Q.650.7 II 6sr no. 75 cop. 5 UNjVERSITY OF ]D.1fntS . KENDALL COTOTY SOILS iS "^ *"-»¥•• > i;*^ 4Jfi» NOTIC£: Return or renew all Library Materials! The Minimum Fee lor each Lost Book Is $50.00. I lu- pnsoii (harj^iiig this material is responsible for its return to the hbrarv from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamper! lielow. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons lor discipli- nary action and may result in dismissal from the University. To renew call Telephone Center, 333-8400 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINO.S LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN ' .%/ ^^y ^. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AGmCULTURAL EXPERrMENT STATION COVER PICTURE The picture on the cover of this report shows how a part of Kendall county appears from the air. Across the lower half of the picture Fox river, with its nu- merous islands, divides Yorkville on the south from Bristol. Blackberry creek winds down from the north. From the southeast below Yorkville Route 126 joins Route 47. North of Bristol Route 47 crosses Route 30. In the center of the photograph the State Game Farm and Elmwood cemetery can be identified. The spotted appearance of the soils north of Fox river is due to small depressions containing dark soils such as Troxel and Knight. Most of these spots are too small to be shown on a small-scale soil map. The larger dark area lying to the northwest on both sides of Route 30 is Drummer clay loam. The lightest areas along Black- berry creek are Vance silt loam. South of Fox river the dark soils are mostly Drummer and Saybrook, and the light-colored soils are mainly Miami. (Picture supplied by Production and Marketing Administration, U. S. Department of Agriculture) jN!VERS!TY of IL_' '' Kendall county lies in northeastern Illinois. Yorkville, the county seat, is about 46 miles southwest of Chicago and 113 miles north of Champaign-Urbana, where the University of Illinois is located. LID.^ARY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA -CHAMPAIGN CONTENTS PAGE GENERAL INTRODUCTION 3 HOW TO KNOW YOUR SOILS AND PLAN THEIR MANAGEMENT 4 First Examine the Soil Map 4 Compare Your Yields With Test Yields 7 Know the Requirements of Good Soil Management 9 Work Out a Detailed Program 13 SOIL TYPES OF KENDALL COUNTY, THEIR USE AND MANAGEMENT ...15 The soil types are listed in numerical order in Table 7, page 53, and in alphabetical order on page 63. Each list gives the pages where the vari- ous soil types are described and their use and management discussed. GROUPING OF SOILS OF KENDALL COUNTY 50 SUMMARY OF CHARACTERISTICS OF KENDALL COUNTY SOILS 53 HOW KENDALL COUNTY SOILS WERE FORMED 55 GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL FEATURES 58 MEANINGS OF SOME TECHNICAL TERMS 61 INDEX TO SOIL TYPES 63 Authors: HERMAN L. WASCHER, Assistant Professor of Soil Physics, and R. T. ODELL, Professor of Soil Physics. The work reported in this publication was done under the supervision of R. S. Smith, Professor of Soil Physics Emeritus, who directed the Soil Survey from 1922 until his retirement September 1, 1948. The authors are indebted to other members of the staff for the following photographs: to W. F. Purnell for Figs. 1, 4, 6, and 8; and to B. F. Muirheid for Fig. 7. Urbana, Illinois March, 1952 KENDALL COUNTY SOILS Bj- Hkr.man L. Wascheu and R. T. Odell THIS SOIL RMPORT has been prepared primarily for the farmers of Koiitlall county. The soil map in two sections shows the soils that occur in this county. Suggestions are made in the text for the use, conservation, and management of each kind of soil shown on the map. This report attempts to answer four questions for tlie farmers and land- owners of Kendall county: What soil types do I have on my farm? What treatment does each soil type need/ What crops are adapted to each soil type? What yields may be expected on each soil type? Kendall county is mainly agricultural. In 1950, 95 percent of the county was in cultivated crops and pasture. An average of more than 13 head of cattle and 43 hogs were fed on each farm. A large portion of Kendall county land is nearly level and of good (juality. The principal areas of rolling land are on the Marseilles moraine, lying south of and approximately parallel to Fox river, and the Minooka moraine, lying along the east hoi'der of the county. Scenes like this are common in Kendall county. This view looks southeast across the large muck area drained by Morgans creek dredge. The rolling area in the background is made up mainly of Miami silt loam, rolling phase, and Strawn silt loam. Fig. 1 »< 4 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, HOW TO KNOW YOUR SOILS AND PLAN THEIR MANAGEMENT First Examine the Soil Map Note names of soil types. The first step in using this report is to turn to the soil map and note the names of the soil types in the area in which you are interested. The map, consisting of two sheets, shows the location and boundaries of the vari- ous soil types in the county. The area of each type is shown not only by a distinguishing color but also by a num- ber usually placed in each area. Where an area is too small to accommodate the soil number, the number is placed adja- cent to the area and connected with it by a line. Colors are guide to general soli condi- tions. One of the most important char- acteristics of the soils in Kendall county is the permeability of the subsoils and underlying materials to both water and plant roots. Five degrees of permeability have been recognized in those soils that are underlain by glacial till. On the soil map, different colors are used to indicate the various degrees. Shades of blue, as shown in the central jiart of the county, are used for soils that are moderately permeable to both water and plant roots. Drainage is needed on nearly level areas and tile draw well. Shades of brown, as shown in the vicinity of the town of Piano, indicate soils that are moderate to moderately rapid in permeability to water. Tile drainage is seldom needed even on the nearly level areas of these soils. Combinations of green and brown, as shown on the Minooka ridge along the eastern edge of the county, are used for soils that are moderately slowly per- meable. Drainage is needed on the nearly level areas of these soils. Tile draw slowly because the materials beneath the surface layer are rather heavy and com- pact and therefore the movement of water through them is slow. Shades of pink, as shown in the south- eastern part of the county, are used for soils in which tile draw so slowly as to be of questionable value; and shades of lavender in the same area indicate soils in which tile are mostly not effective. Most of the light-colored soils that developed under forest vegetation are indicated by various shades of yellow. Many of the dark soils that were derived from outwash are indicated by shades of green. Since other colors are often inter- spersed with the greens, the color pat- terns for these outwash soils are not as distinct as those for the dark soils de- rived from till. Green colors are also used to indicate soils that have limestone bedrock at shallow depths. Study your soil types. After finding out what soil types occur on the farm or tract of land in which you are interested, turn to the soil-type descriptions (see pages 15 to 50) and read what is said about each of the soils on the tract. Some of the soils in Kendall county are hard to manage and are medium to low in productivity; others are easily handled and high in productivity and will retain their high-producing capacity if the well- known good farming practices, including the use of limestone, fertilizers, and or- ganic matter, are followed. The use-and- management discussion for each soil type, pages 15 to 50, and Table 7, l^ige 53, bring out these differences in soils and suggest possible solutions for many problems. Entire soil profile is important. In study- ing soil types it is imi)ortant to keep in mind that soils are separated into types on the basis of the character of the soil 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 10- 15- X u z 20- SURFACE Dark-brown silt loam, porous ond granular SUBSURFACE Brown silt loam, well granulated 25- SUBSOIL Slightly grayish- brown silty clay loam, permeable to water SURFACE Grayish-brown heavy silt loam, low porosity, poorly granulated SUBSURFACE Dark-gray silty clay loom, not granular UPPER SUBSOIL Dark-gray heavy silty clay, com- pact, very slowly permeable to water ,. 1- ■ -10 <^ LOWER SUBSOIL Gray, very heavy silty clay, very compact, very slowly permeabi' to water -15 •20 5 -25 30- 35- TILL Mixed yellowish- gray and gray till, calcareous, permeable, pebbly TILL Gray clay with a few pebbles, con. pact, calcareous, very slowly perme- able to water 30 .-35 40 SAYBROOK SILT LOAM 40 CLARtlNiCt SILT LOAM PROFILES OF TWO SOILS SHOWING CONTRAST IN STRUCTURE Saybrook silt loam is high in organic mat- ter and very productive. Note dark surface horizon, granular structure, and absence of large shrinkage cracks. Because it is more permeable to water, Saybrook does not erode so rapidly as Clarence. Clarence silt loam is only moderately pro- ductive. Note shallow, grayish surface layer, the compact structure throughout the pro- file, and the large shrinkage cracks indicat- ing high clay content. Clarence erodes easily and is drouthy. Fig. 2 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, Type No. 73 25 243 242 105 Type name Percent slope Huntsville loam, bottom 0-0.5 Hennepin gravelly loam Over 15 St. Charles silt loam 1-4 Kendall silt loam 0-1 Batavia silt loam 1-4 Type No. 104 199 198 197 191 Type name Percent slope Virgil silt loam 0-1 Piano silt loam 1-4 Elburn silt loam 0-1 Troxel silt loam 0-0.5 Knight silt loam 0-0.5 EFFECT OF TOPOGRAPHY AND NATIVE VEGETATION ON SOIL The upper part of the above diagram shows how one bottomland soil {left: 73), three forest soils (25, 243, and 242), two prairie-forest transition soils (105 and 104) and four prairie soils (199, 198, 197, and 191) are located with reference to topography, or lay of the land. Tufts of grass indicate areas originally covered by grasses and other prairie plants. Trees and tree stumps indicate where timber is now growing or was growing when white settlers entered the region. The general nature of the different layers of each type is shown in the bottom part of the diagram. These soils differ in the amount of organic matter in their surface horizons, as shown by the dark shading at the top of the panels — the darker the shading the greater the amount of organic matter. They differ also in the amount of clay in the subsoil — the more distinct and blocky the markings in the middle or lower part of a panel, the greater the amount of clay in that soil. These differences in profile development are the result of varia- tions in topography, in depth of the water table, and in the kind of vegetation that was native to the area. Huntsville, the bottomland soil, has not been in place long enough to have developed a profile. Its color and texture are about the same as when the material was laid down. Fig. 3 1952] KENDALL COUNTY to ci (leplli ot 40 iiiclics or inoi'c, not on the surjace alone. The surface layer of one type is frequently little oi' no differ- ent from that of another, and yet the two types may differ widely in agricul- tural value l)ecause of differences in the subsurface or subsoil. It is of utmost importance, therefore, in studying de- scriptions of soil types, to get a clear mental picture of all the outstanding features of each type, including the vari- ous layers down to a depth of 40 inches or more. The appearance of two contrasting soils, Saybrook silt loam and Clarence silt loam, to a depth of 40 inches, is shown in Fig. 2. These two photographs show some of the differences between these two soils that strongly affect their agricultural value. In Saybrook, for ex- ample, the subsoil and un permeable to water and roots, making this a productive soil, on which erosion is easily controlled. In Clarence the subsoil and the underlying material arc highly plastic, compact, and very slowly permeable. These conditions limit the productivity of this soil and make it subject to destruction by erosion. Variations occur within each type. It is also iini)()rtant to understand that every soil includes a range in pi'operties. The boundaries between soil types vary in sharpness. Between most soils there is a zone that includes some of the prop- erties of each type. Also, within a given type there often are distinct areas of other types too small to be shown on the soil map. Compare Your Yields With Test Yields Use five-year averages. High crop yields year after year are possible only with both good soil and good management. Low yields may be caused by a poor soil, or by trying to grow crops that are not adapted to the soil, or by other faulty management. Table 1 on page 8 siiows what yields can rea.sonably be expected from Ken- dall county soils, as an average, over a period of years under a moderately liigh level of soil management.^ If you find that your average yields for five years or longer are nuich below those shown in Table 1 for your soil types, it will pay you to examine your management prac- tices to see where changes should be made. At least five years are necessary ' Anyone interested in land as an investment .should realize that crop yields alone are not necessarily a true index to land values, for the operating costs necessary to get good yields vary from one soil type to another. In general, the poorer the soils the more difficult and more co.stly it is to apply good management prac- tices. for a valid comparison because of the wide seasonal variations that occur in rainfall, temperature, wind, and insect and disease injury. Still higher yields are possible. On most soils crop yields can be advanced beyond those shown in Table 1 by applying additional fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphate, or potash, or perhaps the minor elements. Superphosphate drilled with wlieat and (HM'tain other small grains will, in many seasons, produce l)rofitable increases in yield. There is also evidence that mixed fertilizers ap- plied at corn-planting time often will increase corn yields, es])ecially on very l)roductive soils. Thus while yields below those shown in Table 1 probably indicate faulty management, higher yields are not out of the question. Since new crop varieties, new cultural and fertilizer practices, and new plant diseases and insect pests may change yield levels in future years, the figures Table 1 . — AVERAGE YIELDS OF CROPS To Be Expected on Kendall County Soils Over a Period of Years Under a Moderately High Level of Management The practices included in a moderately high level of management are discussed on pages 9 to 13. Figures in bold face are based ui)on long-time records kept by farmers in cooperation with the Department of Agricultural Economics; the others are estimated yields. These yields were obtained without the ^lse of soluble fertilizers. Type No. Type name Hybrid corn Soy- beans Oats Winter wheat Alfalfa Mixed pasture'' bu. 23 Blount silt loam 49(E)'' 24 Miami silt loam 57(E) 25 Hennepin gravelly loam N 27 Miami silt loam, rolling phase 50(E) 57 Herbert silt loam, rolling phase 50(E) 59 Lisbon silt loam 72 60 LaRose silt loam 55(E) 62 Herbert silt loam 63 67 Harpster clay loam 65 73 Huntsville loam, bottom D 82 Millington loam, bottom D 88 Hagencr loamy sand 40 91 Swygert silt loam to silty clay loam ... 55 96 Swygert silt loam, rolling phase 42(E) 99 Vance silt loam, rolling phase N 103 Muck V 104 Virgil silt loam 62 105 Batavia silt loam 60 145 Savbrook silt loam 69 146 Elliott silt loam 62 147 Clarence silt loam 47 148 Proctor silt loam 64 149 Brenton silt loam 71 151 Ridgeville fine sandy loam 57 152 Drinnmer clay loam 70 154 Flanagan silt loam 71 155 Proctor silt loam, rolling phase N 158 Vance silt loam 55 171 Cathn silt loam 64(E) 191 Knight silt loam 55 193 Elliott silt loam, rolling phase 52(E) 194 Blount silt loam, rolling phase 40(E) 197 Troxel silt loam 68 198 Elburn silt loam 69 199 Piano silt loam 66 206 Thorp silt loam 56 208 Sexton silt loam 49 219 Millbrook silt loam 63 220 Plattville silt loam, deep phase 63 221 Say brook silt loam, rolling phase 62(E) 223 Varna silt loam N 224 Strawn silt loam 43(E) 228 Eylar silt loam 39(E) 229 Monee silt loam 35 230 Rowe clay loam to clay 51 232 Ashkum clay loam to silty clay loam . . 64 235 Bi'vce clay loam to clay 58 238 Drummer clay V 240 Plattville silt "loam, rolling phase 50(E) 242 Kendall silt loam 55 243 St. Charles silt loam 53(E) bu. bu. bu. tons days 21(E) 38 21 2.2 105 23(E) 43 23 2.6 125 N N N 1.5(E) 80 20(E) 40 21 2.4 110 22(E) 43 22 2.6 115 28 52 26 3.0 145 N 41(E) 21(E) 2.4 120 24 48 24 2.8 130 25 44 21 N 120 D D D D D D D D D D 14 30 15 1.5 85 22 42 22 2.3 115 18(E) 35(E) 19(E) 2.0 90 N 37(E) 20(E) 2.2 95 V N N N V 24 45 24 2.6 125 23 45 23 2.6 125 26 53 26 3.0 145 24 48 24 2.7 130 20 37 20 2.2 100 25 48 24 2.8 135 27 53 26 3.0 145 22 44 23 2.4 115 28 49 25 2.8 130 27 53 26 3.1 145 N 34(E) 20(E) 2.1 100 22 40 23 2.4 115 24(E) 46 24 2.9 135 23 40 21 1.9 100 21(E) 41 22 2.4 115 18(E) 35(E) 18(E) 2.0 95 25 47 24 2.6 130 26 51 25 2.9 140 24 50 24 2.9 140 24 41 22 2.0 105 21 38 21 1.9 95 24 46 24 2.6 125 24 48 24 2.8 135 23(E) 46 23 2.7 130 N 36(E) 20(E) 2.1 105 N 36(E) 20(E) 2.1 100 18(E) 32 19 1.9 90 18 27 17 N 80 23 36 19 1.9 100 27 45 23 2.5 120 25 41 21 2.2 110 V N N N V 20(E) 43 22 2.4 120 22 42 23 2.3 115 21(E) 40 22 2.4 115 " Estimated number of days that one acre will carry one cow. ''Letters have the following meanings: D=Soil fertile but yields are variable, depending ujjon frequency of overflow. E = Cro]i should not t)e grown unless erosion-control measures are used. N =Crop not adapted. V = Variability of soil as mapped makes yield estimate impossible. 1952] KENDALL COUNTY in Table 1 must be re^anle r^ r^ , coveij f '^ . ' . . . 1953 Corn Oats Corn Alfalfa- tain this porous condition. Too often brome the physical condition of a soil is judged 1954 Oats Alfalfa- Corn Corn by the surface layer alone. The deeper, clover) hidden parts of the soil are sometimes 1955 Corn Alfalfa- Oats Corn just as important as the surface in de- ,. )iome ;' . . , . , ,. . 195(3 Corn Corn Alfalfa- Oats terminmg physical condition. l.i-ome (sweet Not only is it important to adopt a clover) 1 , ,'• -i. • • J. • J. J. 1957 Oats Coin Alfalfa- Corn good rotation — • it is just as important brome to return to the soil all crop residues and 1958 Alfalfa- Oats Corn Corn part of the top growtli of the legumes. '^'""i™' (f^-(--^'\ 1 I (-- o clover) If all top growth is taken off or grazed ^959 WhAhi- Corn Corn Oats close, much of the value of the rotation brome will be lost. In this system the legumes come at Another problem to be considered times in the rotation when the nitrogen when selecting a rotation is the tendency supply in the soil is lowest. Corn fol- of most soils to develop a compacted lows deep-rooting legumes and thus surface and a "plow sole," or compacted benefits from the nitrogen they supply, layer, just beneath the surface layer. A four-field cropping system of this These compacted layers retard under- kind can be fitted into various situations drainage and may limit the develop- without sacrificing its main features. It ment of a good root system. Deep-root- can be adjusted to differences in soil ing legumes, such as sweet clo\-er and productivity or the tendency of a soil alfalfa, along with fibrous-rooted grasses to erode, to different types of farming. 12 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, to the production of new crops, to chang- ing crop prices, or to hazards of weather, insects, diseases, and weeds. Crop choices and split cropping on one or more fields give the flexibility that is needed for meeting these problems.^ Following are seven other four-field rotations that can be used instead of the rotation of corn, corn, oats, and alfalfa- brome chosen for illustration. They show further how flexible a four-field rota- tion is. Other Four-Field Rotations 1 Corn Corn Oats Sod 2 Corn Soybeans Oats Sod 3 Corn Soybeans Wheat Sod 4 Corn Corn- Oats- Sod soybeans barley 5 Corn Oats- Wheat- Sod soybeans barley 6 Corn Soybeans- Oats- Sod barley wheat 7 Corn Corn- Oats- Sod soybeans wheat (Sod here = legumes or mixed legumes and grasses.) In Rotations 4 to 7 the fields have been split some years to permit two different crops to be grown. Erosion control is essential. Suggestions for reducing erosion are made on pages 15 to 50 in the paragraphs on use and management whenever a type needs such protection. Even on moderately sloping land, the long-time effects of soil erosion must be given serious consideration, especially in those portions of Kendall county that are underlain by slowly permeable gla- cial till. In those regions a thin blanket of silty material overlies the till, and it is highly important to keep this blanket of good soil-forming material. If erosion completely removes this silty material in the Clarence and the Swygert areas, the producing capacity of the soils is ^The subject of crop rotations is discussed in more detail in the U. S. Department of Agriculture Yearbook for 1938, pages 406-430, the Yearbook for 1943-1947, pages 527-536, and in the Yearbook for 1948, pages 191-202. permanently destroyed; in the Saybrook and Elliott areas, productivity is seri- ously reduced. On types with gentle slopes the right rotations properly handled will cut ero- sion to a minimum unless so much soil has already been lost that a vigorous vegetative growth cannot be secured. Full use should be made of grass water- ways, winter cover crops, contour culti- vation, and other erosion-control prac- tices. There are some areas that should be kept in permanent pasture or used for meadow. Badly eroded areas in the heavy till regions have not yet been successfully used for timber (see Fig. 6) . Detailed directions for controlling erosion will be found in Farmers' Bul- letin 1795, "Conserving Corn Belt Soils," l)ublished by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, and in Illinois Circular 513, "Save the Soil With Contour Farming and Terracing."^ Use good tillage practices. Soils that are to produce maximum crop yields must be kept in good physical condition. This is hard to do on any soil that is culti- vated frequently — it is especially hard to do on some soils in Kendall county. Five soil types (Nos. 67, 152, 230, 232, and 235), covering 22 percent of the area of Kendall county, have heavy-textured surfaces that are sticky when wet. If plowed when too moist, these soils dry hard and cloddy and also will develop a compacted layer, or "plow sole." The danger of these vmfavorable conditions developing may be reduced by fall-plow- ing. When fall-plowed, these heavy, non- erosive soils granulate during the winter; thus it is possible to prepare a good seedbed easier and somewhat earlier than when plowing is left until spring. ^ All Illinois publications listed in this re- port are available at the date of the issuance of this report. When they go out of print, they arc likely to be replaced by others of a similar nature. The newer publications are then sent. 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 13 .>•._, -!P^ ■ '-^'^ - .^ ^ p^r^j^ r5^--- .^ ^ ^ r -x-WffL.^ Farming on the contour is recommended for all slopes that have a gradient of more than 11/2 to 2 feet in a hundred. Sometimes well-constructed and well-maintained terraces are needed to supplement contour cultivation. Broad but shallow and well-sodded waterways, like the one where the farm adviser is standing, are also important in slowing runoff and reducing erosion. Fig. 4 Nine soil types (Nos. 23, 91, 96, 14G, 147, 193, 194, 223, and 228) should not be fall-plowed. Tliey are seriously in- jured by erosion resulting from improper tillage and may be i)ermanently de- stroyed. Erosion is especially destructive on these nine soils because it brings the unfavorable glacial till nearer to the sur- face. These soils should therefore be plowed on the contour and oidy in the spring. This precaution is especially necessary in areas with slopes of more than 2 or 3 percent. Plowing in the spring may delay planting somewhat, but the choice seems to be either this delay or the eventual complete destruc- tion of these soils. Nine other soil types (Nos. 27, 57, 60, 99, 155, 171, 221, 224 and 240) also probably should never be fall-plowed. These types all occur on slopes greater than 3 or 4 percent. On most of these areas the producing capa- city of these soils will not be entirely destroyed by erosion but it will be so seriously reduced that farming to grain crops will l)ecome unprofitable. Illinois Circular 604, "SluUl We Fall- Plow or Spring-Plow in Northeastern Illinois," discusses this problem at greater length. Work Out a Detailed Program After having identified the soil types that occur on yovu' farm, studied the reconnnendations for the use and man- agement of your soils, and noted the general recommendations for good soil management, you will be able to organ- ize your land-use and soil-management practices into a more efficient i)rogram. 14 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, A large map is helpful. In order to study field arrangement, cropping sys- tems, and soil treatment programs, it is often helpful to have the soil map on a large scale. A larger map for any par- ticular farm can be easily made by following the directions given here: First find on the colored map the sec- tion or sections in which your farm lies. Mark off this area with lines % inch apart. Draw lines both across the area and up and down, beginning at the sec- tion lines. Since the scale of the colored map is 1 inch to the mile, the lines ^ inch apart will represent quarter-mile lines and each quarter-inch square a 40-acre tract. Now, on a separate sheet of paper, draw lines that are 2 inches apart, making 2-inch squares. With the quar- ter-mile lines on the colored map as guides and with the outline of the farm in mind, the soil areas on the map that pertain to your farm can be drawn in the 2-inch squares. Then you will have an enlarged map of your farm, with a 2- inch square for a 40-acre tract, or a scale of 8 inches to the mile. The soil map can be enlarged to any other scale by following these steps and enlarging the squares proportionately. Study field boundaries. After the soil mnj) has been enlarged, fence lines and field boundaries can be drawn in. On most farms in Kendall county it will be found that fence lines and field boundaries are straight lines that usually have no relation to soil types or slopes. On nearly level areas in which the various soil types have similar use-and- managcmcnt requirements, straight field boundaries are an advantage, but in the more rolling parts of the county straight crop lines must be changed and be made to conform to soil types and slo{)es if the land is to remain permanently produc- tive. Many fields, especially in the roll- ing areas, contain two or more soils that call for widely different management and different kinds of crops. When the area of any type is very small it often is necessary to farm this small area in the same way as the adjacent area. Often, however, the areas of the different types are large enough so that rotations can be split or boundaries of fields rear- ranged to allow each type to be devoted to its own best permanent use. Adjust cropping system. Usually several good field arrangements and crojiping systems can be worked out for any given farm. Some farms may require two or more different cropping systems. For example, a farm that includes bottom- land, rolling upland, and level upland may require three different crop rota- tions if these three kinds of land are to be used to best advantage. The three crop rotations must be coordinated, of course, to make an efficient cropping sys- tem for the farm as a whole. The various points of good soil man- agement — adequate drainage; testing for acidity, phosphorus and potassium; application of limestone and fertilizers; selection of a good crop rotation to pro- vide organic matter and nitrogen; ero- sion control; and good tillage practices — should also be considered carefully in developing the plan. No set order for changes. As soon as a definite, well-coordinated crop and soil- management plan has been completed, it should be put into operation. There is no regular order, however, in which changes should be made, since conditions vary considerably from farm to farm. If drainage is not adequate, this condition must first be corrected before the best returns can be obtained from a good crop rotation and soil treatment. Also, on acid soils it is necessary to apjily limestone before a good rotation, including the proper kind and acreage of deep-rooting 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 15 logiuiK'8, can bo adopted. On acid soils, therefore, limestone should be applied early in the soil-improvement program. Keep plans up to date. It is imjwrtant to keep in tciuch with the latest informa- tion on cropping practices and soil treat- ments. Your farm adviser will be glad to liclp you ))lan a good crop and soil-man- agement program for your farm and keep it up to date. SOIL TYPES OF KENDALL COUNTY, THEIR USE AND MANAGEMENT In the following section, the various soil types in Kendall county are discussed in numerical order, as they are listed in Table 7 on page 53. Table 7 also gives a tabulated summary of the characteristics and properties of the soils. Another numerical list is given in Table 3, which shows the area each soil occupies in the county. An alphabetical list is given on page 63, along with the page number within this section where each soil type is discussed. Blount silt loam (23) Blount silt loam is a light-colored soil. It is derived from 2 to 3 feet of loess or other friable material deposited on com- pact and moderately plastic calcareous till of silty clay loam texture. These are the same kind of parent materials as those from which Elliott soils are de- veloped. Blount occurs on gently sloping to moderately sloping areas, the slopes ranging from 1 to 4 percent. It is a very minor type in Kendall county. Soil profile. Where not eroded, the sur- face horizon is a yellowish-gray silt loam 5 to 8 inches thick. It is low in organic matter and nitrogen and, where unlimed and unfertilized, it is medium acid, low in available phosphorus, and medium to high in available potassium. The subsurface is a yellowish-gray silt loam 8 to 10 inches thick. The subsoil is a mixed yellowish-brown heavy silty clay loam or silty clay spotted with brown and gray. Calcareous silty clay loam till, which welter penetrates slowly, lies below a depth of 25 to 30 inches. Use and management. In Blount silt loam, surface drainage is moderate, but underdrainage is somewhat slow. Tile should be spaced not more than 4 rods apart to be effective. Large amounts of leguminous organic matter should be returned regularly to this soil to increase the supply of nitro- gen and improve the physical condition. Sw^eet clover is one of the best legumes to use as a green-manure crop. However, before trying to grow sweet clover, the Meanings of some technical terms. In discussing soils and giving ac- curate descriptions of different types, some terms have to be used that may be unfamiliar to many readers of this report. The terms most likely to need explanation are defined on pages 61 and 62. We suggest a study of this list and frequent reference to it. 16 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, Table 3. — KENDALL COUNTY SOILS: Areas of Different Types Type No. Type name Area in square miles Area in acres Percent of total area 23 Blount silt loam 16 24 Miami silt loam 4. 28 25 Hennepin gravelly loam 4 . 04 27 Miami silt loam, rolling phase 6 . 86 57 Herbert silt loam, rolling phase .37 59 Lisbon silt loam 7.14 60 LaRo.se silt loam 2 . 37 62 Herbert silt loam 60 67 Harpster clay loam 1.41 73 Huntsville loam, bottom 7 . 00 82 Millington loam, bottom 1.71 88 Hagener loamy sand .14 91 Swygert silt loam to siltv clay loam 11 .00 96 Swygert silt loam, rolling phase .25 99 Vance silt loam, rolling pha.se 2 . 09 103 Muck 1 . 36 104 Virgil silt loam 28 105 Batavia silt loam .65 145 Saybrook silt loam 46. 51 146 Elliott silt loam 9.81 147 Clarence silt loam to silty clay loam 7 . 72 148 Proctor silt loam ." 20.25 149 Brenton silt loam 20.54 151 Ridgeville fine sandy loam .06 152 Drummer clay loam 48 . 94 154 Flanagan silt loam 15.17 155 Proctor silt loam, rolling phase 2. 72 158 Vance silt loam 7 . 38 171 Catlin silt loam 2.30 191 Knight silt loam 15 193 Elliott silt loam, rolling phase 7.71 194 Blount silt loam, rolling pha.se .30 197 Troxel silt loam 51 198 Elburn silt loam 4. 73 199 Piano silt loam 7.26 206 Thorp silt loam 2.10 208 Sexton silt loam 41 219 Milil)rook silt loam 06 220 Plattville silt loam, deep phase 3 . 30 221 Saybrook silt loam, rolling phase 27.87 223 Varna silt loam .71 224 Strawn .silt loam 2.25 228 Eylar silt loam .86 229 Monee silt loam 15 230 Rowe clay loam to clay 2 . 66 232 Ashkum clay loam to silty clay loam 3 . 74 235 Bryce clay loam to clay 14 . 75 238 Di'ummer clay .31 240 Plattville silt loam, rolling phase .35 242 Kendall silt loam 26 243 St. Charles silt loam 3.77 G.P. Pits and quarries .66 Water 3.07 Total 321.04 100 .05 2 739 1.33 2 583 1.26 4 389 2.14 238 .12 4 569 2.23 1 515 .74 386 .19 903 .44 4 481 2.18 1 096 .53 90 .01 7 042 3.43 161 .08 1 336 .65 870 .42 177 .09 416 .20 29 767 14.49 6 279 3.06 4 941 2.40 12 963 6.31 13 148 6.40 37 .02 31 321 15.24 9 708 4.73 1 743 .85 4 723 2.30 1 471 .72 98 .05 4 928 2.40 189 .09 326 .16 3 025 1.47 4 645 2.26 1 345 .65 263 .13 41 .02 2 114 1.03 17 837 8.68 456 .22 1 440 .70 549 .27 98 .05 1 701 .83 2 392 1.16 9 439 4.59 197 .10 225 .11 166 .08 2 412 1.17 422 .21 1 965 .96 205 465 100.00 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 17 soil sliduhl he tested for acidity and limestone api)lied as needed. Tests for available phosphorus and potassium should also be made and phosjihate or potash fertilizers applied as needed, since soils that are low in either of these nutrient materials cannot support a vigorous vegetation. After tliis soil has been properly- treated, it makes good permanent pas- ture land. Overgrazing should, however, be avoided especially on the steeper slopes. If Blount is cropped, a rotation that will i)rotect the soil from erosion as much of the time as possible should be adopted. Miami silt loam (24) Miami silt loam is a light-colored soil. It is derived from a thin layer of loess on calcareous glacial till which water penetrates freely. These parent materials are the same as those from which Say- brook is derived (see page 28) . Miami is light colored because it developed un- der forest vegetation, while Saybrook is dark, having developed under grass. Miami occurs on gently to moderately sloping areas, the slopes ranging from 1/4 to 3% percent. Soil profile. The surface horizon is a yellowish-gray silt loam 5 to 8 inches thick. It is low in organic matter and nitrogen and medium acid. It is low in available phosphorus and medium to high in available potassium. The sub- surface is a grayish-yellow silt loam 6 to 8 inches thick. The subsoil varies in thickness from 16 to 24 inches and is a mixed brownish-yellow, brown, and gray medium-plastic silty clay loam. Pebbly calcareous glacial till lies below a depth of about 35 inches. Some pebbles usually occur throughout the profile. Use and management. Surface drainage is good on jMiami silt loam, and tile draw well on the few areas that need underdrainage. Erosion is a moderately serious hazard on this soil. It can be con- trolled by good farming, including liming and fertilizing to encourage vigorous vegetative growth, a good crop rotation, and, where needed, contour farming and grass waterways. Eroded areas produce good pasture if given proper soil treat- ment and not overgrazed. Although Miami does not have the reputation of being a "strong" soil, it is responsive to good management. For good management of this soil it is es- sential to provide for regular and fre- quent additions of leguminous organic matter and for plowing down all crop residues. The soil tests should be made and, if limestone is needed, enough should be applied to ])rovide for a good growth of sweet clover or alfalfa. If phosphorus is deficient, either rock phos- phate or superphosphate will return good crop increases on this soil, judging from the results obtained on the Antioch ex- periment field. Table 4. The returns for potash, however are less favorable. Used with superphosphate, potash has given a very small jirofit at Antioch ; used with rock phosphate it has shown a slight loss. It is not likely that applications of pot- ash will cause much increase in yield, and they had better not be made unless the soil tests show that jiotassium is deficient. 18 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, Table 4. — SOIL TREATMENT EXPERIMENTS Antioch Experiment Field in Lake County, 1924-1950'^ (Located mainly on Miami silt loam borderline to Blount silt loam) Plot No. Soil treatment Average yields per acre Corn Oats Winter wheat Clover-alfalfa (6 crops) (7 crops) (5 crops) i^ (4 crops) "= hu. bu. bu. tons 1 25.2 33.1 22.5 1.25 2 LrP 26.7 40.5 38.7 2.70 3 LRrP 30.3 46.0 43.5 2.07 4 LsP 27.1 47.7 42.0 2.75 5 LrPK 27.5 36.8 42.0 2.47 6 LRsP 28.0 49.1 41.6 2.16 7 LRK 24.0 30.7 29.0 1.36 8 LsPK 30.2 48.6 34.9 2.80 9 LRsPK 37.9 52.0 41.1 2.08 10 RsPK 38.8 54.0 40.0 2.01 Increase (or decrease) for — Limestone -.9 -2.0 1,1 .07 Residues 4.1 3.4 3.5 -.65 Superphosphate 13.9 21.3 12.1 .72 Potash 9.9 2.9 -.5 -.08 KEY TO SOIL-TREATMENT SYMBOLS: = no treatment, R = crop residues (dried blood to supply nitrogen used prior to 1912), L = limestone, sP = superphosphate (bone meal used prior to 1922), rP = rock phosphate (no phosphate used on these plots prior to 1924), K = potash. ^ Field established in 1902. Present rotation and treatment systems begun in 1924. ^ A wheat failure in 1934 and a crop of spring wheat in 1938 are not included in the average yields of winter wheat. "= Crops of mixed hay grown in 1929 and 1933 are not included in the average yields of clover-alfalfa. Hennepin gravelly loam (25) Hennepin gravelly loam in Kendall county occurs chiefly on the Fox river bluffs, with smaller amounts along Big Rock, Little Rock, and Blackberry creeks. Most of it occurs on slopes greater than 15 percent, but the areas vary in both slope and degree of erosion. Soil profile. In most of the uncleared forest areas where erosion has not been active, this type has a thin soil profile. There is generally a layer of dark, de- caying leafmold 1 or 2 inches thick on top of a 3- to 5-inch surface layer of brown to light-brown loam or silt loam. The subsurface is generally yellowish- brown loam or silt loam 3 to 5 inches thick; and the subsoil is yellowish- brown clay loam to gravelly clay loam 12 to 15 inches thick. The underlying calcareous till is loam to silt loam and sandy loam in texture, with varying amounts of gravel. A few pebbles occur throughout the profile and some are also scattered on the siu'face, along with an occasional boulder. Use and management. Hennepin grav- elly loam should not be cultivated. Many slopes are too steep for the use of ordinary farm machinery, and all slopes greater than 15 percent are quickly damaged by erosion if plowed. Hennepin areas should be kept in per- manent trees or grass. Areas sloping less than 30 percent will often produce good grass and clovers, though a satisfactory stand is sometimes hard to establish and maintain. Areas sloping more than 30 percent should be kept in timber. 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 19 On cleared areas that liave been severely injured by erosion, (he im- portant problem is to get a suitable rover of vegetation as quickly as possible. On areas to be used for pasture a legume- grass mixture should be seeded. Such a mixture may consist of most or all of the following: sweet clover, alfalfa, red clover, Ladino clover, white Dutch clo- ver, l)luegrass, timothy, orchard grass or bromegrass. On areas to be reforested black locust is suggested for the most erosive spots. Jack pine and Virginia pine and other slower growing trees such as the oaks and hickories may be used on the less erosive spots as well as to interplant with the black locust. Illinois Circular 567, "Forest Planting on Illinois Farms," gives additional information al)out reforestation. Miami silt loam, rolling phase (27) Miami silt loam, rolling phase, is a light- colorcMl soil. It has developed from thin loess on calcareous glacial till that water penetrates freely. It is similar to Miami silt loam No. 24, except that it occupies steeper slopes, ranging between 3 and 8 percent. Soil profile. The surface horizon is a grayisli-yellow silt loam 4 to 7 inches thick. It is low in organic matter, nitro- gen, and available j^hosphorus. It is medium acid and medium to high in available potassium. The subsurface is a brownish-yellow silt loam 5 to 7 inches thick. The subsoil is a yellowish-brown silty clay loam. Loamy calcareous gla- cial till, which water penetrates freely, lies below 30 to 35 inches. Some pebbles usually occur throughout the i)rofile. Herbert silt loam, Herbert silt loam, rolling phase, is a moderately dark soil develoi)ed from thin loess on calcareous glacial till that is j)ermeablc to water. It is similar to Herbert silt loam No. 62, except that it occurs on steeper slopes, ranging between 3 and 8 percent. It is intermediate in I)i'oiK'rties between ]\Iiami silt loam, rolling phase (No. 27) and Saybrook silt loam, rolling phase (No. 221). It is a ^•ery minor type in Kendall county. Soil profile. The surface horizon is a brown to grayish-brown silt loam 6 or 7 Use and management. Surface runoff is moderate to rapid on Miami silt loam, rolling phase, and erosion is a constant threat in cultivated fields. It can be materially reduced by good farming practices, including the use of limestone and fertilizers where needed and winter cover crops. However, this soil is worth the effort it takes to preserve it and a well-planned conservation system should be followed. Such a system would re- quire use of both grass waterways and contour cultivation along with some strip cropping or terracing as well as the use of lime, fertilizers, and a crop rotation adapted to this soil (sec discussion on pages 9 to 13). Miami produces excel- lent pasture if j^roperly treated and not overgrazed. rolling phase (57) inches thick. It is medium in nitrogen and organic matter, low in available phosphorus, medium to high in available potassium, and medium to only slightly acid. The subsurface is a dark yellowish- gray to yellowish-brown silt loam 4 to 7 inches thick. The subsoil is a yellow- ish-brown silty clay loam. Below a depth of 30 to 35 inches lies calcareous glacial till of loam texture. Some pebbles usu- ally occur throughout the profile. Use and management. The major prob- lem in the management of Herbert silt 20 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, loam, rolling phase, is control of erosion. Loss of the silty loess cover reduces the agricultural value of this soil. Although it does not completely destroy the pro- ducing capacity, it does often force a change in use and management. Applying limestone and fertilizers as tests indicate they are needed will make possible a vigorous growth of vegetation, which is essential for controlling erosion. A rotation that will provide as much winter cover crop as possible should be used. Tillage should be on the contour and fall-plowing avoided. Lisbon silt loam (59) Lisbon silt loam is a dark soil formed from thin loess or silty wash on per- meable calcareous glacial till of loam texture. It developed under tall-grass vegetation on very gently sloping land, chiefly in the east-central part of the county. Lisbon is one of the best soils in Iroquois county. Soil profile. The surface horizon of this type is a brown to dark-brown heavy silt loam 7 to 10 inches thick. It is high in organic matter and nitrogen and slightly acid to neutral in reaction. The subsurface is a brown to dark grayish- brown silt loam. The subsoil, which be- gins at a depth of 15 or 16 inches, is a mottled yellowish-brown to brownish- gray medium-plastic silty clay loam. A few inches of silty or sandy material often lies immediately beneath the sub- soil; and calcareous glacial till, per- meable to water, generally begins at a depth of 35 to 40 inches. Use and management. Lisbon silt loam is a productive soil, easy to cultivate, and not subject to erosion except where water from adjacent higher land flows across it. Surface drainage is fairly good on most areas, and tile draw well. This soil, like all soils that are somewhat heavy, tends to form a compacted layer, or "plow sole," just beneath the surface soil unless deep-rooting legumes are grown. Such a layer will retard under- drainage and discourage root penetra- tion. Although Lisbon is well supplied with plant nutrients, intensive farming will reduce the amounts which are readily available. Soil tests should therefore be made to determine whether Lisbon needs limestone to grow good clover or alfalfa, and whether it is deficient in available phosphorus and potassium. Though no experimental plots are located on this type, it is believed that crops will re- spond to phosphate where tests show the soil to be low in phosphorus. Where wheat is grown, it probably will be worth while to api)ly superphosphate. If very high yields of corn are desired, or if only small deficiencies of available phosphorus and potassium exist, a mixed fertilizer, such as 3-12-12 or 3-18-9, is suggested when a good crop rotation and other good farming practices are fol- lowed. LaRose silt loam (60) LaRose silt loam is a medium-dark soil developed from a thin blanket of loess on calcareous glacial till that is per- meable to water. It is similar to Say- brook silt loam, rolling phase, but differs from it in having thinner horizons and in being found on more strongly rolling land. It occurs on slopes ranging in steepness from 5 or 6 to 15 or 18 percent. Soil profile. The surface of this soil type is a brown to light-brown silt loam 5 to 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 21 G inclies thick where erosion has not been active. It is medium in nitrogen and orsi;anic matter, medium to slightly acid, low in available i)liosphorus, and medium to high in available potassium. The subsurface is a yellowish-brown silt loam 6 or 7 inches thick, and the subsoil is a yellowish-brown silty clay loam. Calcareous till of loam texture lies below a depth of 25 to 30 inches. A few pebbles occur in the till and throughout the profile; and where ero- sion has been severe, some pebbles occur even on the surface. Use and management. Surface runoff is rapid on areas ol LaRose silt loam be- cause of the steepness of the slopes, and control of erosion is a major problem. Removal of the silty loess cover by erosion does not completely destroy the productivity of this soil but does lower it materially. Areas which have lost most or all of the surface and subsoil should be kept in permanent pasture and meadow and should be treated in such a way as to produce and maintain a vigor- ous vegetative cover. Areas that still have enough surface to produce fairly good cultivated crops should be so handled that soil losses by erosion will be kept to a minimum. It is impossible, however, to prevent all erosion, particu- larly when clean-cultivated crops are grown. Contour tillage, grass waterways, and terraces help to reduce erosion and should be used wherever needed. Soil tests should be made and any shortages of plant foods should be corrected. Such corrections are necessary in order to pro- duce vigorous growth of any hay, pas- ture, or cultivated crops. Fall-plowing should be avoided. Herbert silt loam (62) Herbert silt loam is a moderately dark soil developed from thin loess on cal- careous glacial till of loam texture. This soil ty])e is permeable to water and roots. It is intermediate in properties between Miami silt loam and Saybrook silt loam. It is a minor type in Kendall county. Soil profile. The surface layer is a brown to grayish-brown silt loam 6 to 8 inches thick. It is medium high in organic matter and nitrogen, medium acid, low in available phosphorus, and medium to high in available potassium. The subsur- face is a brownish-gray to gray silt loam 6 to 8 inches thick. The subsoil is a grayish-brown to yellowish-brown silty clay loam. Calcareous glacial till of loam texture lies below 35 to 40 inches. Use and management. The subsoil and underlying glacial till of Herbert silt loam are moderately permeable to water. Tile may be needed in some areas and will draw well. Erosion is moderately serious but may be satisfactorily con- trolled by proper soil treatment and cropping practices. The first step is to make tests to determine the needs for limestone, phosphate, and potash. Then, after supplying these needs, a crop rota- tion should be used that includes a legume-grass green-manure crop at least every fourth year. Harpster clay loam (67) Harpster clay loam is a dark, heavy soil which occurs on nearly level and depressional areas. It is found in asso- ciation with a number of other soils but principally with Drummer clay loam. It was developed from wind- and water- deposited sediments which often rest on glacial till at a depth of about 40 inches. Harpster was formed under swampy conditions, and the heavy growth of 22 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, marsh vegetation added large amounts of organic matter. Its alkaline condition is due to the accumulation of disinte- grated shells of fresh-water snails that lived on these grasses. This alkaline condition is the outstanding feature of Harpster. Soil profile. The surface horizon of Harpster is a black to grayish-black clay loam to silty clay loam varying from 5 to 12 inches in thickness. It is high in organic matter and is alkaline. The grayish cast often observed in this soil is due in part to the many snail- shell fragments present. The subsurface is sometimes indistinguishable. It is usu- ally a very dark-gray or grayish-black clay loam. At 14 to 18 inches it grades into the subsoil, a medium-plastic clay loam to silty clay loam that is dark gray spotted with yellow. Lime concretions and fragments of snail shells occur throughout the profile. Use and management. The chief prob- lems in the management of Harpster are drainage and correction of the potassium deficiency. It often is not practical to use furrows and ditches for draining Harpster because of its low-lying po- sition. Tile draw well, and the only difficulty in installing a tiling system is to get satisfactory outlets. This soil is not well adapted to the small grains, as they tend to lodge, but it is a good corn soil after any potassium deficiency has been corrected by the use of such materials as muriate of potash or coarse strawy manure. The use of potash will probably also lessen the tendency of small grains to lodge. It is advisable also to apply phosphate on this soil. If phosphate is applied sepa- rately, it should be in the form of super- phosphate rather than rock phosphate. Rock phosphate is not effective on an alkaline soil such as Harpster. Another method of correcting the de- ficiencies of both phosphorus and potas- sium is to apply a mixed fertilizer high in potash, such as 0-10-20 or 0-9-27. As this soil is naturally too alkaline, no limestone should be applied. Unless good farming practices are fol- lowed, there is a tendency for a heavy soil like Harpster to gradually become less permeable to water and therefore more difficult to underdrain. To lessen this danger it is advisable to include in the rotation deep-rooting legumes such as sweet clover. Also, care should be taken not to plow or otherwise till this soil when it is too moist. The decision when to plow should be determined by the condition of the subsurface as well as the surface, for it often happens that even after the surface horizon has dried enough to be plowed, the subsurface remains wet and therefore is easily compacted. Huntsville loam, bottom (73) Huntsville loam is a dark soil derived from sediments deposited by streams. It occurs mainly along Big Rock and Little Rock creeks. Along Blackberiy and Waubansee creeks the bottomlands are wetter and the sediments are blacker and more mucky than true Huntsville soil although, on the map, they are shown as Huntsville. Soil profile. Huntsville has no definite profile development. The surface layer is variable but is usually a dark-brown or dark grayish-brown mixed sandy loam to silt loam. It ranges from moder- ately high to high in organic matter and nitrogen and usually is neutral or only slightly acid. The materials beneath the surface layer are variable in texture and color. The darker shades, however, pre- dominate, and rusty-brown splotches are 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 23 sonietiines present below a deptli ol' about 25 inches. Use and management. Many of tlie bottoms in Kendall county are narrow and irregular and not well suited to cul- tivation. It is common practice to use such l^ottoms for pasture, and this is considered their best use. The wider bot- toms are suital)le for cultivation but are subject to flooding. Local experience must be depended on to decicie whether such bottoms should be cropped. No soil treatment is advised for this soil because of frequent overflow. Millington loam, bottom (82) jMillington loam is a bottondand soil. It occupies nnich of Fox river bottom from the town of Oswego to the town of Mil- lington, from which the name for the soil ty]ie was taken. Soil profile. The surface horizon is a gi-ayish-brown to black silt loam or loam 10 to 20 inches thick. It is high in organic matter and nitrogen and highly calcareous. The high carbonate content is due primarily to an accumulation of snail shells. Available i)otassium is often low. The subsurface is not well de- veloped. It is usually more gray than the surface and grades into the under- lying mixed water-laid sediments. All of the sediments are highly calcareous. Use and management. Much of the Millington loam in Kendall county oc- curs as narrow strips of land between Fox river and the steep bluffs or as islands in the river, and its usefulness is therefore limited mostly to pasture. Areas large enough to cultivate economi- cally and that are properly fertilized will produce fairly good crops of com and various legumes and grasses. Since there already is an excess of lime, no limestone should ever be applied. Along with the high lime content, however, there often is a deficiency of available potassium and sometimes also of avail- able phosi)horus, and these plant nutri- ents need to be supplied in order to get maximum crop yields. Hagener loamy sand (88) Hagener loamy sand is a medium-dark soil developed on gentle to moderate slopes from wind and water deposited sands. It is a very minor tyj)e in Kendall county. Soil profile. The surface layer is brown to liglit-bi'own loamy sand, medium in organic matter and nitrogen, medium acid, and low in available phosphorus. It varies in thickness from 6 or 8 inches to as much as 15 or 20 inches. The sub- surface is yellowish-brown to brownish- yellow loamy sand to sand to a depth of 40 inches or more. Use and management. Hagener loamy sand is dioutliv ami in addition is sul)- ject to movement by strong winds. The management system should therefore be designed to increase the water-holding capacity of this soil and reduce wind erosion. The first step is liming and fertilizing according to the results of soil tests, in order to get the best crop growth. This should be followed by the growing of adapted grasses and clovers for both i)asture and green manure. Or- ganic matter plowed under helps to hold moisture and to increase the supply of nitrogen; these improvements in turn help to increase crop growth, and good crop growth helps to reduce movement of the sand l)y the wand. Hagener is only a moderately produc- 24 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, tive soil, as good yields depend mainly on an adequate and well-distributed rainfall. Corn should not be grown fre- quently. Small grains, grasses, and clo- vers should make up a high percentage of the crop rotation. Swygert silt loam to silty clay loam (91 ) Swygert silt loam to silty clay loam is a dark soil formed from thin silty wind- deposited loess on compact and plastic calcareous glacial till. It occurs on gently sloping to moderately sloping areas and occupies a total of about 7,000 acres in Kendall county. Soil profile. The surface horizon of this type is a brown to dark-brown heavy silt loam 7 to 10 inches thick. It is medium in organic matter and nitrogen, medium to slightly acid, and low in available phosphorus. The subsurface is a grayish-brown heavy silt loam to silty clay loam. The subsoil, which begins at a depth of 12 to 15 inches, is a mottled brownish-gray plastic silty clay. Heavy, plastic, calcareous till lies beneath the subsoil and extends to an unmeasured depth. Use and management. The surface drainage of Swygert silt loam to silty clay loam is moderate to rapid, but underdrainage is slow. During heavy rains this slow underdrainage causes ex- cessive runoff, which may in turn cause severe erosion. Areas that have been eroded down to the heavy, plastic subsoil or underlying till are extremely difficult to cultivate and are unproductive. It is therefore important to reduce to a mini- mum the loss of surface soil by erosion. Each field must be studied to determine the best management for it in order to get best results. Well - planned and well - maintained grass waterways are important for re- ducing erosion. All areas that slope more than 1 to 2 percent should, if possible, be tilled on the contour. In cornfields Here is a field of Swygert silt loam being ruined by up-and-down cultivation and unsodded waterways. Fields like this rapidly lose their productive surface layer of silt loam, culti- vation becomes difficult, and crop yields are seriously decreased. Fig. 5 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 25 another good way to reduce erosion dur- ing the hite fall, winter, and spring is to roll down the stalks at right angles to the slope. The value of terracing on this soil is questionable, unless the terrace ridges are always inspected for cracks following dry periods. Cracks are likely to form across the terrace ridges because the soil is high in very fine particles that expand wlien wet and contract when dry. These cracks should be filled with soil material; otherwise Ihey are likely to allow gullies to form in the ridges during heavy rains. The owners and operators of farms on Swygert should realize that injury of this soil by erosion is permanent and often rapid. Crops should be so managed that a legume-grass sod occupies this soil one or more years out of every four. All croj) residues should be turned under. All available manure should be carefully preserved and applied where most needed. Thorough soil tests should be made in order to have a good basis for the liming and fertilizing program. This soil type will most likely respond to ferti- lizers in the same way as Elliott silt loam (see pages 29 and 31). Yields will be somewhat less than on Elliott (see Table 1, page 8), but the response to phosphate and potash should be similar. Results from the Joliet field (Table 5, liage 30) are of interest to one farming this soil. Swygert silt loam, rolling phase (96) Swygert silt loam, rolling phase, is a moderately dark soil formed from a very thin silty loess deposit on compact and plastic calcareous glacial till. It is associated with both Swygert and Clar- ence silt loam to silty clay loam but occurs on steeper slopes. It is a very minor type in Kendall county. Soil profile. The surface horizon is a brown to light-brown heavy silt loam. Where not eroded, it is 6 to 8 inches thick. It is medium in nitrogen and or- ganic matter, medium to slightly acid, and low in available phosphorus. The subsurface is a yellowisli-brown silty clay loam, and the subsoil is a mottled grayish-brown plastic silty clay, beneath which is lieavy plastic calcareous till of heavy silty clay loam to silty clay texture. Use and management. Runoff is high and erosion is severe on Swygert silt loam, rolling phase, because water passes through the subsoil and underlying gla- cial till but slowly and the slopes are moderately steep. Much of this soil type as mapped is already eroded down to the subsoil or to the till. These eroded por- tions are extremely difficult to farm, are low in productivity, and cultivated crops should not be grown on them. A per- manent legume - grass sod should be established if possible and only moderate use made of it for hay and pasture. The problem is to secure a stand of clovers and grasses at a low enough cost to be justified. This will mean the use of lime- stone where needed and the addition at regular intervals of moderate amovmts of readily available phosphorus and pos- sibly of potassium. Seeding may have to be done in early spring so that freezing and thawing will cover the seeds, as it is nearly impossible to prepare a satisfac- tory seedbed on these eroded spots. Trial plantings of black locust, Scotch pine, and Jack pine on a severely eroded Swygert soil in Iroquois county resulted in failure (Fig. 6). It is evident that few or no trees will survive or grow well on these spots. Areas of this soil type which are not yet severely eroded should be farmed 26 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, In a few places in Kendall county, in the Clarence and Swygert soil areas, the slopes are eroded like the foreground in this picture from Iroquois county. On such slopes neither grain, pasture, nor timber can be grown at a profit. Only 4 percent of the jack pine planted on this spot of eroded Swygert soil survived; and those trees were of poor quality and only 2 to 7 feet high at eleven years of age. Where the soil was only slightly eroded 77 percent of the jack pine survived (extreme background in left two-thirds of picture). At ten years of age these trees were of good quality and averaged 12 feet in height. Fig. 6 cautiously. A long rotation should be adopted which does not have a culti- vated crop more than once every 5 or 6 years. Legume-grass sod meadow or pas- ture should occupy this soil more than half the time. Vance silt loam, rolling phase (99) Vance silt loam, rolling phase, is a light- colored soil formed from thin silty ma- terial on sandy, gravelly water-deposited sediments. It occurs on slopes varying from about 3 to 10 percent. Soil profile. The surface layer is a yel- lowish-gray silt loam 4 to 6 inches thick, low in organic matter and nitrogen, me- dium acid, and low in available phos- phorus. The subsurface is a brownish - yellow silt loam. The subsoil is a brownish-yellow, slightly plastic, clay loam. Beneath the subsoil is the sandy, gravelly water-deposited material that is sometimes calcareous at a depth of 45 or 50 inches. Some pebbles usually occur throughout the profile and scattered on the surface. Use and management. The subsoil of Vance silt loam, rolling phase, is mod- erately permeable to water, and surface runoff is moderately rapid on the steeper slopes. The system of management should be designed to reduce erosion, which is moderate to severe. This means liming and fertilizing the soil according to needs shown by the soil tests, and the use of a rotation that includes a high proportion of sod crops. The slopes are mostly rather short. 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 27 and contour cultivation is not generally practicable. Grass waterways should be esta])lisli('tl in the gullies that carry con- sideral)le water. Other areas that are already eroded down to the subsoil can be made to produce fairly good crops by a well-planned fertilizing program; but tile best way to handle most of these eroded areas may i)erhai)s be to keep them in pasture. Muck (103) Muck is of minor importance in Kendall county, occupying a total area of only about 870 acres. It has developed in l)oorly drained swampy fiats or basinlike depressions where the water table was once high throughout the year. Several large areas occur near the town of Bristol Station and in tlu' elongated basin south of Oswego. Soil profile. No profile development has taken i)lace in this type. The surface material, which varies in thickness from a few inches to several feet, consists mainly of well-rotted plant remains or other organic matter, with varying amounts of silt and clay. It is black, neutral to calcareous in reaction, and low in available potassium. Areas that are calcareous are especially low in available potassium and often also low in available phosphorus. The underlying material is often calcareous and marl- like. Use and management. On many areas of Muck, surface drainage is slow but undcrdrainage is good if an outlet is available. Undrained areas are best used for per- manent pasture. Drained areas that are fertilized with potash are adapted to truck crops, hay, and corn. The small grains, soybeans, and clovers, however, grow so rank that they frequently lodge. This difficulty may be partly overcome by applying a phosphate-potash ferti- lizer such as 0-9-27 or 0-10-20. Virgil silt loam (104) Virgil silt loam is a moderately dark soil formed from 40 or 50 inches of loess on calcareous glacial till of sandy loam texture. It occurs on areas that are nearly level or that have a slope of less than 1 percent. It is intermediate in properties between Elburn silt loam and Kendall silt loam. It is a very minor tyjie in Kendall county, occupying only 177 acres. Soil profile. The surface horizon is a brown to grayish-brown silt loam 6 to 8 inches thick, medium in nitrogen and organic matter, medium acid, and low in available phosphorus. The subsurface is a brownish-gray silt loam, and the sub- soil is a mottled grayish-brown silty clay loam. Beneath the subsoil is a layer of silty material several inches thick below which lies glacial till. The upper few inches of the till is noncalcareous clay loam that is mottled, sticky, and grav- elly, whereas the lower till is calcareous and of a sandy loam texture. Use and management. Virgil is a mod- erately good general farming soil, some- what lower in productivity than Elburn silt loam but somewhat higher than Kendall silt loam. The subsoil is moder- ately permeable to water, and tile draw well. Limestone and fertilizer treatments should be made according to soil tests, and the crop rotation should include a legume green-manure crop at least once every four years. (See suggestions for rotations on pages 11 and 12.) 28 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, Batavia silt loam (105) Batavia silt loam is a moderately dark soil derived from 40 to 50 inches of loess on calcareous glacial till of sandy loam texture. It developed under a com- bination of trees and grass or else under a recent encroachment of forest into the prairie. It occurs on gentle slopes and has better internal drainage than Virgil. It is intermediate in properties between Piano silt loam and St. Charles silt loam. Soil profile. The surface horizon is light- brown to grayish-brown silt loam 6 to 8 inches thick. It is medium in organic matter and nitrogen and medium acid. It is low in available phosphorus. The subsurface is a grayish-yellow silt loam, and the subsoil is a yellowish-brown silty clay loam. Beneath the subsoil are several inches of silt loam below which is glacial till. The upper few inches of the till are leached to a dark yellowish- brown sticky gravelly clay loam, while the lower till is calcareous and of a sandy loam texture. Use and management. Tile are gener- ally not needed in Batavia silt loam as the subsoil is moderately permeable to water. Harmful erosion occurs on slopes greater than 3 percent but may be easily controlled by good farming. This in- cludes liming and fertilizing according to soil tests and the use of a rotation that has not more than two cultivated crops every five years. Many of the slopes are long and are suited to contour cultivation. Batavia is intermediate in productivity between Piano and St. Charles soils. Saybrook silt loam (145) Saybrook silt loam is a dark soil. It has developed under prairie vegetation from a thin blanket of loess on calcareous glacial till into which water penetrates readily. It is found on gently sloping to moderately sloping areas. Where the slope becomes less than about 1 percent, Saybrook grades into Lisbon silt loam. It is an important soil type in Kendall county, occupying a total area of nearly 30,000 acres. Soil profile. The surface horizon of Say- brook is a brown to dark-brown silt loam 6 to 10 inches thick. It is medium high in organic matter and nitrogen and medium acid. The subsurface is a light- brown to yellowish-brown silt loam. The subsoil, which begins at a depth of 14 to 16 inches, is a brownish-yellow moder- ately plastic silty clay loam to clay loam 16 to 22 inches thick. There are usually a few inches of leached till in the lower part of the subsoil. At a depth of 35 to 40 inches this leached material grades into friable, calcareous glacial till of loam texture. Use and management. Saybrook silt loam is a productive soil that is easy to work. On the more sloping portions of the type there is some erosion. The loss of the silty material that overlies the till reduces the productivity of this soil, but the effect is not so serious as similar loss on the heavy till types, such as Elliott, Swygert, and Clarence. Contour tillage, grass waterways, and a good rotation should, nevertheless, be used to reduce the amount of erosion. Saybrook is well adapted to terracing, and on some areas a well-designed and well- maintained terrace system is advisable. Vigorous plant growth is necessary for a successful erosion-control program. Soil tests should therefore be made, and limestone, phosphate, and potash applied if need for them is indicated. 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 29 There is no experiment field located on Saybrook, but it is reasonable to sup- pose that if tests show a shorta>. -O O c 0) E Q. u O H . o 1-] ri (_ C ^ C3 g, C 2 CO oj = £ ti 2 P << b I-) o E in 4) t-l 3 o (8 H << T3 t-i p< CA H K ^ 0) 1 >. W 1 H j3 < C3 <1 0. a H 00 > PQ O O < ffi t/J ft o o Cfl « H n >o '-0 CO o iM 00 02 m Oi ^. r-•* lb . . m .o> Ov m '.'.'.'.'.'. .O" T3 V V MbO ta « dddddo JJJJ oooooo 5 S -HMCOTfiOtO <) M O) ^ - COC^ CO :DiO ' ^- '-I c-i c-i a> CO X t'O THTt-i CO "O 00 t~ t~(M -O 0) CO t-H t~ CI I nrn lOI^OOliO^ WM -5 IN iOTt<(N NiO , 0500iOC0O:O (S CNJ ^ 00-*rfCOOOO t^Oi lO «0 to CD »0 to lO VO !!:::: :d m a I a <*) !!!::: !o> TJ ^^ O D bO U) (3 rt bi Vi oooooo S> J' oooooo 55 -HlNCOTfiOO <•< « u O ^M I" I. o o a"" ^»>4 j3 "^ lO 00 O CD b- -* Tl< Tt* 5 O r-l -rf CO O '^ O oo O S p.^ ^'^ 1 OS -2 « 'f -^ -r-i N o: OiQ 1 ■C) M J3* t^co ■to m ■ .S-S t-;0 •to •* ■ . (NiO-^ "" (NCKNOai-ilN MM ooc^oot^o in in ' l' l' I I I ■^cooootooi mo • ooooo^t^^ in> 'hc^co'Joocd <<; cc to <^ Cl c ?; O o jj c ^ '"^ 0-3 ■B.2 3 >> (B &!> l.^ O-t^ .-n , . M S S 2 CO c -J5 -^ o 2vs aft ., "^ o 2 2 5P ':piMM > cj c^ w ft O O - O t^ t- ° ..O'o'o >> PQ S m CO 5 d K-l O CO CO fto Q CO CO , ;^ o o o k^ W c c c ^t^ gS-^T3 g ^ H 2 ^ t'S S tf '^ S £ c a r] CO O O M P O +- -^ CO - — gOKKH CD >^ « 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 31 if the picker lias not already left them well flattened, is effective in reducing erosion. Areas that slope more than 2 percent need, besides the good farming methods mentioned above, longer cyo\) rotations, with more sod crops and winter cover crops. Fall plowing should be avoided on Elliott silt loam as much as possible, but when it is necessary it should be (\ouv on the coiitoui' and the land left rough. After limestone applications based on acidity tests have corrected soil acidity, a good rotation that includes legume catch crops and standover legumes should be adopted. Strongly sloping areas of Elliott are subject to severe and permanent damage by erosion. These areas are therefore better adapted to livestock farming than to grain farming. Experience with the Joliet soil experi- ment field, which is located on a soil in- termediate in properties between Elliott silt loam and Swygert silt loam to silty clay loam, may be taken as a guide to the results that may be expected from these two soil types in Kendall county when they are fertilized and managed as the Joliet field has been. Table 5, on page 30, gives tlie results from this field. Rock phosphate has been applied to the six series on the Joliet field at rates varying from 8,000 to 8,500 pounds an acre. The first application was made in 1914 and the last in the fall of 1933. Large and consistent increases in yields followed these applications of rock phos- phate, but the increases were smaller and less consistent in the manure (livestock) system of farming than in the residues (grain) system. Corn increases due to rock phosphate were larger during the twelve years 1939-1950 than before. From the above results we can con- clude that rock phosphate will return a good profit on Elliott silt loam even when applied in large amounts. Another experiment on the Joliet field tests the effectiveness of rock phosphate applied at different rates. Limited data indicate that for initial applications moderate amounts are almost as effective as large amounts. In this experiment, conducted from 1928 through 1942, yields of wheat and clover-alfalfa hay w^ere only about 10 percent lower where 1,000 pounds of rock phosphate an acre was ap|)lied than where 4,000 pounds was applied. Other experiments indicate that superphosphate also gives substan- tial crop increases on the Joliet field. In tests of various carriers applied in amounts equal in money values, higher yields of wheat were obtained with superphosphate than with rock phos- phate, but for clover-alfalfa hay the re- verse was true. Applications of potash on the Joliet field have brought increased yields of corn, wheat, clover, and alfalfa, but the increases have not been large enough on four of the six series to pay for the cost of the potash. The applications weve, however, rather large. Kainit, in amounts varying from 3,600 to 4,200 pounds an acre, was applied to the vari- ous series from 1914 to 1933. Potassium chloride has been used since 1932 in amounts averaging between about 80 and 90 pounds an acre a year on the various series during the eighteen years to and including 1950. It might be that smaller applications would give profit- able returns. The only way to know what is best for a particular field is to test the soil, and if potassium is de- ficient, to apply the amount which the test indicates is needed. 32 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, Clarence silt loam to silty clay loam (147) Clarence silt loam to silty clay loam is a medium-dark soil formed from a thin blanket of loess on very compact and very plastic calcareous glacial till or lake-bed clay. It is found on gently to moderately sloping areas, where it has developed under prairie-grass vegeta- tion. It occurs only in the southeastern part of Kendall county. Soil profile. The surface horizon of Clarence, where not eroded, is a brown to grayish-brown heavy silt loam or silty clay loam 4 to 8 inches thick. It is medium in organic matter and nitrogen, medium acid, and low in available phos- phorus. The subsurface is a grayish-brown to brownish-gray heavy silt loam to silty clay loam. The subsoil, which begins at a depth of 10 to 14 inches, is a brownish- gray to yellowish-gray silty clay to clay, very compact and very plastic. Beneath the subsoil, usually at a depth of 25 to 30 inches, the material is either very heavy calcareous glacial till or lake-bed clay that water penetrates very slowly. Use and management. Clarence silt loam presents difficult problems in use and management. It erodes easily be- cause the subsoil and underlying till take up water very slowly. Surface runoff is greater on Clarence than on soils through which water seeps more easily. Even under good management, this soil is capable of producing only moderate yields (see Table 1, page 8). In the successful management of Clarence silt loam, besides using a good rotation, it is necessary to cut down erosion losses to the minimum, provide surface drainage to carry off surplus water, add limestone where needed, and keep the soil as fertile as possible and in the best possible tilth. Erosion is best controlled by a well- established permanent grass-and-clover sod. Cultivated crops should be grown as infrequently as practicable and always in a rotation which includes a sod crop at regular intervals. On slopes greater than 1% or 2 percent, corn should be planted on the contour, and the contours should lead into well-sodded waterways. A large concentration of water must be avoided throughout the cultivated area, and the flow of water should be as slow as possible to avoid soil losses. Clarence is not well adapted to ter- racing. During dry weather the terrace ridges often crack and, unless these cracks are filled in, runoff water will channel through them, causing further damage. Sod for terrace outlets and for grass waterways is hard to get started and hard to keep up. This is especially true where the subsoil as well as the underlying till is exposed. Clarence takes up water slowly and dries out slowly. Tile are not effective, and ponded areas should be surface- drained. Fall-plowing is recommended on nearly level areas but should be avoided on areas that slope more than 1 or 2 percent. Illinois Circular 604, "Shall We Fall-plow or Spring-plow in Northeast- ern Illinois?" gives some information on where and where not to plow in the fall. The seriousness of the erosion prob- lem on Clarence cannot be overempha- sized. The loss of the thin covering of silty material exposes the underlying highly compact and plastic material, permanently reducing the agricultural value of this soil. Some soils can be re- stored to normal production after being severely eroded, but Clarence is not one of these soils. There is no experiment field on Clar- ence silt loam, but it is reasonable to suppose that on areas not eroded or only slightly eroded, phosphate will give fair I S- a: •I]' I: ft I- - t !T^- ••oil oltMM M\l' III K»MI\II lltlM> i>l»i«Mr> III iiii\iii» «i.NiiiiiiR«| tLtriNiNi^t •?♦! w^ '''•J^x^vi. W^'^'^'V^ -i^-^ ?^ * im 9]i^^B Sjfl i" Itt^ S!^ ;/» 1 ''^iE« r1 1 .*-*•. > V ■= t • ••♦1 >INtM M\rii» KtMi«ll IIMM> •ty m iiii»<«- ■•.■HI I II mi itrtmtiiM •iirin 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 33 returns. The soil tests slioulil he made aiul if they show that a\ailahlc phos- phorus is deficient, rock phosphate or superphosphate should he aiiplietl. Crops arc not so likely to give as good a re- sponse to potasli as to i)hosphatc. Correction of acidity is necessary on most fields of Clarence silt loam. Proctor silt loam (148) Proctor silt loam is a medium-dark soil fonne(l from silty material on coarse sandy and pebbly outwash. It has de- veloped on very gentle to moderate slopes under prairie vegetation. Soil profile. Tlic surface liorizon of Proc- tor is a medium-bi'own to litiht -brown silt loam 6 to 8 inches thick. It is me- dium in organic matter and nitrogen ami medium acid. A small amount of sand and a few pebbles may occui' in the sui'- face layer as well as throughout the profde. The subsurface is a brownish- yellow silt loam. The subsoil, which be- gins at a depth of 1") to 18 inches, is a brownish-yellow slightly plastic silty clay loam or sandy clay loam. At a depth of abotit 40 inches the sul)soil grades into laycM's of loose silt, sand, and gravel. Use and management. There is a tend- ency for Proctor to be drouthy in spots where the underlying sand or gravel occurs nearer than about 35 inches be- neath the surface. This, however, is a minor iM'oblem, foi' most areas of Proctor hold water well. Fresh organic matter should be sup- plied, as Proctor is rather low in this important material. The soil should be tested for lime and available phosphorus and potassium, and any deficiencies cor- I'ected. It will then be possible to use a good rotation, including legumes, which supply nitrogen as well as organic matter. The glacial outwash and river terrace formations often are underlain by sand and gravel of commercial value. These are promising areas for prospecting for these materials. Brenton silt loam (149) Brenton silt loam is a dark soil formed from silty outwash or from a thin blanket of loess, a wind-deposite HI I- U < < X u — ' t» P d 3 ^ o MP' — ' 5 -^ o 2 r/3 o Tl o -M ^ _0 ci o ■ ^ ■w' ^H '-^ ^ 1-1 ry2 c3 .;=; o « w^ "o —> "^ (H p o C3 -::i o ►>5 -S 03 O .S:J 13 O CI, 2 :^ C3 ^ CO o O '-' ^' O QJ ^ G -M « o; cu H 0) ^ C3 "ci P-T-f o ~ isj^ bCjS^-^ M^ 3 - "^ o T3 0; O ^ • 1 W •3 H - tH O ^ 3 c §2 o fcJ3 03 S O ciD n « s ^ o o ;::: cJD o ^ o o o3 W o 03 O S-i OJ O 'c 'Jl -^ o o o o M C 2 ^ ''i: i:- o >- K'j o 3 o o O o ^ o p g X 03 K" < ^ ■^ 'Sd ^ o '-4— 1 M s *""* 'J. C3 g s h; ■__. yj -M 'w r^ IS "^ ^ — CU bb " s 03 'r' 03 'x CU 7J CO o o cu O 03 >- m 'o ^ 03 ^ 03 C o ^ _g > 03 <-•— 1 r^ CJC o CO 03 ^ < r—\ O >> o 03 c o O J^ s -J 03 CD ss o lU CO 03 g CO c c CO CO — X to cu o o s 03 "ti} 03 O 2 c3 CO Is CO 73 CO 03 X 03 o c 03 o <3 '5 _bfl Xj 2 "o ^ o -t-i O . s bJD 03 0) Q. 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"^ ft ftft sp 5t c oj fi C C 03 OJ ,>, +j T'T'Tf t^t >. M M M_>. _>._;>. M j- >. 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Many people, however, are interested in an explanation of facts as well as in the facts themselves. The information given here is intended for those who would like a brief statement of some of the interesting points about the development of Kendall county soils. Origin of the soil materials. The upland and terrace soils of Kendall county have developed from materials deposited dur- ing the Ghu'ial Epoch. The bottomland soil materials were deposited by streams during more recent times. During the Glacial Epoch the climate alternated between long jjcriods wiien it was much like our climate today and other periods of prolonged cold. In the colder periods the average temperature was so low that the snow which fell in winter did not entirely melt the follow- ing sunnner. As time went on huge amounts of snow and ice piled up in the northern parts of our continent. Tlie pressures that developed in this great ice mass caused it to push outward, form- ing glaciers (Fig. 11). Aided by further accumulations of f'niirtcxy of firadford Wuslibiini. Hostan Mii.^cinii of Scictiri' This picture of the Columbia glacier in Alaska illustrates how glaciers form and move. Note that the small valley glaciers in the background have joined together into a large glacier in the foreground. This larger glacier is pushing into Prince William sound. It is approximately 5 miles across at its widest point and about 800 feet thick at its front. Be- tween 200 and 250 feet of ice show above the water. The dark streaks are glacial till im- bedded in the ice. This glacier is very small compared with the ice sheets that covered most of Illinois in past ages. Fig. 11 56 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, snow and ice at their margins, the gla- ciers advanced, moving chiefly south- ward until they reached a region where the climate was warm enough to melt the ice as rapidly as the glacier moved for- ward. In moving across the country, the ice sheets picked up great masses of rock, gravel, sand, silt, and clay, ground them together, and carried them along. Most of these materials were deposited within a hundred miles or less of the point where they were jiicked up, but some were carried for hundreds of miles. The moving ice leveled off hills and filled in old valleys, often completely changing the surface features of the areas over which it passed. The mixture of materi- als left by a glacier is known as glacial till, a term which appears frequently in descriptions of soils. The area that is now Kendall county was covered by at least two of the four major glacial advances of ice from the north, but only the last, called the Wis- consin ice sheet, had much influence on the soils of the county. The retreat, or melting back, of this glacier was not a continuous process but was often inter- rupted. Besides the periods when the ice advanced, there were long periods when the margins of the ice were nearly sta- tionary. During these long, nearly stationary periods the ice melted as rapidly as it pushed forward, and the till material deposited by the melting ice piled up in the form of ridges, or moraines. The Marseilles moraine, on the south side of Fox river and approxi- mately parallel to it, was formed in this way. Minooka ridge lying along the east boundary of Kendall county is another good example. As the glacial ice melted, the enormous quantities of water released picked-up sediments from the glacier and carried them away from the ice sheet. These sediments were partially or completely sorted into gravels, sands, silts, and clays. Deposits of them are called out- wash. The coarse material (gravel and sand) was deposited near the front of the glacier or carried by rapidly flowing waters into the basin of Fox river. The finer material (silt and clay) was laid down in lakes of quiet water or carried into Illinois river. Silts left in the bottoms or on terraces of large rivers became a source of loess. Silty loess material covers most of the till and outwash in Kendall county. The thickness of this loess blanket on nearly level areas varies from about 4% or 5 feet in the western i:)art of the county to about 2 or 2^> feet in the eastern part. Where the loess is as thin as 30 inches, the underlying till or outwash becomes of major importance in the develop- ment of the soil and in determining its agricultural value. Composition of the soil materials. The nature of many of the soils in Kendall county may depend not only on the sur- face materials or the profile to 40 inches but also on the materials to a depth of as much as 6 feet or more. Loess is a friable uniform silt that is well supplied with most of the plant nutrients except nitrogen. It is a very desirable soil ma- terial. Till and outwash, on the other hand, vary from coarse sand and gravel through medium-textured silt to fine clay. They may be well supplied with most of the plant nutrients or may be deficient in some. Glacial till that is made up of many different kinds of rocks and is of loam texture is about as good a parent soil material as loess. It is this kind of material, along with a loess cover, that occupies most of the central and southwestern parts of Kendall county. Till material made up mainly of shale is high in clay, very plastic, and very 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 57 slowly pcnncahk' to water. Sucii till occupies a large area in the southeastern part of the county. How the soils were developed. As soon as the parent materials — loess, till, or outwash — were deposited, they were subjected to weathering forces, and the jirocesses of soil development began. Wiien first deposited, the parent materi- als were high in lime and most of the mineral elements of plant food but very low in nitrogen. As time elapsed, the rain water, the oxygen and carbon di- oxide of the air, and the products of decaying plants attacked the minerals, leaching out the free lime and changing some of the minerals into clay. Since the forces that cause weather- ing are most active near the surface of the soil and less active with increasing depth, various stages of weathering occur at different depths. Thus carbonates are leached first from the surface, and it is there that the minerals are broken down most rapidly. Most of the organic matter accumulates in the surface, as is indi- cated by the darker color of the surface soil. The clay particles that form at or near the surface are gradually carried downward by the percolating waters to a point where they accumulate, forming a subsoil high in clay. Thus horizons, or layers, differing in i)hysieal and chemical composition gradually develop, and the l)arent material takes on characteristics that justify calling it a soil. As soon as the physical and chemical forces of weathering began acting on the slowly soluble minerals, plant nutri- ents in available form were released. Then vegetation started spreading over the land, more slowly perhai)s in the regions where the till contained more shale. Two types of vegetation — prairie and forest — were important infiuences in the development of the soils of Kendall county. Where prairie grasses grew, their extensive and fibrous roots decayed in the soil, adding much organic matter and producing the dark soils of the county. Where forests grew for long periods of time, light-colored soils developed. These soils have little organic matter because leaves droi)ped by trees stay on the surface of the land and decay rapidly. Drainage is another great influence on the development of soils. A high water table speeds up the decomi)osition of minerals but retards leaching and the decay of organic matter. Soils that were wet throughout their development are therefore characterized by a heavier sur- face texture, less acidity, and more or- ganic matter than those developed under conditions of good drainage. Not all parent materials are affected to the same extent by the weathering processes. Where they are permeable to water, a large part of the rainfall pene- trates deeper into the soil and deeper leaching takes place than where the soil materials absorb water only slowly. Moreover when water penetrates slowly, more of it runs off the surface and there is more rapid loss of soil material l)y erosion. Thus on the slowly permeable till in Kendall county we find shallow soils that usually contain lime at a depth of only about 2 or 2y.> feet; whereas on moderately permeable till and on out- wash, the lime is usually as deep as 3 or 4 feet. Variations in the soils of Kendall county, as elsewhere, thus trace back to differences in the parent materials, in the native vegetation, the drainage, antl the topography, or "lay of the land." 58 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL FEATURES Physiography and drainage. Kendall county is a region of moderately low relief. Marseilles and Minooka moraines are somewhat rolling, but there are also large areas of nearly level land. The highest point in the county is on the Marseilles moraine about 2 miles south- west of Yorkville. The altitude at this point is 800 feet above sea level. The lowest point, 550 feet above sea level, is the channel of Fox river at the west edge of the county. Drainage is largely to the west through Fox river and thence to Illinois river, although much of the central and southeastern parts of the county drain south through Aux Sable and other smaller creeks directly to the Illinois. Climate of Kendall county. The climate of Kendall county is characteristic of that in the north-central part of the United States. There is a wide range in temperature between the extremes of winter and summer; and the rainfall, though irregularly distributed, is usually abundant, so far as the total annual amount is concerned. Rainless periods long enough to be harmful are, however, not uncommon during the growing season. At the Aurora weather station, which is just north of the northeast corner of Kendall county, the highest temperature recorded during the twenty-five years 1926-1950 was 111° F. in July 1936, and the lowest was 24° below zero in Decem- ber 1950. The mean annual temperature was 49.2°, the mean July temperature 73.6°, and the mean January temper- ature 24°. The average date of the last killing frost in the spring at Aurora during these same twenty-five years was May 2, and the average date for the earliest killing frost in the fall was October 11. This gives an average frost-free growing sea- son of 162 days. The latest recorded killing frost in the spring was May 26, 1934, while the earliest recorded killing frost in the fall was September 24 in both 1928 and 1949. The shortest growing season was 136 days in 1949, the longest was 187 days in 1940. The average grow- ing season gives ample time to mature the crops commonly grown, although frosts occasionally catch corn and soy- beans before they are fully matured. The average annual precipitation (amount of rain, and of snow and sleet in terms of rain) recorded at the Aurora station from 1926 through 1950 was 33.64 inches, ranging, however, from a low of 25.32 inches in 1944 to a high of 41.04 inches in 1935. The yearly snowfall averaged 28.3 inches. Of much greater interest to farmers than the annual precipitation is the amount and distribution of rainfall dur- ing the growing season. From April through September the amount has ranged from 13.40 inches in 1946 to 29.56 inches in 1945 and has averaged 20.89 inches. If well distributed, this average amount would be adequate for good crops every year on most of the soils in Kendall county. However, rain- less periods of 15 to 20 days or longer occur nearly every year and the effect on crop yields is sometimes serious, es- pecially on soils that cannot absorb moisture readily or retain it well. Important as amount and distribution of rainfall are to crops, their effect is altered by a number of other conditions, among them (1) temperature of the atmosphere and amount of evaporation taking place, (2) capacity of the soil to absorb and retain moisture, and (3) the growth stage of the crop and the reac- tion of the crop to drouth. 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 59 Settlement of Kendall county. Tlic first [)erinaneiit sottlcinciit in the territory tliat is now Kendall eounty was made in 1826 at Iloldernian's Grove in the south- western corner of what is now Big Grove township. The county was establislied by legislati\'e action in 1841 from parts of Kane and LaSalle and was named for Amos Kendall, jxistmaster general in the cabinet of President Andrew Jackson. The population increased rapidly from 1830 to 18()0, declined slightly until 1870, and reached a peak of 13,082 in 1880. Then came a gradual decline to 10,074 in 1920, then a gradual increase to 12,066 in 1950 (Fig. 12). ID 1 1 HOUSANDS OF PEOPLE 14 1 1? /^ ^~— — — — -"^ 10 -/ -— . ^^ e 6 / POPULATION KENDALL COUNTS 1 r o 1850 I860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 The population of Kendall county increased rapidly between 1830, two decades earlier than this graph shows, and 1860. In 1880 it reached a peak of 13,082 people, according to the U.S. Census. A gradual decline followed until about 1920, after which it steadily increased, reaching 12,066 in 1950. Fig. 12 Transportation facilities. A main line and a branch line of the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy railroad fur- nish direct rail connections from the northern i)art of the county to Aurora and Chicago. A paved highway system and good gravel roads furnish an all- weather farm-to-market road system for all the county. Agricultural production. Agriculture is the leading industry in Kendall county. Tlie major i)()rti()n of the county is till- able, and many of the soils, when well farmed, are productive. Corn is the most important crop from the standpoints of acreage and value. For the six years 1943-1948 the average yearly acreages of the four chief crops ^^c^«= Acres Corn 78,000 Oats 45,300 Soybeans H,S00 Hay, including alfalfa. .2(),(i()() The acreage of wheat, barley, and rye is very minor but permanent pasture is important. According to the U. S. Census of Agricultui'e, 27,875 acres were used for pasture in 1945, including 11,090 acres of woodland {"lasture. There were only 432 acres of unpastured woodland at that time. Livestock and livestock products are important in Kendall county, as shown by Fig. 13 on the next page. 60 SOIL REPORT NO. 75 [March, THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION KENDALL COUNTY DAIRY CATTLE OTHER CATTLE HORSES AND MULES n I The marked increase in livestock production in Kendall county between 1940 and 1950 is especially to be noted on this graph. In 1950 the number of cattle other than dairy was greater than at any other time since 1900, and swine reached an all-time high. The num- ber of dairy cattle over the years has not changed greatly. Sheep have declined sharply since 1940. Horses and mules are now a negligible part of the livestock of the county. Fig. 13 1952] KENDALL COUNTY 61 MEANINGS OF SOME TECHNICAL TERMS Alluvial sediment — soil inatciial carrietl by running water and left on the flood plains. Calcareous — containing enough limestone to effervesce, or bubble, when dilute hydrochloric (muriatic) acid is poured on it. Compact — ^ said of soils that are difficult to penetrate, being made up of par- ticles closely packed and sometimes weakly cemented together. Concretions — small liar