

as in the case of steppe soils . They lack the high content of solubleconsti tuents or readily decomposable minerals usually present insteppe soils

,their loose powdery structure

,their thi ck humus horizon

,

and their black color .The soils of the county have been identified as memb e rs Of 23

series differing from each other in source of materialand characterand composi tion of the soil and su bsoil .The Miami series embraces the well - drai ned timbered lands

,having

light grayish brown surface soils and yellow or yellowish- brown Su bsoils wi th li ttle or no mottling and resting upon u nweathered c al

earcons materi al at a depth of 2A to 3 feet . The series is representedi n thi s county by three types , the fi ne sandy loam ,

loam,and silt loam .

The Crosby series di f fers from the Mi ami chi efly in having a grayersurface soil and a white or mottled light—gray and yellowish - brown

,

compact clay subsoil . The surface is flat to very gently undulating ,and the

‘

natu raldrainage is deficient . Only the silt loam member isrecogniz ed in Porter County .

The surface soils of the Carrington seri es are dark brown,and the

subsoils are brown to yellowish brown,resting upon unweathered

,

moderately calcareous till at 2A to 3 feet . These soils have a nearlylevel to rolling topography and are naturally welldrain ed . They arederived from ice- laid deposits

,and the areas have existed und ‘er

prairi e conditions,where large quanti ties of organic matter ac c umu

lated in the soil . The Carrington sil t loam is mapped and is one ofthe important types of the coun ty.

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY , INDIA NA . 19

The Clyde series is represented in the poorly drained depressionswi thin areas of the CarringtonLMiami , and Crosby soils , where therehas beer a n accumulation Of organic matter in the surface soil . Thesoilis black to very dark gray to a depth of 8 to 12 inches . The su bsoil is mottled gray , drab , brown , and yellow ,

wi th gray as the dominant color . The substratum is calcareous till

,and the lower subsoil

may be moderately calcareous . Only one type,the silty clay loam

,

is mapped in Porter Coun ty .

The Waukesha soils are dark brown to black to a depth of 10 or 15inches

,wi th brown or yellowish—brown subsoils

,which rest at a depth

of 2 to 3 feet upon a porous substratum consisting Of stratified beds Ofsand and gravel . The fin e sandy loam ,

loam,and silt loam types Of

this series are encoun tered in Porter Co unty .

The P lainfi eld series includes light grayish brown soils wi th lightyellowish brow nsubsoils and a sandy substratum which affords goodto excessive underdrainage . The P lainfi eld fine sand , fine sandyloam

,and loam are recognized in this coun ty .

The Lucas series resembles the P lainfi eld somewhat in color of soiland subsoil . I t differs from that series in having a heavy clay su b

stratum,so that the soil is not droughty . Faint gray mottlings

occur in the subsoil . The loam and silt lo am members of this seriesare mapped in Porter Cou nty .

The Maumee series is characterized by black soils and a graysubsoil which

,with depth , becomes slightly mottled with brown and

yellow,or stained wi th bog iron ore . The substratum consists of

stratified material which may be moderately calcareous . TheMaumee loamy fine sand

,fi n e sandy loam , loam ,

and silty clayloam are found in P orter Coun ty .

The Homer series includes forested soils similar to the Crosbysoils in appearance

,but dif f ering from them in being derived from

lake deposi ts and in h aving less lime in the subsoil . The soil islight gray

,the subsurface is almost whi te , and the subsoilconsists

Of mottled light—gray and yellow or brown ,heavy

,plas tic clay .

This serie s is represe nted by a single type , the sil t loam .

The Newton soils are dark brown . The subsoils are yellowishbrown

,more

'

or less mottled with gray,and are underlain by grayish

stratified sand , sil ts , and clays which carry some limestone material.The Newton fi n e sandy loam , loam , and Silt loam are mapped .

The recent alluvium of the o v erfl owed s tream bottoms is classedwi th the Griffin series . The surface soil is brown

,and the subsoil

brown mottled wi th drab and gray . The silt loam is the onlymember of this series encoun tered in Porter Coun ty.

20 FIE LD OPE RA TIONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916 .

The following table gives the name and actual and relative extentof each soil mapped in the county :

A reas of diflerent so i ls .

Acre s . Acre s .

Miami s$

i lt lo amH i l ly phase

M iami loamMu ckCarrington srlt loam

Li ght phaseP lainfi eld fi ne sand

R o lling phaseMaume e si lty c lay loamMaume e loamMaume e fi ne sandy lo amM iami fi ne sandy loamC lyde si lty c lay loamW au ke sha si lt loamP lainfi eld fi ne sandy lo amHome r si lt lo am

MIA MI FINE SAND Y LOAM .

The soilof Miami fine sandy loam ,to a depth Of about 7 inches

,

consists of light grayish brown loamy fine sand to fine sandy loam,

and from 7 to 12 inches a light yellowish brown fine sandy loam .

Below the average dep th of 12 inches the material is a compactfine sandy loam to loam or sandy c lay loam

,and the lower subsoil

or substratum may grade into moderately heavy tillor into sandystrata . Gravel and bowlders are scattered over the surf ace andembedded in the soil . There is some reason to beli eve that muchof this type represents the remains of an ancient beach line of LakeMichigan . There are local areas

,as south of Sedley

,where the

sandy surf ace materi al extends to a depth of 3 feet or more,and is

practically stone free . However,i t has been so modified by erosion

and mixed with till , which Often appears at the surface on knollsand hillsides

,that i t is classed as a gl acial soil .

This type occupies a more or less continuous bel t across the countythrough Burdick and Sedley

,and extends up Salt Creek valley to

Valparaiso and along the Baltimore Ohio Railroad to Coburg .

The topography ranges from steep gullied as on hillsides to fairlylevel areas as on the lower slopes of the moraine . A few kamelikeand e ske rlike bodies are included w i th the typ e .

Both surf ace drainage and underdrainage are good . Some steepareas are subj ect to erosion .

This typ e is not important in the general agriculture of PorterCounty, and has not been largely cul tivated , b ecause of i ts u nf av

Maume e loamy fi ne sandG rifi fin Si l t lo am

Li ght phaseCro sby s ilt loamN ewton si lt loamDun e sand

N ewton loamNewton fi n e sandy loamSwampWau ke sha loamP lainfi eld loamLu cas loamLu cas si lt lo amW auke sha fi ne sandy loam

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY,INDIANA . 21

o rab le topography and rather low natural productiveness . A partof it is forested

,mainly with oak and hickory . The type has a

large use as pasture for dairy cattle,especially in the rougher areas .

Corn,oats

,wheat

,and hay are grown on the smoother land . Some

farmers consider this land better for corn in wet seasons than th e

Miami sil t lo am,and wheat on this sandy land will survive a winter

season that would greatly injure,if not destroy

,the crop on the

$ clay lands .” The type stands drought well where carefully tilled .

The average yields on the portion Of the ty pe suitable for cultivation are about 30 bushels of c om, 30 bushels of oats , 1 ton Of hay

,

and 18 bushels of W heat per acre .

Under the system Of farming usually followed on the Miami fin esandy loam c o rn

, \

c o rn ensilage,and hay are grown to feed dairy

cows,which graze the hill pastures

,while oats and wheat a f f ord some

cash returns . The crops usually are planned to protect t he landfrom washing as much as possible . Practically the only fertilizerused is manure .

W ell- improved land Of this type is held for about $10 0 an acre .

In some cases greater profits might be had from this so il by growing truck crOps . It is considered almost necessary to keep dairycattle for the manure so greatly needed on this so il

,but its pro

du c tivene ss may be maintained by growing cowpeas or soy beans,

which not only add nitrogen and organic matter to the so il but makegood hay and profitable seed crops . By liming and inoculation it ispossible to grow alfalfa on the type .

MIAMI LOAM .

The soil of the Miami lo am consists of a light - brown or brownish

gray fine - textured loam about 10 inches deep . The subsoil is alight - yellow or yellowish - brown loam to silt loam ,

becoming heavierand more compact with depth . The lower part Of the so il sectionis sometimes lighter textured , and more Open . Bowlders and gravelmay occur on the surface and throughout the soil section and su b

stratum . TO a depth of 3 feet or more there is not su f fi cient limein the so il to cause it to e f f ervesce with acid . In Porter County theMiami lo am is made to include that land intermediate between thes ilt loam and fine sandy loam

,and shows textural variations in both

the so il and subsoil .This ty pe occurs chiefly along the borders of the central moraine

occupied by the Miami silt loam . Little of it is found southwest ofValparaiso

,though several areas are mapped along Wolf Creek Ditch .

Th ere are several areas in the vicinity of Burdick .

In topography the Miami loam resembles the silt le arn,but it is

probably more rolling , is dissected by draws , and is less favorablefor farming . It often occup ies t he

$ slopes of valleys and knolls orridges.

22 FIE LD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916 .

The surface drainage is good,and underdrainage is better than in

most of the silt loam type . Some fields are subj ect to erosion .

This type is not nearly so xtensive as the Miami silt loam . About75 per cent Of it is u nder cultivation and the remainder is in pastureor woodlots . A s on the silt loam type

,the farming consists of dairy

ing and growing corn,oats

,hay

,and wheat . Crop yields almost equal

those on the silt lo am .

The Miami loam is handled in much the same way as the Miamisilt loam . . Probably more of it is in pastu re . I t is somewhat easierto cultivate and keep in good tilth

,owing to the more loamy char

acter O f the surface so il,but the topography Often necessitates small

or irregular fields,and care to prevent erosion . Excepting barnyard

manure,little fertilizer is u sed .

The average value of this type is about $10 0 an acre .

Like the o ther light - colored soils,this type is in need Of organic

matter and nitrogen,which are best supplied by adding manure and

growing the legumes .

MIAMI SILT LOAM .

The Miami silt loam typ ically is a light grayish- yellow or brown ish

gray , smooth , friable silt loam to an average depth of 10 or 12 inches .This is underlain by light yellowish brown or buff silt

'

loam to siltyclay loam

,which is slightly friable

,but becomes somewhat plastic

at about 22 inches . The lower subsoil is a somewhat plastic,mod

e rately compact silty clay loam ,becoming heavier and more brittle

with depth . It is yellowish brown in color,and sometimes fain tly

mottled with yellow and gray . Lime can not be detected by testswith acid within 2% or 3 feet Of the surface , but is usually found inthe lower lying materia l and throughout the substratum

,whi ch us u

ally is a heavy till extending to a considerable depth . Some bowlders and small stones are found on the surface and in the so il sectionSome variations from the typical occur wi thin the areas of thisty pe . On the morainic ridge northeas t of Chesterton there is a tendeney toward the mottlings and the heavy compact subsoil Of theadjoining Crosby S il t loam . Where the Mi ami sil t lo am is in tricatelyassociated with the loam and fine sandy loam typ es , some slighttextural variations occur in the soil and subsoil . In the large areasalong the Valparaiso -Hebron road , the soil is comparatively uniformin texture . In a virgin s tate the type has a dark- gray surface layer1 to 3 inches thick , representing the zone of leaf mold accumulation .

The surface of plowed fields when wet appears dark and when dryis v ery light .The Miami sil t lo am comprises most Of the top of the main di

viding moraine Of the county . One large area extends from Valparaiso to Woodville Junction , and another from near Hays School

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24 FIE LD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916.

substratum . There are bowlders or gravel on the surface in places .

The principal areas are mapped near Beatrice , Oster School , HaysSchool

,and 2 miles eas t of Flint Lake .

The topography is qui te s teeply rolling to rough and hilly,so that

only small areas are suitable for cultivated crops . Th e surface drainage is good to excessive

,but washing is only slight because of the

coherent nature of the soil and the pro tection af forded by grasses andtimber . The phase is inextensive in Porter County . In a few smallfields in the smoother p arts corn

,wheat

,and oats are grown . P o s

sib ly 20 per cent of the ty pe is fores ted . A part of i t is u tilized forhay production but mos t of i t is in p as ture

$

. Crop yields are low .

This phase is valued at about $75 an acre . Its best u se is forhay

‘

production or permanent pas ture .

CROSB Y SILT LOAM .

The Crosby sil t loam consis ts of a light grayish brown , friable sil tloam

,underlain at about 8 inches by a friable sil t loam subsurface

layer,which is usually light gray to almost white in color . The

subsoil is a mo ttle dl

light- gray , yellow ,

and brown,heavy

,plastic

clay . The surface Of this type when dry is very light colored .

Sometimes a distinct subsurface layer is lacking , but the subsoilis always mottled light gray , and is more compact and imperviousthan the corresponding material in the typical Miami sil t loam .

Some local spo ts are included where the texture of the surface soilis lighter than a sil t loam .

The largest and most typical areas of the Crosby silt loam arefoun d in the moraine north and northeast Of Chesterton . Otherareas occur in slight depressions in the gently undulating land eastand south of Flint Lake , where there are also areas too smallandindefin i te to map .

In general the topography is gently undulating to fl at,and the

areas are lower than the surrounding soils . The surface drainageis not well developed ; in a few c ase s artificial drainage has beenprovided . The heavy

,impervious subsoil prevents u nderdrainage

,

and the mottling of the subsoil is present even on slopes .

This ty pe has a small total area . The greater part of i t is utilizedfor crop production and pasture . Possibly 10 or 15 per cent Of thetype is forested , the principal trees being oak and hickory , wi thsome elm

,ash

,and pin oak inmore poorly drained si tuations .

Oats,wheat

,and hay are more important crops than corn on the

Crosby Sil t loam,and dairying is the most important live - stock

industry . Under average conditions oats yield about 30 bushels,

wheat 15 bushels , and rye 12 bushels per acre . Timothy yieldsover 1 ton of hay per acre . This soil is cold and late

,and corn

planting frequently is so delayed that the crop can hardly mature

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY , INDIANA . 25

before frosts . In wet seasons the crop is likely to b e a failur e,but

u nder favorable conditions yields of 25 bushels or more per acre areobtained .

The Crosby sil t loam is used largely for dairying , a large partbeing in pasture and hay land

,with corn grown for ensilage and

small grains as cash crops . Practically the only fertilizer used isbarnyard manure .

This type sells for about $10 0 an acre , though the price variesaccording to location and improvements .

The principal needs of the Crosby sil t loam are more thoroughdrainage and the incorporation Of organic matter to improve itsphysical condition and increase the nitrogen content . Al though thesubstratum is calcareous

,the surface material is deficient in lime .

The u se of fi nely—ground limestone improves the structure Of the soil

,

and renders it more favorable for the production Of cle v e r and otherlegumes .

CARRING TON SILT LOAM .

The Carrington silt loam consists of a dark- brown to black,friable

sil t loam about 12 inches deep,underlain by brown to yellowish

brown sil ty clay’

lo am to silty clay . The substratum usually consists Of a heavy

,slightly calcareous till . Bowlders

,stones

,and

gravel occur on the surface and in the soil . In flat areas and wherethe subsoil is dense

,mottlings occur in the subsoil .

The greater part of this ty pe occurs in the prairie belt aroundHebron

,Hurlburt

,and Boone Grove . A large area lies about

Wheeler , and is characterized b y a somewhat heavier and moremottled subsoil than the typical Carrington sil t loam ,

being morenearly like the Brookston sil t loam .

1

In general the topography Of the Carrington silt loam is gentlyundulating to gently rolling

,with long

,smooth slopes and irregular

knolls . Wh ere it borders on the marsh lands South and east ofHebron and east of Boone Grove

,the type is quite flat and has many

of the characteristics of the Waukesha silt loam . The drainage isgood . It is effected by depressions and small stream ways , whichhave been extended by open ditches and tile drains . The structureOf the subsoiland substratum usually is Open enough to permit under;

drainage and oxidation of the material to a depth of several feet .The Carrington silt loam is one of the most important soils

,agri

culturally,in Porter County

,and includes practically no waste land .

It originally was prairie , although a scattered growth of bur oak andhazel brush occurred near the forested lands . It is a good generalfarming soil

,and corn

,oats

,and hay are the principal crops . Beef

cattle,dairy cattle

,and hogs are raised . Thirty- fi ve or forty bushels

of corn or oats per acre is considered a fair yield,but this may be

1The B ro o kston so ils dif f er fromtho se o f the Carrington series in having mo ttle d su bso i ls and fl atter

su rfac e feature s w ith less well deve lope d drainage .

26 FIE LD OPE RA TIONS OF TH E BURE A U OF SOILS,1916 .

almost doubled . Yields of about Ii tons per acre of timothy ormixed timothy and clover hay are Obtained .

This type is handled largely under the system of farming prevailingin the corn belt . Corn

,the principal crop

,i s sold or fed to hogs

,

cattle,and horses . The shredded corn stalks are used for winter

roughage,and a part Of the crop usually is put in the silo . With the

exception of barnyard manure very li ttle fertilizer is used .

The greater part Of this type is valued at $125 to $200 an acre .

Carrington silt lo am,light phase

— The Carrington silt loam,light

phase,is not su fficiently extensive to warrant mapping as a separate

soil ty pe . The soil to a depth of about 10 inches is a dark- brownloam . Thi s is underlain by a brown loam whi ch grades into yellowishbrown or bu f f silty clay loam to silty clay at depths Of 12 to 18 inches .The areas mapped occur near Hebron and southeast of V alpa

raise along the edge of the moraine and outwash plain . The phaseusually occupies slopes or smoothly rounded knolls ; the topographyis suitable for farming .

Both the surface and underdrainage are naturally wellestablished .

Corn,oats

,and hay are the principal crops . Some fields are used

for pasture . Crop yields approximately equalthose obtained on thety pical Carrington sil t loam .

The Carrington silt loam,light phase

,is considered slightly easier.

to cultivate than the typical soil,but the methods Of

'

handling andfarm values are about the same as on the main type .

CLYDE SILTY CLAY LOAM .

The soil of the Clyde silty clay loam is black,and ranges from a

silt loam to a sil ty clay loam in texture . The subsoil is a light - grayor drab

,heavy

,plastic silty clay

,mottled with yellow and brown below

about 24 inches . In places the gray color predominates in the lowersubsoil

,and the yellow color in the upper part . The substratum con

sists Of moderately calcareous till. Some stones are found on this type .

The soil is derived’ from till o c c iIrring in depressed , wet areas . Thesurface may consist partially of wash from the adj oining land

,and it

is dif f i cult in some areas to decide whether the soil should be classed

wi th the Clyde series or with the Maumee series , the soils of which arederived from lake sediments .

The Clyde silty clay loam generally occurs in relatively small areassurrounded by Carrington

,Miami

,and Crosby soils . Originally

i t supported a growth of marsh grasses,though areas associated with

forested soils sometimes were covered with water maple,

’ elm,ash

,

willow,and other trees . Areas Of this type are scattered throughout

the morainic belt in the central part of Porter County .

The surface is flat and low,though not always distinctly depressed

below the adj oining types . The natural drainage is n aturally very

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY,INDIANA . 27

poor,so that ponds form in wet seasons , but surface ditches are being

extended through most of the areas .This type , although mapped in a number of areas , has a small

total acreage . As the drainage is improved,these areas

,formerly

used only for hay production Or pasture,are used more extensively

for cultivated crops,chiefly corn

,oats

,and timothy . Clover is

sometimes grown,and some areas still support a growth of native

grasses .Timothy yields about 17} tons per acre . Wh ere the land is well

drained and in favorable seasons corn and oats yield 3 5 or 4 0 bushelsper acre . Corn is sometimes injured by early frosts , but good yieldsOf ensilage corn are Obtained .

This land is new and naturally productive,and little use 1s made of

fertilizers or manure .

The selling price of the Clyde silty clay loam depends largely uponthe value of surrounding soils . Well- improved and well- located.

farms sellfor $125 to $175 an acre .

The chief need Of thi s land is drainage .

WAUKESHA FINE SANDY LOAM .

The soil of the Waukesha fi n e sandy loam is a dark- brown,mellow

,

fine sandy loam,averaging 10 or 12 inches in depth . The subsoil is

a brown or yellowish - brown fin e sandy loam or loam,

’

whi ch usuallygrades into loose fi ne sand at about 30 inches . The substratum consists of the same loose material .Practically allthi s type occurs in several areas south and southeastof Valparaiso . It usually lies near the old glaci al channels

,and may

in some cases be derived-

from the sandier layers whi ch'

u nde rlie otherWaukesha types . The topography is level to slightly undulatingnear the glacial channels . Both the surface drainage and u nder

drainage ~ are good . The lat ter may be excessive,making the soil

somewhat droughty .

The relatively small acreage of this ty pe in Porter County is allunder cultivation . Corn

,oats

,hay

,and wheat are the most impor

tant crops . In average seasons the yields equal those on the Waukesha loam

,but they may be decreased in times of drought . The

productiveness of thi s type is maintained by growing clover and applying barnyard manu re .

The v alu e.

o f this land ranges from about $10 0 to $150 an acre .

WAUKESHA LOAM .

The Waukesha loamis dark brown to a depth Of 10 or 12 inches,

where it becomes buff brown,the loam grading into yellowish- brown

sandyloam within 3 feet of the surface . The substratum consists ofporous gravelly material s imilar to that u nderlying the Waukesha silt

28 F IE LD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BUR E AU OF SOILS,1916 .

loam. Boundaries between thi s type and surrounding soils ne c e ssarily are largely arbitrary , as it merges very gradually wi th theWaukesha silt loam and fine sandy loam on the one hand

,and has

some o f the mottled and acid characteristics of the Newton soils onthe other .The Waukesha loam occurs in close associ ation w ith the Waukesha

silt loam,but usually farther south from the moraine . It is prac ti

cally identical with the silt lo am in topography,drain age co nditions

,

and extent of use . It may be slightly more subj ect to drought .Corn

,oats

,and hay are the main crops . Yi elds of 35 to 4 0 bushels

or more of the grains and 1 ton of hay per acre are Obtained . TheWaukesha loam is devoted largely to grain farming

,though some

cattle and hogs are raised . N O important u se is made of commerci alfertilizers .

This type has a somewhat lower average value than the Waukeshasilt loam ,

because of its distance from towns and associ ation withpoorer soils .The Waukesha loam would be benefited by artifici al drainage 111

some of the lower places,and liming would be helpful where a growth

of dewberries and red sorrelindicate an acid condition .

WAUKESHA SILT LOAM .

The Waukesha silt loam is a d ark- brown silt lo am about 10 inchesdeep

,underlain by a brown to yellowish- brown silt loam to silty clay

loam,which in turn passes into lighter brown sandy loam or even

loose sand at depths of to 3 feet . The substratum Consists of sandyand gravelly material containing a considerable percentage Of shaleand some limestone fragments . This outwash material usually restson till at 30 to 50 feet below the surface . The soil tends to becomelighter textured along the contact with the Waukesha loam

,and m

clu de s slight depressions In which the subsoil i s mottled .

Thi s type occurs along the border of the moraine in the highestpart Of the outwash plain . The largest areas lie 3 miles east o f Valparaiso

,near Malden and Tassinong School and northeast of Ayles

worth School . It occupies plainlike bodies whi ch are not always di stinc tly separated from ice- laid deposits .

The topography is in general flat,with Slight reli ef where traversed

by old drainage channels . The surface slopes gently to the south,

with a gradient Of 5 to 10 feet to the mile . The natural drain age isfair, and the slope of the land and the presence of the bld channelsfavor the construction of ditches . The porous subsoil and substratumafford good underdrainage

,although the land is not considered

droughty .

The Waukesha silt loam is almost entirely u nder cultivation .

Corn,oats

,and hay

,with some wheat

,are the principal crops . The

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY , INDIA NA . 29

dairy and live- stock industries are not so important as on the claylands . Corn and oats average about 4 0 bushels per acre and are lesssubj ect to injury in wet seasons than on types with dense clay su b

soils . Timothy,o r timothy and clover mixed

,yields about 1% tons

of hay per acre .

Farms on this type are handled under the usual grain - farming sy s

tem. The farmers depend on the use of barnyard manure and thegrowing of clover for maintaining the productiveness of the land .

Most of this type is well located and well impro ved . The averagevalue is somewhat o ver $150 an acre .

P LAINFIELD FINE SAND .

The P lainfi eld fine sand consists of a light grayish brown,loamy

fine sand 6 or 8 inches deep,underlain by light yellowish brown

loamy fine sand to lo ose fine sand,which usually extends to con

side rab le depths without change .This type occu rs most extensively near Kouts and Baums Bridge

,

and from McCOOlwestward to Lake County . A few areas are foundnear Montdale and Clanricarde and in other parts of the county .

The topography is flat and smoo th to sligh tly ridged and billowywhere the wind has Shifted the surface material to some extent . Onaccount of its comparatively elevated position above the water tablein the Kankakee Basin and the loose character of the soil material

,

the type is somewhat droughty . This tendency has been increasedby the extensive drainage operations of recent years .The importance of this type has been decreased since the black

marsh lands have bee n drained and prepared$

for cultivation . Possibly 15 or 20 per cent of the type is forested

,chiefly with red

,black

,

and pin oak and some hicko ry . In general the trees are largerand more thrifty than those on the extensive areas of this type inStarke County .

Corn,oats

,wheat

,and hay are the most important crops . Dairy

ing and other stock industries are relatively unimportant . Thebetter part of the type produces .yields approximately

‘

equal tothose Obtained on the P lainfi eld fine sandy loam

,but crops on the

loose,droughty

,and slightly drifted areas do not do SO well . Usually

allthe available manure is applied to the fields,and some commer

c ialfertiliz er is used for corn and wheat .The value of this land ranges from about $4 0 to over $10 0 an acre ,according to the productiveness of the soil and its location .

This typ e requires the same treatment as the P lainfi eld fine sandyloam . The production Of cowpeas

,both for the seed and for soil

improvement , has been found profi table , and much of the landwould be benefit ed by light applications of lime .

3 0 F IE LD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916 .

P lainfi eld fi ne sand,rolling p

hase — In uncultivated areas therolling phase of the P lainfi eld fine sand consists of 2 or 3 inches Ofbrown loamy fine sand

,overlying yellowish - brown

,loose fine sand .

In plowed fields the dark sur face color usually disappears .This soil is mapped in a more or less continuous strip across the

northern part Of the county and in several i rregular areas south ofKouts and near the Kankakee R iver .The topography is ridged and dunelike

,and this i s the distingu ish

ing characteristic of the phase . I t ranges from slightly billowy toalmost as rough as the dunes along the lake front . The phase isvery droughty .

I t is estimated that nearly one- half the phase i s covered with arather scrubby growth of oak

'

. There is a scattering of pine northOf Furnessville . Some areas are underlain by heavier material

,

which holds the water comparatively near the surface,and the trees

on such areas have a more sturdy appearance .

The principal crops grown are corn,oats

,wheat

,and hay . Many

farmers are experimenting with special crops,such as cowpeas

,

cucumbers,tomatoes

,and even alfalfa . Some dairy cows and other

stock are pastured .

Although only the be tter parts of this phase are farmed , theaverage crop yields are hardly profitable . Some manure is applied

,

and weeds,stubbles

,etc .

,are commonly plowed under .

For farming,little of this phase is valued at more than $50 an

acre,although much of it is held at higher prices because o f its

speculative value as si tes for manufacturing plants along the lakefront .This soil is in need of the Same treatment as the P lainfi eld fine

sand , but probably can not b e converted into a strong soil . Thereis a possib ili ty that this and other light sandy soils of the countycould successfully be used for the production of huckleb erries .These berries grow wild and bear well even on the dunelike hi lls .

P LAINFIELD FINE SANDY LOAM .

The P lainfi eld fine sandy loam consists Of a fine sandy loam toloamy fine sand . It is grayish brown to a depth of 8 to 10 inches

,

below which it b ecomes light yellowish brown . At about 20 inchesthere is a relatively compact stratum Of fine sandy loam to clayloam

,and this grades into loose

,yellowish - brown sand at about 3

feet . The loose material also makes up the substratum. This typemay grade into the P lainfi eld fine sand on the one hand

,and the Plain

fi eld loam on the other . In some places the surface soili s dark to adepth Of several inches . A few low- lying areas have unusually heavysubsoils

,slightly mottled with gray and somewhat acid.

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32 F IELD OPE RATI ONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916.

The type occupies a part of the low natural levees along the Old channels and therefore lies slightly higher than land farther back . Thedrainage is naturally good

,owing to its elevated position and porous

subso il . Since the extensive drain age system of the KankakeeBasin has lowered the water table several feet

,all the P lainfi eld so ils

are more subj ect to drought than formerly .

While the P lainfi eld loam is not extensive in Porter County,it

includes some of the better land of the outwash plain,and is largely

cultivated . A small part of the type still supports a thrifty growthof oak and hickory . The principal crops are corn

,oats

,hay

,and

wheat . Cattle and hogs are fed or raised in small numbers on mostfarms .

Most Of this type is carefully handled . Corn yields 20 to 50 bushels,

averaging about 30 bushels per acre . About 30 bushels of c ats peracre are obtained . A ton of timothy hay per acre is considered a fairyield . Considerable use is made of manure for improving the type

,

and clover is grown where a good stand can be Obtained .

The P lainfi eld loam is held for $75 to $14 0 an acre , according toimprovements

,location

,and condition Of the soil .

This type is in need of organic matter,which can be supplied by

adding manure and growing legumes . Cowp eas and so y beans wouldbe valuable crops . Liming facili tates the growing of the legumes

,

especially clover. Thorough cultivation renders the so il more droughtresistant .

LUCAS LOAM .

The Lucas lo am,as mapped in Porter County

,is rather variable

,

and much of it might‘

pro pe rly be classed with the Homer series ifthe bodies of such character were Of su f f i cient extent to warrantseparation . In the most typical areas the surface 8 inches is abrownish—gray heavy loam . This is underlain by light yellowishbrown loam

,which quickly passes into yellowish- brown

,heavy

,

plastic clay,more or less mottled with gray . Sometimes the light

gray color in the subsoil is very pronou nced . Local variations occur,

where the texture of the surface soil approaches a fi n e sandy lo am .

The type is derived from lake- bed deposits which may have a slightoverwash of lighter material where the areas lie near streams issuingfrom the moraine .

This type is mapped in scattered areas in the lake plain north ofthe Valparaiso Moraine

,the largest area lying southeast of McCo ol.

The topography is level except where small draws and streams occur .The Lucas loam type was originally forested

,and the natural

drainage was good because of its proximity to streams . In someareas where the surface drainage was imperfect

,the subsoil has the

characteristics of that Of the Homer series .

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY,INDIA NA . 3 3

The Lucas loam is too inextensive to be of any importance in theagriculture Of Porter Coun ty . Most of it is cultivated , however , andthe remainder is used for pasture or woodlots .Corn

,oats

,wheat

,and hay are the chief c rOps , and some stock is

kept . Wheat is less subj ect to winterkilling than on the heavierlands

,and the soil is somewhat better for corn in wet seasons than

the Lucas silt loam .

The greater part of this type is valued at $125 to $175 an acre .

LUCAS SILT LOAM .

The Lucas silt loam is a grayish to yellowish,fri able silt loam

,

underlain by light- yellow or$

yellow,friable silt loam to silty clay

loam,slightly mottled with gray . This p asses at about 18 inches

into light yellowish brown,

$

dense,plastic silty clay . The su b

stratum consists Of the s ame heavy clay , whi ch contains an abundanceof lime concretions at depths of 4 to 7 feet . Occasionally light- graymottlings occur in the subsoil

,but these are not typical .

This soilis derived from the weathering of heavy water - laid clays .It is encou ntered in the northern part of the county near Chestertonand McCo ol.

The topography is typically flat,but as mapped in thi s county the

type includes n arrow belts of sloping land,along the Calumet River

and Salt Creek . It usually occupies slightly higher elevations thanadj acent land

,and because of its elevated position and the dissection

by small streams,the natural drain age is good .

The Lucas silt lo am is inextensive , but where it is not too brokenit is devoted to farming . The rougher areas are forested with o akand hickory .

On most of this type generalfarming includes the production ofgrain

,stock raising

,and dairying . The ordinary yield of corn is

about 35 bushels per acre,of oats about 3 5 bushels , and of wheat

about 20 bushels . This is a good hay soil, producing over l tons oftimothy per acre . The type is usually wellfertilized with barnyardmanure

,and clover is included in the rotation for its benefici al ef fect

on the soil .The Lucas silt loam occurs in

‘

such irregular and small areas thatits value depends

'

largely on speci al conditions and on the value ofadj oining soils . Most of it is valued at more than $125 an acre .The principalneed of this type is organic matter.

34 FIELD OPE RA TIONS OF TH E BURE A U OF SOILS,1916.

The f ollowing table gives the results of mechanical analyses ofsamples of the soil

,subsurface soil

,subsoil

,and lower su bsoil of the

Lucas silt loam :

Mechanical analyses of Lu cas si lt loam.

Coarse Medium Fine V e ry fi ne1) c

'

N um e r D e s Flptlon sand. sand . sand . sand .

P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er c ent

1. 0 12. 0 6 . 8 10 . 6

. 0 . 4 . 5

. 0 . 3 . 4 3 9p

25 . 3

. 0 . 9

MAUMEE LOAMY FINE SAND .

The Maumee loamy fi ne sand consists Of'

a black or dark—grayloamy fine sand

,ranging from 8 to 16 inches in depth , and underlain

by light - gray,loose

,incoherent fine sand . The deeper areas may

have a slightly heavier subsoil than the typical . In places the subsoilis mottled with yellowish brown and rusty brown . Near DunnesBridge a variation Of this typ e is forested with pin oak and blackj ackoak

,the typical soil being marshy prairie .

The'

Maume e loamy fine sand is largely confined to a strip of landwithin 2 miles of Lake Michigan ,

.with a large area along the KankakeeR iver in the southeastern part of the county . A few small areas arefound in other parts of the -Kankakee Basin .

The type has a smooth,level surface . It w as originally marshy

and covered with water a part of the year The areas Occurring inthe northern part of the county are difi cult to drain and are wet inrainy seasons . The part of the type around Finns is so near the levelof the Kankakee R iver that dredged ditches do not give sufficientoutlet

,although they greatly improve the drainage conditions .

This soil is unimportant in Porter County because of its smallextent

,rather low natural productiveness

,and undeveloped condi

tion . It is estimated that over one—half the type is in forest ormarshes

,but more is being reclaimed each year .

Corn and oats are the principalcrops,and considerable marsh hay

is cut . Some buckwheat is grown on land that is too wet in the springto put in corn . Cattle are grazed on parts of the type . The averagecrop yields are somewhat lower than on the Maumee fine sandy loam

,

although only the best part of the type is farmed . Liming hasbeen found beneficial in some areas

,and phosphatic fertilizers usually

are profitable on such land .

The value of undeveloped areas of this type is very low , b u t

improved,cultivated land is held for $75 to $10 0 an acre .

The Maumee loamy fine sand is primarily in need of improveddrainage

,and where drained liming is beneficial .

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY , INDIANA . 3 5

MAUMEE FINE SANDY LOAM .

The soil Of ‘ the Maumee fine sandy loam is a black,mellow fine

sandy loam to loamy fine sand,ranging in depth from 12 to 20 inches .

This is underlain by a dark—gray , slightly mottled with yellow ,fine

sandy loam,grading within a few inches into a light - gray fi ne sandy

loam . In places rusty- brown mottlings are present in the subsoil .The substratum usually consists of light- gray

,loose sand

,more or

less mottled with yellow . The principal variations of this type areareas having a slightly mucky surface or areas approaching theMaumee loamy fine sand in texture .

Most Of the Maumee fine sandy loam is comprised in one area lyingsouth Of Clanricarde and Kouts . Other small areas occur alongCrooked Creek and Sandy Hook D itch .

This type has the characteristic level topography of the otherMaumee soils . Fifteen to twenty- fi v e years ago this land was in themidst Of the Kankakee marshes ; to - day it is good farm land

,having

been reclaimed by dredged ditches . All the type is used f o r agricul

ture,and corn

,oats

,hay

,and wheat have displaced marsh hay

,

which was formerly the only crOp produced .

This soil is practically virgin,and the yields are stillgood . Corn

and oats produce from 25 to 55 bushels per acre . Wh eat averagesnearly 20 bushels per acre

,with yields as high as 4 0 bushels in exc ep

tionally favorable years . Yields of timothy and clover hay rangefrom 1 to 2 tons per acre .

Farmers on this soilmake little use of fertilizer,except potash

,

applications of which are made on slightly mucky land and in fieldswhere corn is damaged by insects .The Maumee fine sandy loam usually is valued at $10 0 to $150

an acre .

The large dredged ditches traversing this type afford good outlets ,but some parts of it would be benefited by tile drainage .

MAUMEE LOAM .

The Maumee loam consists of a black loam to a depth of about 10inches

,underlain by a dark—drab

,mottled with brown

,heavy loam

to clay loam,passing at about 20 inches into light - gray, more o r less

mottle d with yellow and brown,plastic clay . Textural variations

occur whe re the surface consists of fine sandy 10 am to a depth of 2 or3 inches

,and also where the surface is slightly mucky . The sub

stratumusually consists Oi water—laid san d and gravel inte rstratifi e dwith layers of heavier material .Most of the Maumee loam is mapped near Crooked Creek and other

shallow drainage channels of the Kankakee basin . A few smallareas occur within or north of the morainic belt . Although originallymarshy

,this type has been reclaimed by dredged ditches , and is now

fairly well drained.

3 6 FIELD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BURE A U OF SOILS,1916 .

The Maumee loam is fairly extensive and one of the importantglacial - lake soils . It comprises no waste land .

Fif teen or twenty years ago marsh hay was practically the onlycrop

,but this

,

is now of minor importance . Corn and oats,with some

hay and wheat,are the principal crops grown . Most farmers raise a

f ew hogs and beef cattle . This land is quite productive whereproperly drained . Yields of 3 5 to 4 0 bushels of oats and cOrn

,about

20 bushels of wheat , and about 12; tons of hay per acre are obtained .

Fertilizers have never been used to any great extent .The selling price of thi s land is about the same as that of the Mau

mee silty clay loam .

The results of mechanical analyses of samples Of the soil,subsurface

material , subsoil , and lower subsoil of the Maumee loam are givenin the following table :

Mechanical analy ses of Maume e lo am.

Coarse Medi um FineNumbe r. D e script ion.

sand . sand . sand.

P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent.

2. l

11. 1

7. 7 10 . 6

4 . 0 17. 9 14 . 2 22. 2 8. 5 19. 9 13 . 3

MAUMEE SILTY CLAY LOAM .

The Maumee silty clay loam consists of a black silty clay loamgrading at 8 to 12 inches into a dark- drab silty clay

,slightly mottled

with brown,and this passes at about 20 inches into light- gray or

drab,plastic clay , mottled with rusty brown . Considerable variation

occurs in the color because of the occurrence of local spots Of bogiron ore or spots where a mucky surface soilhas burned Of f . Inlocal areas the surface material may consist of muck to a depth ofseveral inches .The Maumee silty clay loam is mapped in the Old drainage channels

cut in the outwash plain south of the Valparaiso Moraine . None,

however,occurs southeast of Kouts

,where the Kankakee Basin

soils become sandier . Other areas occur in the northern part of thecounty

,especially several miles no rth

’

o f Burdick . A few areasalong existing streams are partly alluvial in origin . The surfaceof the type is flat and levelexcept for a gentle slope toward thestream ways and the presence of very slight ridges and depressions .This type originally was marsh land

,and covered with water at

least a part Of the year . Di tches have lowered the water table,and

the type is no longer inundated . Much of thi s soilhas a more or lesssandy substratum,

and dredged ditches are unusually effective .

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY,INDIA NA . 37

Nearly allthis land is under cultivation . Corn and oats are theprincipal crops . Marsh hay

,formerly the chief crop

,is still cut from

a few fields . Timothy and clover are grown , and cattle , us11ally theb e e f type

,are pastured . Corn and oats yield about 4 0 bushels per

acre in well—drained fields,but the yields depend largely on the

season . The yield of timothy or clover hay is about Lt tons peracre .

This land is new and strong and the farmers have given littleattention to fertilizing it or maintaining its productivene ss . In theslightly mucky areas some potash has been used in growing corn .

Most of the Maumee silty clay loam is held for $10 0 to $150 anacre .

More thorough drainage $ IS the main need Of this land . Althoughoutlets are now provided

,many fields need tiling to hasten the re

moval of water,so that crops may be seeded early and cultivated

regularly . The rotation of crops , including the legumes , is beneficialon this soil .The following table gives the results Of mechanical analyses o f

samples of the soil,subsoil

,and lower subsoil Of the Maumee silty

clay loamMechanicalana ly ses of Maumee si lty c lay lo am.

Co arse Medium Fine V ery fineNumber. D e scription .

sand . sand . sand . sand .

P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent.

. 5

. 2

HOMER SILT LOAM .

The Homer silt loam consists of a light - gray to brownish - gray,

rather compact sil t loam to a depth of about 8 inches , where a lightgray to whi te silt loam subsurface layer is encoun tered . The su b

soil,whi ch begins at 12 to 16 inches , consists of light- gray or drab ,

more or less mottled wi th yellow and brown,heavy ,

plastic clay .

Some color vari ations occur . Accumulations of organic matter inplaces make the surface soil somewhat darker

,whi le in other places

the entire soil section is a very light - gray . More yellow occurs inthe subsoil

,in the zone of transi tion between the Homer silt loam

and the Lucas soils .

The soil materi als giving rise to thi s type consist Of heavy lakebed deposi ts

,entirely free - from s ton e . The substratum is a heavy

compact clay,calcareous at a depth of 5 or 6 feet , where lime con

cre tions are found .

38 FIELD OPE RATIONS OF - TH E BURE A U OF SOILS,1916 .

The Homer silt loam is mapped in the lake plain north of themorain e

,mainly south of the Calumet River

,the largest area occur

ring between Chesterton and Crocker . Other areas are mappednortheast of Chesterton and northwest and northeast Of Wheeler .The topography is flat

,with only a few slight irregulari ties . This

soil is not reached by naturaldrainage ways,but di tches afford an

outlet for surface waters . The heavy clay subsoil and substratumgreatly retard underdrainage .

This is one of the more extensive and important types in thelake plain along the northern boundary Of the coun ty . Originallyi t was covered with a forest of red

,\

b lack,and pin oak and elm ,

but wi th the exception of a few woodlots,i t has allbeen cleared

and placed under cultivation .

The Homer silt loam is a good grass and small - grain so il,and a

fair corn soi l . The average yi elds per acre are nearly 1% tons oftimothy hay

,35 to 4 0 bushels of oats , 20 to 25 bushels of wheat

where the crop escapes winterkilling,and about 3 5 bushels Of corn

when the season is not too wet . Most of the farmers keep a fewcows and ship milk to Chi cago .

The value of thi s land depends largely upon the manner in whi chi t has been handled and improved . It i s held at pri ces rangingfrom $10 0 to $20 0 an acre .

The principal needs of the Homer sil t loam are improved drainage,

whi ch would insure better corn cre ps in wet seasons and make i teasi er to keep the land in good tilth

,and an increase in the organi c

matter supply .

The results Of mechanical analyses of samples of the soil,su b

surface material,subsoil

,and lower subsoil of the Homer silt loam

are given in the following table

Mechanical analy ses of Homer si lt lo am.

Coarse Medi um Fine V e ry fi neNumber. Description.

sand . sand . sand . sand .

P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent . P er cent .

282532 0 . 5 1. 6 2 . 1 9. 5 6 . 0 59. 2 21. 2

. 2

1. 4 4 . 7 11. 7 62. 5 3 . 9 11. 4 4 . 2

NEWTON FINE SANDY LOAM .

Th e Newton fine sandy loam consi sts of about 6 inches o f mellowloamy fi n e sand to fine sandy loam'grading into light grayish brownor yellowish—brown loamy fine sand to fi n e sandy loam more orless mottled wi th yellow and brown . The deep subsoil and su b

stratum usually consist o f yellowish - brown loose sand and gravel .

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4 0 FIELD OP ER A TION S OF TH E BURE A U OF SOILS,1916.

and gray loam changing below to a grayish sandy loam or gravellysandy loam

,which usually extends to a dep th of several feet . In

most of the type the soil is acid,and the upper subsoil may be

s lightly acid to neutral,but the lower subsoil and the substratum ,

where very li ttl e weathering has taken place,may carry some c al

caree ns material .This type occurs in a large body around Liberty View and in

several smaller areas scattered through the southern part Of thecounty . It is flat and naturally poorly drained . The posi tion ofthe type is intermediate between that of the P lainfi eld soils , whichhave good drainage , and the Maumee soils which in their originalcondi tion were under water a large p art of the time .

The Newton loam is not extensive , and is not important in theagriculture of the county .

\ It is derived from water- laid sediments , in association with the

P lainfi eld , Wau kesha , and Maumee soils . Just why the soil is s o

s trongly acid or toxic to plant growth has not b een fully explained,

but i t s eems to be a condi tion brought about by a high- water table

and excessive evaporation from the surface ; Better drainage isneeded and when this is provided i t is probable that the type wi llgive more satisfactory resul ts with allthe crops now grown . It hasbeen demonstrated that the acid or toxic condi tion of the soil canbe overcome

,in a large measure at leas t , by heavy applications of

lime,and i t is said that applications of phosphatic fertiliz ers are

beneficial .Most of the attempts at farming the Newton loam have proved

unsatisfactory,except where lime has been applied . It is formed in

the s ame way as the Newton fine sandy loam and the yi elds on thetwo typ es are about the same .

The value of the Newton loam ranges from about $10 0 to $150 an

acre .

NEWTON SILT LOA M .

l

The Newton silt loam cOnsists of a dark brownish gray heavy siltloam ,

with a n average depth of 10 inches,u nderlain by a grayish

brown,slightly mottled with brown and gray

,silty clay loam

,whi ch

grades at a depth of 12 to 16 inches into a mottled yellow,brown

,and

gray plastic silty'

clay . The substratum consists of lake- depositedclays

,which are somewhat calcareous .

This type occurs almost entirely in the northwes tern part of thecounty

,as the lake - bed part of $

Twenty- mile Prairie .

”

The surface of the type is quite fl at,except for slight swales and

irregularities . The drainage origin ally was imperfect,although this

1Th is so i l is the same as onemapped in Lake Couh ty , Ind . , the re port o f wh ich wi l l so on b e pu blished,

as the N ewton Si lt loam,heavy su bso i l phase , and bo th d if fer fromthe typica l si lt loamin this su bso i l

feature .

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY , INDIANA . 4 1

land was not mars hy like the Clyde soils . Artificial drainage hasbeen provided by ditching and laying tile drains .

The Newton sil t le arnis inextensive , but all the type is well sui tedto crop production . Corn

,oats

,and hay are the most important

crops . Some cattle are pastured .

Corn is a profitable crop,averaging 35 to 4 0 bushels per acre , with

occasional yields of over 60 bushels . Oats usually give about thesame yi elds , but in some years 50 to 70 bushels per acre is not anuncommon yield . Practically no fertilizers are used in growing these

crops .

Land of this type has an average value of about $150 an acre .

The principal needs Of this soil are more thorough drainage andcrop rotation to maintain i ts natural productiveness .

The results of mechanical analyses Of samples of the soil, su b

surface,subsoil

,and lower subsoil of the Newton silt loam are given

in the following table :

Mechanicalanalyses of N ewton si lt lo am.

Coarse Me diumN umbe r. Description.

sand . sand .

Clay .

P er cent. P er cent. P er cent . P er cent. P er cent. P er cent. P er cent.

. 8

. 4

. 4 . 6 . 6

G RIFFIN SILT LOAM .

The Griffi n silt loam is a dark—brown or chocolate - brown,friable

silt loam from8 to 12 inches deep , underlain by lighter brown sil tloam mottled more or less with rusty brown and drab . In placesthe mottlings are very pronounced

,and textural vari ations

,such as

fine,sandy strata

,occur in the subsoil . In the narrow bottoms of

small branches both the color and texture vary widely . In theCalumet Valley , where the stream enters Lake County , the soil ismuch darker and heavier than the typicalGriffi n silt loam . The typeis derived from recent alluvium

,washed largely from glacial soils

,

though partly from lake soils .

The greater part of the Gri f fi n sil t lo am occurs in the bottoms of theCalumet R iver

,Salt

,and Coffee Creeks

,and small streams flowing

north from the county divide . The few areas found south of thedivide are inextensive and are not typical.

The surface is flat and level except for the general slope of thestream valley .and localirregularities representing abandoned streamchann els . The drainage is fair near the streams but poor near theuplands . In rainy seasons most of the small streams overflow theirbottoms .

4 2 FIELD OPE RA TIONS OF TH E BURE A U OF SOILS,1916 .

This soilis inextensive , and only a small part Of i t has been cultivate d . There are a few fields Of corn and smallgarden patches onthe type

,and wild hay is cut in places

,but weed seed carried by the

streams lessens the value of the hay land . The best use for this type

is pasture .

The price of the land ranges from $50 to $150 an acre , accordingto location and the nature of adjoining land . The wider bottoms ofthis type would make goo d corn and oats land if the streams weredeepened and straightened

,so as to prevent overflow .

Grifi n si lt loam,light phase

— The light phase of the Gri ffi n siltloam

,if of sufficient extent and importance to warrant separatio n

,

might properly be classed as the Gri f f in fine sandy loam . The surface soil consists of dark chocolate brown fin e sandy loam

,with an

average depth of about 12 inches . The subsoil is a brown or grayishbrown fin e sandy loam ,

more or less mottled. with drab and shades ofbrown . Near the stream channels the texture is lighter and the colormore uniform ,

while in lower parts of the stream bottom the subsoilis heavier and more mottled , as in the typical Sil t loam areas .

The phase is encountered in only a f ew areas,the largest of whi ch

is in the Salt Creek Valley west of Valparaiso . The area mapped inthe Calumet Valley north of B urdick is hardly typical. Small areasare found east Of Suman and northwest of Lake Hollister .

Theg

to pography is practically level and smooth except for the slight

irregularities caused by old stream channels . The phase is naturallywell drained , but is sub j ect to overflow after very heavy rains .

A small part of this phase is forested with elm ,maple , sycamore ,

and other lowland trees . A few small fields are cultivated to cornand truck crops . Most of the phase is used for pasture . In crop

yi elds and general agricultural value the phase is probably equaltothe typicalsoil

,but it is somewhat better drained

,warmer

,and

earlier .

MUCK .

Muck consists largely Of decayed remains of marsh grasses andmosses . Usually i t is very mellow

,black vegetable mold to a depth

of 3 feet or more . Sometimes decomposition has been re tarded andbrown

,peaty

,fibrous layers occur in the subsoil . Usu ally the de

posits are from 3 to 10 feet deep . Variations occur inwhich themuck contains a relatively large admixture Of sand and clay . Insome areas the layer of muck is shallow and sand or clay is encounteredwithin 18 to 36 inches of the surface .

The Muck is scattered through various parts of Porter County .

The areas occur within bodies of glacial,glacial- lake

,and ou twash

deposi ts . Some of the largest areas lie northeast of Furnessville,in

the Calumet valley north of Crisman,south of Chesterton

,around

Canada Lake,and in the glacial outwash channels sou th of Valparaiso

and Coburg .

SO IL SURVE Y .OF PORTE R COUNTY,INDIA NA . 4 3

The topography of much of the Muck is flat,bu t frequently i t

occupies a rather high position along the sides Of depressions andstream channels . Such areas are due to the springs that issue fromsandy strata and keep the hillsides in a saturated condition favorableto a luxuriant growth of vegetation .

In its natural condition the Muck was water- logged most of thetime

,and many areas are stillvery wet . However

,ditching has

reclaimed the greater part of the areas,and more Of thi s land is

brought under cultivation each year .Corn is practically the only crop grown regularly on the Muck .

In the shallower areas c ats are sometimes grown . A few small fieldsare devoted to potatoes and millet . Marsh hay is cu t from someMuck land

,bu t a part of i t is too hummocky and wet for any u se

except pasture . Corn on well—drain ed Muck yields 30 to 60 bushelsper acre

,but the qu ali ty is no t so good as on the upland soils

,and

the crop is sometimes injured by early frosts . Oats do well,bu t are

likely‘

to lodge .

Little use has been made of any kind of fertili zer on this land,as

it is new and very productive . Potash has a beneficial effec t inincreasing yields and improving the qu ality of the grain .

Although Muck lands were wo rth very little before drain age operations began

,they are now held for $10 0 or more an acre .

Most fields of Muck need thorough drain age . Straw and ashesfrom wood or corncobs may be used to advantage for the potashthey contain . The production of special cre ps

,su ch as onions

,

potatoes,peppermint

,sunflowers

,etc .

,has been

”

found profitable onsuch land in other locali ties .

1

SWAMP .

Swamp comprises a continuous belt along the Kankakee R iver,

varying in width from a few rods to abou t 2 miles along the LakeCounty line . The northern boundary follows the edge of the lowland timber and is usually marked by a small bu t rather sharp riseto areas of P lainfi eld and other so ils

,although in some places the

adj oining land is low and marshy .

While this area has the position of a first bottom of the KankakeeR iver and has always been subj ect to overflow by that stream

,li ttl e

of the soil material is recent alluvium . A strip averaging only afew rods wide occurs as a slight natural levee along the main riverchannels

,and in thi s strip the soil has the characteristics of the Griffin

series .The greater part of this forested area mapped as Swamp has a

dark soil1 to 3 feet deep,underlain by grayish

,loose waterworn

sand whi ch is permanently saturated . Wide textural variations

$ F armers’ B ul. 761, U . S . D epartment o f Agriculture .

4 4 FIELD OPE RATIONS OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916 .

occur in thi s soil,bu t i t is mainly a complex

,mucky mass of material

derived from the limbs,roots

,and trunks of trees

,rather than grass

and moss . Where marshy Maumee soils adj oin the timbered belt,

it is probable that their soil characteristics continu e for some distanceinto the area mapped as Swamp .

The timber consists largely of water maple,ash

,elm

,and swamp

oak,with some birch near the stream ways . In a few open

.

gladesrushes and cat—tails grow luxuriantly .

The capacity of the Old river together W i th that Of the dredgedchannels is far too smallto carry O f f water from the extensive ditchingin the upper part of the Kankakee Basin . As a consequence thi slow land is Often inundated to a depth of several feet for weeks at atime . This condition may eventually be relieved by enlarging anddeepening the o u tle t

'

to the lower Kankakee Valley .

Farmers on the adj oining prairie land usually own woodlots inthis Swamp area . During the winter they go into the woods on theice to cut and haul out their annual supply of fire wood .

In one instance in Porter County an attempt was made to prep arethi s land for farm ing . It cost $35 per acre to clear it , in addition tothe cost of drainage

,and the land was not su fficiently productive to

make the venture profitable .

DU N E SA N D .

Dune sand includes the strip of sand hills along the lake front .The soil is similar to that of the rolling phase Of the P lainfi eld finesand

,but the topography is somewhat rougher . Most of this land

supports a growth Of scrubby oak . A number of $ blow- outs”occurwhere the wind sweeps up sand from the beach through long

,smooth

troughs cut in the hi lls,forming bare du nes which gradually are

built up over the trees . East of Waverly Beach the dunes are high,

and occupy a narrow belt broken in only a few places by marshydepressions . West of Waverly Beach numerous depressions are inclosed by the dunes

,whi ch fl atten out to some extent west of Dune

Park . At Du ne Park the sand from an area extending to the lakefront has been hauled away by the railroads

,and this area is mapped

as the rolling phase of the P lainfi eld fine sand . A movement is pro

j e c ted to make a national park of the dune belt , to preserve thenatural scenery . A number of co ttages are located among the dunes

,

and many camps are maintained along the beach dur ing the summer .The land is valueless for agriculture .

SUMMA RY .

Porter County,Ind .

,is in the northwestern corner of the State on

Lake Michigan . It is about 4 0 miles from Chi cago . The countyhas an area of 4 15 squaremiles , or acres .

SOIL SURVE Y OF PORTE R COUNTY,INDIANA . 4 5

The glacial Lake Chicago Plain in the northern part of the county,

the Valparaiso morainic system across the center,and the Kankakee

Basin in the southern and southeastern section are the main physiographic divisions . The topography of the northern and southernparts of the county is generally level to gen tlymping

,except for

the narrow belt of sand dunes along the Lake Michigan beach . Themoraine belt includes considerable rough land , especially along i tsnorthern slope

,but the tOp and the southern part are generally well

suited to farming .

Elevations range from 585 feet at Lake Michigan to 667 feet atDunnes Bridge and 888 feet at the highest point of the moraine .

The su rface drainage is well established over most of the morainicarea . The Kankakee B asin was naturally poorly drained

,but has

been reclaimed by dredged ditches .Porter County was first settled about 1822 . The population is

reported in the 1910 census as 66 per cent of whi ch is classedas rural. The population Of Valparaiso

,the county seat and principal

town,is given as

The county was first reached by railroads about 1850 , and it isnow well supplied wi th transportation facili ties

,both steam and

electric . The c oun ty has a large mi leage of improved roads .Local towns , chi efly Valparaiso , constitute good markets for farm

products . Chi cago is the chief ; outside marke t.The climate is temperate , but extreme seasonal and monthly

variations in temperatu re and rainf all occu r . The mean annualtemperature is about 4 9° F . and the mean annual precipitation about31 inches . The growing season averages about 173 days

,and usually

is sufficiently long to mature all the staple cre ps .At present cereals constitute the most important agri cultural

products . An imal products and hay and forage crops rank next .Corn occupies the largest acreage

,and hay

,oats

,and wheat are im

portant crops . Porter Coun ty ranks third among Indi ana countiesin

$

the production of mi lk . Most of thi s is shipped to Chi cago as

whole milk,and li ttle cream or butter is sold . A part of the grain

and rough feed is used for hog raising and the fattening of cattle .

Most farms are well equipped and wellmanaged . Crops arerotated and barnyard manure is used extensively . Little commercialfertilizer is applied . Farm labo r is scarce and high priced

,but is

efficient .The average size of the farms is given in the 1910 census as 125acres . About 70 per cent of the farms are Operated by the owners ,and practically all the remainder by tenants

,mainly on the share

basis . The 1910 censu s reports a total of farms,about 90 per

cent of the area of the county being farm land . Of the farm landabout 78 per cent , or an average of about 97 acres per farm,

is reported

4 6 F IELD OP ERA TION S OF TH E BURE AU OF SOILS,1916.

improved . The average assessed value of farm land is given as

an acre . Improved farms are held for $10 0 to $150 an acre .

The soils of Porter County are composed of glacial,glacial -lake

,

and alluvial materials . They are classed on the basis of origin,color

,

topography and drainage,and other features

,into soil series

,the

series being separated into types on the basis of textu re . Exclusiveof thr ee miscellaneous classifications , 23 soil types , representing 11series

,are mapped in Porter County .

The Miami series includes light- colored,forested

,glacial soils wi th

y ellow or yellowish- brown subsoils . They occupy level to roughareas

,and are used for corn

,oats

,wheat

,hay

,and dairying .

The Crosby series,represented only by the sil t loam type

,differs

from the Miami chiefly in having a light—gray subsu rface layer,and

a mottled gray subsoil .The Carrington is a dark—colored

,glacial

,prairie soil. This series

is represented by the sil t loam and a light phase of this type . Grainproduction and general farming are practiced on the land of this type .

The Clyde series occupies dark—colored,poorly drained depressions

within areas of the Miami,Crosby

,and Carrington soils . Only one

type,the Clyde sil ty clay loam

,is mapped .

The fine sandy lo am,loam

,and sil t loam Of the Waukesha series

are recognized in Porter County . These are well- drained,dark

colored,glacial- outwash soils

,with brown subsoils and a sandy

substratum .

The P lainfi eld series comprises the light—colored , timbered , betterdrained part of the outwash and lake plain

,where the soil is underlain

by sandy strata . The fine sand,fine sandy loam

,and loam types

are mapped .

The Lucas series resembles the Miami , but the topography is flatand the material is derived from lacustrine deposits . I t includestwo types

,the loam and sil t loam .

Soils of the glacial - lake beds and drainage chann els which haverather deep

,black to dark- drab soils and subsoils in whi ch gray

predominates,are classed in the Maumee series . The substratum

usually consists of water- bearing sand . The Maumee loamy fi ne,

sand,fine sandy loam

,lo am

,and sil ty clay loam

,are encountered

in Porter County . These usually are good,productive soils .

The Homer series includes lake - bed soils which resemble theCrosby soils in appearance . I t is represented by a single type

,

the Homer sil t loam .

The Newton series includes dark - brown,shallow soils with mottled

yellow , gray , and brown subsoils and a sandy substratum . It isrepresented by three types

,the fine sandy loam

,loam

,and silt loam

,

which are naturally of low productiveness on account of their acidity .

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UCSOUTHERNREGIONALLIBRARY FACILITY

D 001108 486 0

$P UB LIC R ESOLUTION—NO .

J OIN TO

R E SOLU TION Amend ing pu blic re so lu tion numbere d e ight , Fifty-s ixth Congress,se cond

session, approved Fe bruary twentt hird , nine teen hundr e d and one ,$ providing f o r the printing

annu ally o f the report on fie ld ope f ations o f the D ivision o f So ils,Department o f A gricu ltu re .

”

R esolved by the S enate and Ho u se of R epresentatives of the United S tates of Americain Congress assemb led, Tha t pu b lic resolu tion numb e red e ight, fi tty

- sixth Congress ,

se c ond sessi on ,appro ved Fe b ru ary twenty

- thi rd ,ninete en hu ndred and one

, b e

amended b y striking ou t allaf te r the resolving clause and inserting. in li e u the reo fthe followingThat the re shallb e printed ten thousand fi ve hiindred c opi e s o f the repo rt on fi eld

ope rations o f the Division o f Soils , Department o f A gricu ltu re , Of whi ch one thousand

fi v e hundred cOpies shallb e f or the use Of the Senate , thre e tho usand cOpies f or the

u seOf th e Hou se o f R epresentati ves , and sixthousand c op ies f or the uBe o f the Department o f A gri c ultu re : P ro vided, That in addition to the numb e r o f c opies ab ove provided f o r the re shallb e printed , as so on as the manuscript can b e prepared ,

with

the nec essary maps and illustrations to ac c ompany it , a report on each are a su rve y ed ,

in the formo f advanc e she ets b ound in pape r c o vers , o f whi ch fi ve hundred c opies

shallhe f er the u se o f each Senator fromthe State , two tho usand c opies f or the u se

o f each R epresentative f or the c ongressionaldistri c t o r districts In whi ch the surveyismade , and one tho usand c opies f or the u se Of the Department o f A griculture .

‘

A pproved ,March

$On J u iy'

I, 1901, the D ivision o f So ilswee reo rgani$ed es the B ureau o f So ils}