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 .7 OF ILLINOJ-S 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 
 Agricultural Experiment Station 
 
 SOIL REPORT No. 53 
 
 CALHOUN COUNTY SOILS 
 
 By R. S. SMITH, E. E. DeTURK, F. C. BAUER, 
 and L. H. SMITH 
 
 URBANA, ILLINOIS, MAY, 1932 
 
The Soil Survey of Illinois was organized under the general supervision 
 of Professor Cyril G. Hopkins, with Professor Jeremiah G. Mosier directly 
 in charge of soil classification and mapping. After working in association on 
 this undertaking for eighteen years, Professor Hopkins died and Professor 
 Mosier followed two years later. The work of these two men enters so inti- 
 mately into the whole project of the Illinois Soil Survey that it is impossible 
 to disassociate their names from the individual county reports. Therefore 
 recognition is hereby accorded Professors Hopkins and Mosier for their con- 
 tribution to the work resulting in this publication. 
 
 STATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON SOIL INVESTIGATIONS 
 
 1931-1932 
 
 F. I. Mann, Gilman 
 
 N. F. Goodwin, Palestine 
 
 G. F. Tullock, Rockford 
 W. E. Riegel, Tolono 
 F. S. Haines, Geneseo 
 
 RESEARCH AND TEACHING STAFF IN SOILS 
 1931-1932 
 
 Herbert W. Mumford, Director of the Experiment Station 
 W. L. Burlison, Head of Agronomy Department 
 
 Soil Physics and Mapping 
 R. S. Smith, Chief 
 
 D. C. Wimer, Assistant Chief 
 
 E. A. Norton, Assistant Chief 
 R. S. Stauffer, Associate 
 
 D. C. Maxwell, First Assistant 
 Herman Wascher, First Assistant 
 Eric Winters, Jr., Assistant 
 
 G. D. Smith, Assistant 
 J. E. Gieseking, Assistant 
 
 Soil Fertility and Analysis 
 
 E. E. DeTurk, Chief 
 
 F. H. Crane, Assistant Chief 
 R. H. Bray, Associate 
 
 J. C. Anderson, First Assistant 
 L. K. Eby, Assistant 
 E. B. Earley, Assistant 
 K. B. Daniloff, Assistant 
 L. E. Kehoe, Assistant 
 
 Soil Experiment Fields 
 F. C. Bauer, Chief 1 
 H. J. Snider, Assistant Chief 
 A. L. Lang, Assistant Chief 
 C. J. Badger, Associate 
 L. B. Miller, Associate 
 C. H. Farnham, Assistant 
 P. E. Johnson, Assistant 
 K. A. Potter, Assistant 
 
 Soil Biology 
 
 O. H. Sears, Associate Chief 
 M. F. Hershbcrger, Assistant 
 L. E. Allison, Assistant 
 
 Soils Extension 
 
 F. C. Bauer, Professor 1 
 
 C. M. Linsley, Assistant Professor 
 
 Soil Survey Publications 
 L. H. Smith, Chief 
 F. W. Gault, Scientific Assistant 
 Nellie Boucher Smith, Editorial 
 Assistant 
 
 1 Engaged in Soils Extension as well as in Soil Experiment Fields. 
 
 

 
 "■aw ** 
 
 INTRODUCTORY NOTE 
 
 IT IS A MATTER of common observation that soils vary trc- 
 mendously in their productive power, depending upon their physi- 
 cal condition, their chemical composition, and their biological activities. 
 For any comprehensive plan of soil improvement looking toward the 
 permanent maintenance of our agricultural lands, a definite knowledge 
 of the various existing kinds or types of soil is a first essential. It is the 
 purpose of a -oil survey to classify the various kinds of soil of a given 
 area in such a manner as to permit definite characterization for de- 
 scription and for mapping. With the information that such a survey 
 affords, every fanner or landowner of the surveyed area has at hand 
 the basis for a rational system of improvement of his land. At the 
 -aine time the Experiment Station is furnished an inventory of the 
 soils of the state, upon which intelligently to base plans for those fun- 
 damental investigations so necessary for solving the problems of prac- 
 tical soil improvement. 
 
 This county soil report is one of a series reporting the results of 
 the soil survey which, when completed, will cover the state of Illinois. 
 Each county report is intended to be as nearly complete in itself as it 
 i< practicable to make it, even at the expense of some repetition. 
 
 AVhile the authors must assume the responsibility for the presenta- 
 tion of this report, it should be understood that the material for it 
 represents the contribution of a considerable number of the present 
 and former members of the Agronomy Department working in their 
 respective lines of soil mapping, soil analysis, and experiment field 
 investigation. In this connection special recognition is due Mr. 0. I. 
 Ellis, who, as leader of the field party, was in direct charge of the 
 mapping. 
 
 LIBRARY 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 W URBANA- CHAMPAIGN 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF CALHOUN COUNTY 3 
 
 History of Agricultural Production 3 
 
 Climate 6 
 
 Physiography and Drainage 6 
 
 FORMATION OF CALHOUN COUNTY SOILS 8 
 
 Origin of Soil Material 8 
 
 Soil Development 9 
 
 SOIL CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING 10 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF SOIL TYPES 11 
 
 Eroded Silt Loam 11 
 
 Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam 12 
 
 Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam Over Sand Or Gravel 13 
 
 Brown Sandy Loam On Sand Or Gravel 13 
 
 Brown Silt Loam Over Sand Or Gravel 13 
 
 Light Brown Fine Sandy Loam 14 
 
 Deep Black Clay Loam 14 
 
 Black Clay 14 
 
 Drab Clay Loam 14 
 
 Drab Clay 15 
 
 Brown Mixed Loam 15 
 
 Mixed Sandy Loam 15 
 
 Deep Brown Silt Loam 16 
 
 Mixed Loam (Overflow) 16 
 
 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CALHOUN COUNTY SOILS 16 
 
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CALHOUN COUNTY SOILS 
 
 By R. S. SMITH, E. E. DeTURK, F. C. BAUER, and L. H. SMITH 1 
 
 GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF CALHOUN COUNTY 
 
 ALHOUN COUNTY is located between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, 
 forming a long neck of land between these two streams. It is slightly 
 over 36 miles long from north to south and varies in width from about 
 4 miles to about 16 miles. It occupies a total area of 281.57 square miles, in- 
 cluding swamps, rivers, and lakes. 
 
 No railroads have been built in Calhoun county, transportation being mainly 
 by water, either on the Illinois or the Mississippi river. 
 
 The county was established by act of the Legislature in 1825 and Hardin, 
 the county seat, was founded in 1847. Fig. 1 shows the population from 1830 to 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ul 
 
 _i 
 a. 
 o 
 
 
 UJ 
 
 Q- 6 
 
 u_ 
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 Q 
 
 \* 
 
 (A 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 1-1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 X 
 H 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
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 1830 1840 1850 I860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 
 
 Fig. 1. — Growth in Population of Calhoun County 
 Population reached its maximum in the first decade of the present 
 century, since which time it has declined. 
 
 1930. It will be noted that there was a slow but steady increase in population 
 during the seventy-year period 1830 to 1900, and that during the thirty-year 
 period following there was a decrease of about 900 inhabitants. 
 
 History of Agricultural Production 
 
 Calhoun county is known as a fruit-producing county and the fact that it 
 also produces a considerable acreage of corn and wheat is frequently lost sight 
 of. Fig. 2 shows the acreage of corn, oats, and wheat at ten-year intervals from 
 1880 to 1930 inclusive. It will be seen that thruout the past fifty years 15,000 
 
 ] R. S. Smith, Chief in S<ul Physics, in charge <>f identification and mapping of soil types; E. E. DeTurk, 
 Chief in Soil Technology, in charge of soil analysis of the Soil Survey; F. C. Bauer, Chief in Soil Experiment 
 Fields; L. H. Smith, Chief, in charge of Publications of the Soil Survey. 
 
 3 
 
4 Soil Report No. 53 
 
 to 20,000 or more acres of corn are usually grown, and that, with the exception 
 of the last Census year, the wheat acreage has almost equaled, or even exceeded, 
 the corn acreage. Oats are a minor crop in this county, the recorded plantings 
 ranging between 1,000 and 3,000 acres. Considerable land is also devoted to the 
 production of hay. The 1930 U. S. Census records an acreage of 10,400 for tame 
 hay. The U. S. Department of Agriculture gives the following average crop 
 yields for the ten-year period 1921 to 1930: corn, 38.8 bushels an acre; winter 
 wheat, 17.0; oats, 25.1; and tame hay, 1.65 tons. As a six-year average spring 
 wheat produced 13.9 bushels an acre. 
 
 I860 
 
 1890 
 
 1910 
 
 1920 
 
 1930 
 
 Fig. 2. — Acreage of Corn, Oats, and Wheat in Calhoun County 
 The diagram shows the relative acreage devoted to the three principal 
 grain crops at periodic intervals since 1880. (Figures from U. S. Census) 
 
 Three leguminous crops that have been rapidly gaining in favor in Illinois 
 during the past few years are alfalfa, sweet clover, and soybeans. Twelve 
 hundred acres of alfalfa were cut for hay in Calhoun county in 1929, and 
 1,475 acres of sweet clover were grown. The soybean has scarcely got a foothold, 
 the amount recorded being 140 acres for the beans grown alone and 100 acres 
 grown as a companion crop. However, 800 acres of cowpeas were grown. 
 
 The importance of Calhoun as a fruit county is indicated by the number of 
 its apple trees, which increased from 127,000 in 1890 to 780,000 in 1925. Apples 
 equivalent to 1,275 carloads were shipped out of the county in 1929, according to 
 figures reported in "Illinois Crop and Livestock Statistics." Fruits other than 
 apples and grapes are of little importance. Vegetable crops are of no commercial 
 importance. 
 
 Livestock is of secondary importance in Calhoun county. Transportation con- 
 ditions are not favorable to this industry, and the hilly land affords but relatively 
 little pasture. The trend of livestock production since 1850 is shown in Fig. 3. 
 
Calhoun County 
 
 20 
 
 V) 15 
 
 10 
 
 I HORSES AND MULES 
 
 I CATTLE 
 
 HOGS 
 
 1850 
 
 I860 1870 I860 1890 1900 
 
 1910 
 
 1920 1930 
 
 Fig. 3. — Number of Horses and Mules, Cattle, and 
 Hogs in Calhoun County 
 
 The diagram shows the relative numbers of the principal classes of livestock at 
 periodic intervals since 1850. (Figures from U. S. Census) 
 
 The number of horses reached a maximum in 1920 ; then declined almost 40 per- 
 cent by 1930. The number of mules increased slowly but constantly until 1930, 
 when there were almost exactly half as many mules as horses. Little change has 
 occurred since 1890 in the number of hogs. The number of cattle has been fairly 
 constant since 1860, the smallest number for the last seventy years being reported 
 
 Fig. 4. — Relative Value of the More Important Classes 
 of Farm Animals in Calhoun County, 1930 
 (Data from "Illinois Crop and Livestock Statistics," Circular 409, Illi- 
 nois Department of Agriculture; U. S. Department of Agriculture co- 
 operating.) 
 
6 Soil Report No. 53 
 
 in 1930. The value of the main classes of farm animals, including sheep, was 
 given as $787,600 in 1930. Fig. 4 indicates how this value was distributed. 
 
 Climate 
 
 No U. S. Weather Bureau station is located in Calhoun county. Griggsville, 
 in Pike county, about 20 miles north of the Calhoun county line, most nearly rep- 
 resents the climatic conditions in Calhoun county. ' Altho the records at that point 
 are not altogether complete, they furnish a very good idea of the principal cli- 
 matic features. 
 
 The mean summer temperature at Griggsville for the period from 1892 to 
 1930, thirty-nine years, was 74.7° and the mean winter temperature, 30.9°. The 
 lowest temperature recorded was 25° below zero in 1905; the highest was 110° 
 in 1901. Thus there is a wide range between the extremes of winter and summer. 
 The average date of the first killing frost in the fall is October 20; the earliest 
 one recorded occurred September 25, 1928. The average date of the last killing- 
 frost in the spring is April 17; the latest one recorded occurred May 21, 1892. 
 The growing season averages 186 days; the shortest growing season recorded 
 was 141 days in 1894, and the longest 227 days in 1929. 
 
 The average annual rainfall for the period from 1916 to 1930 was 37.15 
 inches. The average rainfall for the six-months period from April to September 
 inclusive was 24.45 inches. The lowest rainfall for this period was 14.24 inches 
 in 1930; the highest, 35.17 inches in 1926. The heaviest rainfall for any one 
 month was 16.83 inches in September, 1926; the lowest was .51 of an inch in 
 July, 1930. The average snowfall for thirteen years was 17.9 inches. 
 
 The question is often raised whether the rainfall is well distributed thru 
 months of crop growth or whether crops are affected by periods of drouth. This 
 is a difficult question to answer because the length of the rainless period is but 
 one of the factors responsible for crop damage. Other factors include amount 
 and character of rain preceding rainless periods; humidity, sunshine, tempera- 
 ture, and wind velocity during the rainless period; and the character of the soil. 
 Then there are also to be considered the crop's reaction to drouth conditions and 
 its stage of growth. With these complex factors in mind it is of interest to note 
 that in the seventeen-year period from 1914 to 1930 there were only three years 
 during which one or more rainless periods of 20 days or longer did not occur 
 during the growing season. During this period there was one rainless period of 
 41 days, one of 59 days, and one of 63 days. Rainless periods of about 10 days 
 were frequent. Rainless periods of about 20 days are likely to injure grain crops 
 but not orchard trees. Rainless periods that exceed 40 days may be harmful to 
 orchards, tho the deep-rooting habit of the trees in Calhoun county suggests that 
 they would be especially able to resist the damaging effects of rainless periods. 
 
 Physiography and Drainage 
 Calhoun county lies in the form of a long, rugged ridge between Illinois and 
 Mississippi rivers. The crest of the ridge varies in elevation between 700 and 760 
 feet and divides the county into approximately equal parts, the western side of 
 the divide draining into Mississippi river and the eastern side into Illinois river. 
 The entire upland portion of the county, with the exception of fifteen to twenty 
 
Calhoun County 
 
 n-5-w R " 4W 
 
 R-3-W 
 
 _J UPLAND 
 |] BOTTOM LAND AND TERRACE 
 ^ SWAMP 
 
 Fig. 5. — Drainage Map of Calhoun County Showing Stream Courses, 
 Bottom Lands, and Swamps 
 
 square miles in the southern end, is very rough and broken. The divides are 
 narrow and irregular in outline and are constantly being made narrower by 
 erosion. Drainage thruout the upland portion of the county is well developed, 
 and the run-off is excessive and rapid. The soils are resistant to erosion in part 
 because of their good absorptive capacity and in part because loess, which con- 
 stitutes so much of the soil material, is not readily eroded. Yet, because of the 
 steepness of the slopes, erosion has been and still is very active. 
 
 The bottom lands along both Mississippi and Illinois rivers are in part 
 swampy and are very largely subject to overflow. Fig. 5 shows the bottom lands 
 and swamps and the drainage of the county. The dotted line marks the divide. 
 
 The elevation at the junction of Illinois and Mississippi rivers is about 420 feet 
 above sea level. At Hamburg the elevation is 445 feet and the divide three miles 
 
8 Soil Report No. 53 
 
 east of Hamburg has an elevation of 750 feet. The highest point on the Calhoun- 
 Pike county boundary line is 720 feet above sea level. 
 
 FORMATION OF CALHOUN COUNTY SOILS 
 
 One of the most important agencies in the formation of the great majority 
 of our Illinois soils was the glaciers, for it was thru glacial action, either direct 
 or indirect, that the materials out of which our present soils are formed were 
 deposited. 
 
 At the time of the glaciers the climate was much colder than at present. Snow 
 and ice accumulated in regions to the north in great masses and then pushed 
 outward from these centers. The movement of these great accumulations of snow 
 and ice was chiefly southward. In this movement across the country the glaciers 
 gathered up all sorts and sizes of materials, including clay, sand, gravel, boulders, 
 and even immense masses of rock. Some of these materials were carried hundreds 
 of miles and rubbed against surface rocks and each other until largely ground 
 into powder. Under the enormous pressure of the ice, hills were leveled off and 
 valleys filled in, thus greatly changing the features of the surface over which the 
 ice sheet passed. When the glaciers reached areas of warmer temperatures, the 
 movement was checked. As the climate became warmer the ice melted back 
 rapidly, leaving the mixture of mineral material scattered over the land. Such a 
 mixture of materials deposited directly from the glacier is known as glacial drift, 
 and soils formed from this drift are called drift soils. 
 
 Loess is another soil material derived thru glacial action but in a more indi- 
 rect manner than drift. Much fine sediment carried along in the immense volumes 
 of water from the melting glaciers settled in great quantities in stream bottoms. 
 The streams later dried up and this fine, silty deposit was picked up by the wind 
 and carried for miles across the country, then redeposited over the land. The 
 upper portion of this loess blanket, under the weathering conditions explained 
 below, was then gradually transformed into soil. 
 
 Origin of Soil Material 
 
 Calhoun county itself is largely unglaciated. The soils are derived from loess, 
 with the exception of those in the bottom lands, which are derived from sedimen- 
 tary material deposited by running water. Over most of the county the loess 
 rests directly on the underlying bed rock. The loess is sufficiently thick so that 
 the entire soil profile 1 is developed from it. The character of the soils developed 
 from the loess has, however, been strongly influenced by the topography. Their 
 permeability and the absence of impervious strata in the profile are explained 
 by the good drainage conditions under which they developed. Had this county 
 been glaciated and the loess been deposited on a till plain, the soils developed 
 from the loess would have been very different from those that occur. 
 
 The loess deposited in Calhoun county was not all laid down during one 
 period. Several glacial advances occurred, and following each there was an 
 interglacial stage during which conditions were favorable for the deposit of much 
 
 'For meaning of the term "profile" as used in soil literature, see Fig. 6, page 9. 
 
Calhoun County 9 
 
 of the loessial sediment. Three distinct deposits probably occurred. The oldest, 
 known as the Sangamon, was laid down following the retreat of the Illinoian 
 glacier. This deposit was heavy. After a long period another loess sheet was 
 deposited. The third and last deposit was made following the retreat of the last 
 glacier, known as the Wisconsin. 
 
 The character of a loess soil, besides being influenced by topography, de- 
 pends to some extent upon the particular sheet from which it was developed. 
 At the time the soil map of Calhoun county was made it was not possible to dif- 
 ferentiate the various loess sheets, and the map therefore does not show all these 
 variations. Type 18, however, is the only one to which the deficiency applies, 
 for the material on slopes sufficiently steep to be mapped as No. 5 is a mixture of 
 all the loess sheets. 
 
 Fig. 6. — Studying the Soil Profile 
 One of the very pronounced characteristics observed in most soils is 
 that they are composed of more or less distinct layers, or strata, often 
 spoken of in soil literature as "horizons." The vertical section of the 
 soil showing the arrangement of these horizons from the surface down is 
 called the "soil profile." 
 
 Soil Development 
 
 The upland soils in Calhoun county developed under a forest cover and are 
 therefore all deficient in organic matter. The good drainage conditions which 
 made the growth of timber possible were favorable for the development of a 
 permeable profile. For this reason there is no clay-pan subsoil or tight clay in 
 this county. 
 
 Erosion has been so active in Calhoun county that there is at present an ag- 
 gregate area of only about 60 square miles upon which a true soil profile has 
 developed. This profile has developed on a calcareous loess under conditions of 
 good drainage, so that a friable, permeable profile with a rather poorly defined 
 subsoil has resulted. The processes of soil weathering have leached the car- 
 bonates from the upper 4 to 8 feet, necessitating the application of limestone 
 
10 
 
 Soil Report No. 53 
 
 for the growing of clovers. The depth to carbonates varies, depending upon 
 the amount of erosion that has occurred and the thickness of the loess sheets. 
 In regions where the youngest loess still remains and is thick enough to be ef- 
 fective, calcareous material occurs at a depth of about 4 feet. In regions where 
 the later loess deposits were originally thin or where they have been removed by 
 erosion, the depth to carbonates is great, for the oldest loess was already leached 
 of its carbonates even before later loess deposits were laid down. 
 
 SOIL CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING 
 
 The soil type is the unit of classification in a soil survey. Each type thruout 
 the area of its occurrence, has the same soil characteristics and the same potential 
 productivity tho it may differ, even on a single farm, in present producing power 
 because of differences in the way the land has been managed. The descrip- 
 
 Table 1. — Soil Types of Calhoun County, Illinois 
 
 Soil 
 type 
 No. 
 
 5 
 
 18 
 134 
 
 87 
 81 
 37 
 
 107 
 69 
 70 
 71 
 73 
 74 
 77 
 
 142 
 
 Name of type 
 
 Eroded Silt Loam 
 
 Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam 
 
 Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam Over 
 
 Sand Or Gravel 
 
 Brown Sandy Loam On Sand Or Gravel . 
 Brown Silt Loam Over Sand Or Gravel.. 
 
 Light Brown Fine Sandy Loam 
 
 Deep Black Clay Loam 
 
 Black Clay 
 
 Drab Clay Loam 
 
 Drab Clay 
 
 Brown Mixed Loam 
 
 Mixed Sandy Loam 
 
 Deep Brown Silt Loam 
 
 Mixed Loam (Overflow) 
 
 Swamp 
 
 Rivers and Lakes 
 
 Total 
 
 Area in 
 
 square 
 
 miles 
 
 110.42 
 59.93 
 
 3.89 
 2.23 
 1.02 
 .75 
 3.48 
 .75 
 4.82 
 1.97 
 
 22.39 
 4.05 
 
 18.94 
 
 17.64 
 6.23 
 
 23.06 
 
 281.57 
 
 Area 
 
 in 
 acres 
 
 70 669 
 38 355 
 
 2 489 
 
 1 427 
 653 
 480 
 
 2 227 
 480 
 
 3 085 
 
 1 260 
 14 330 
 
 2 592 
 12 122 
 
 290 
 987 
 
 11 
 3 
 
 14 758 
 180 204 
 
 Percent 
 
 of total 
 
 area 
 
 39.22 
 21.28 
 
 1.38 
 
 .79 
 
 .36 
 
 .27 
 
 1.23 
 
 .27 
 
 1.71 
 
 .70 
 
 7.95 
 
 1.44 
 
 6.73 
 
 6.27 
 
 2.21 
 
 8.19 
 
 100.00 
 
 tions that follow are intended to give a fairly clear idea of the characteristics of 
 each type and to be of assistance in planning efficient management practice. For 
 convenience, each type is given a number as well as a name. 
 
 Failure to appreciate the fact that soil types are differentiated on the basis 
 of the character of the entire profile and not of the surface soil alone often makes 
 it difficult to understand what is meant by "soil type." It often happens that the 
 surface soil of one type is no different from that of another type, and yet the 
 two types may be widely different in character and in agricultural value. It is 
 of the utmost importance, therefore, in studying descriptions of soil types to 
 get a clear mental picture of the outstanding features of each type. This can- 
 not be done without some real study, as there is no easy road to soil knowledge. 
 
 The accompanying soil map, shown in two sections, gives the location and 
 boundary of each soil type in Calhoun county and indicates the position of 
 
Calhoun County 11 
 
 streams, roads, and towns. Table 1 lists these types, gives the area of each in 
 square miles and in acres and also the percentage each constitutes of the total 
 area of the county. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF SOIL TYPES 
 
 There are but two upland soil types mapped in Calhoun county. One of 
 these, No. 18, has a fairly well-developed profile; the other, No. 5, shows very 
 little profile development and in many places none at all. The bottom-land soils 
 show little and sometimes no profile development. The soil features that are de- 
 veloped by weathering are, with the exception of one type, very faint or are en- 
 tirely absent. Calhoun county would therefore not be chosen by one who wished 
 to study soils and their formation. 
 
 Eroded Silt Loam (5) 
 Eroded Silt Loam is the most extensive soil type in Calhoun county, occupy- 
 ing a total of 110.42 square miles, or about 39 percent of the area of the county. 
 This type is largely unsuited to general farming because of its topography. It 
 
 Fig. 7. — A Well-Kept Young Orchard on Eroded Silt Loam 
 Slopes such as this, which are short and only moderately steep, erode badly 
 under general farming but may be used for orcharding without causing serious 
 erosion. 
 
 is now used in part for orcharding, but much of it is too steep for this purpose. 
 Many of the slopes are occupied by scrub timber and are used as timber pasture. 
 Considerable variation may be noted in the character of this soil because of 
 differences in the rate at which erosion has occurred on the various slopes and 
 also because of differences in the thickness of the various loess sheets. On the 
 more moderate slopes which have been well protected by a forest cover a faint 
 development into surface, subsurface, and subsoil strata can be seen. The type 
 as a whole, however, shows no profile development because the soil material has 
 been removed by erosion more rapidly than a soil profile could be developed by 
 
12 Soil Report No. 53 
 
 the soil-forming forces. In places, as indicated on the map, there are outcrops of 
 sandstone or of limestone and in the northeastern corner of the county there are 
 many small areas of stony loam. 
 
 Management. — The only changes which might be suggested for the utilization 
 of this land are that the more moderate slopes be used for sweet-clover pasture 
 and that the underbrush be cleared from the more favorable sites for timber 
 growth. Both these changes would require the expenditure of labor, and in order 
 to grow sweet clover, limestone would have to be applied, necessitating a money 
 outlay. Orcharding probably should not be greatly extended on this land because 
 the cost of spraying and other operations is greater than on other land with a 
 more favorable topography. A well-kept young orchard located on a moderately 
 steep slope having soil mapped as No. 5 is shown in Fig. 7. Slopes of this char- 
 acter may be used to good advantage for orcharding. 
 
 Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam (18) 
 
 Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam is the best soil in Calhoun county for gen- 
 eral farming and orcharding. It occurs in narrow, irregular areas on the divides 
 thruout most of the county but in the extreme southern part of the county the 
 divides are lower and broader. This soil is derived from loess and was developed 
 under good drainage conditions under a forest vegetation. It is not altogether uni- 
 form, as previously noted, because of variation in the thickness of the loess 
 sheets from which its was derived. Since at the time the county was surveyed 
 it was impossible to differentiate the various loess sheets, variations now known 
 to exist are not shown on the soil map. It should be noted that the broader areas 
 of this type in the southern part of the county have a somewhat darker surface 
 soil and a better developed subsoil than are formed farther north in the county. 
 This difference is due to a thicker blanket of recent loess and to less rolling 
 topography. 
 
 This type is characterized by a brownish gray, friable silt loam surface soil 
 which is about 5 to 7 inches thick. Near the Mississippi bottom the texture is 
 somewhat coarser than it is farther inland, where it approaches a fine sandy 
 loam. The subsurface is also friable, and is yellowish gray with a distinct reddish 
 cast on the more rolling areas. The subsoil is encountered 12 to 16 inches below the 
 surface. It varies from reddish brown to reddish yellow. On nearly flat areas 
 this horizon shows a distinctly gray cast, which is due to a gray powdery coating 
 that covers the somewhat angular aggregates more or less completely. The sub- 
 soil extends to a depth of about 30 inches. Below this depth the character of the 
 material varies according to the loess sheet from which it was derived. 
 
 Management. — Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam is medium acid, low in or- 
 ganic matter and nitrogen, and portions of the type are sufficiently sloping to 
 permit erosion. It is a friable soil and permeable thruout the profile. It is this 
 latter characteristic that makes it especially well adapted to orcharding since it 
 allows deep penetration of tree roots. 
 
 The first step in improving this soil, either for general farming or for or- 
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Calhoun County 13 
 
 346 of this Station. When this has been done, the nitrogen and organic-matter 
 deficiencies of the soil can be taken care of by the frequent growing of a clover 
 crop. On areas that tend to erode, a cropping system should be adopted that will 
 afford a protective cover during as much of the year as possible. It is surprising 
 how effective a good cropping system is in reducing erosion, particularly on a 
 soil such as this which absorbs water readily. There are times, however, when 
 a certain amount of erosion is inevitable, as for example, in the spring when the 
 subsurface is frozen and thus prevents absorption of water. 
 
 After the nitrogen and organic-matter deficiencies have been corrected and 
 provision has been made for reducing erosion on the slopes, the soil should be 
 tested for available phosphorus. If the test shows a deficiency of available phos- 
 phorus, the use of a phosphate fertilizer should be considered. Potash may be 
 deficient, but unfortunately there is at present no simple test known for avail- 
 able potash as there is for available phosphorus. One way to determine the need 
 for potash is to make some trial applications. This material, if used, should be 
 applied for the corn crop, for corn responds to potash better than do small grains. 
 
 Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam Over Sand Or Gravel (134) 
 
 Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam Over Sand Or Gravel is very similar to 
 Type 18 previously described. It differs somewhat in topography, being flat and 
 >loping gently towards the stream course which it borders. This type was de- 
 veloped on stream terraces, and so differs geologically from Type 18. It is unim- 
 portant so far as extent is concerned, as it occupies a total of less than four 
 square miles in the county. 
 
 Management. — The same management suggestions apply to this type as are 
 made for Type 18, just described. 
 
 Brown Sandy Loam On Sand Or Gravel (87) 
 Brown Sandy Loam On Sand Or Gravel covers a total of only two and a 
 quarter square miles. The largest areas occur in the southeastern part of the 
 county near Centerville and Deer Plain; in fact Deer Plain is located on this 
 type. The surface stratum consists of a brown sandy loam. At a depth of about 
 10 inches the soil becomes yellowish, and a few inches deeper is an incoherent 
 yellow sand. 
 
 Management. — This soil is likely to be drouthy but it is well adapted to 
 orcharding and to the growing of crops that like a sandy soil. It is unwise to 
 attempt to build up much of an organic-matter surplus in this soil because of 
 its open, leachy nature. Where clovers are to be grown, a medium application of 
 limestone is required. 
 
 Brown Silt Loam Over Sand Or Gravel (81) 
 
 Brown Silt Loam Over Sand Or Gravel is a minor terrace type, occupying a 
 total of only one square mile. Because of their location, the areas of this type 
 have accumulated sufficient organic matter to give a dark color to the surface 
 soil. This type is now drouthy, but with good farming, including the use of le- 
 gumes, it will produce good grain crops. It is somewhat acid and should be tested 
 
14 Soil Report No. 53 
 
 in detail, as recommended in Circular 346 of this Station, to determine just how 
 much limestone to apply. 
 
 Light Brown Fine Sandy Loam (37) 
 
 Light Brown Fine Sandy Loam is a minor bottom-land type, occupying three 
 quarters of a square mile. It forms a long, narrow, low ridge in the southeastern 
 part of the county. It occurs as a natural levee, marking the bank of a former 
 course of Mississippi river. 
 
 The surface soil is a light brown fine sandy loam. At a depth of about 8 
 inches and extending to about 20 inches, the color is brownish gray. Below 20 
 inches the color becomes slightly reddish brown and the material is compact but 
 very friable. 
 
 Management. — This type is well drained and is easy to till. It is low in nitro- 
 gen and organic matter and is somewhat acid. It is not drouthy, and with good 
 farming, including the growing of legumes, should produce very good crops. 
 
 Deep Black Clay Loam (107) 
 
 Deep Black Clay Loam is a heavy soil rather difficult to farm and is not 
 well drained. It was formed from fine sediment deposited during periods of over- 
 flow. It commonly occupies low-lying, nearly level areas and is difficult to drain 
 both because of its position and its heavy nature. 
 
 The surface soil is black with a drabbish cast. At a depth of about 10 inches 
 the color becomes drab, and the material becomes sticky when wet and hard when 
 dry. Lime concretions commonly occur at a depth of about 30 inches. This type, 
 as it is mapped in Calhoun county, is very different from the same-named type 
 mapped elsewhere in the state in that the top layer of black soil is much shal- 
 lower and thruout the profile the color is more drab. Attention is called to these 
 characteristics because they are associated with a relatively low agricultural 
 value. 
 
 Management. — The topographic position of Deep Black Clay Loam, together 
 with its fine texture, makes it somewhat difficult to farm. It has a tendency to 
 work up cloddy and must be tilled with care to prevent poor physical condition. 
 Sweet clover should be grown, if possible, as an aid in maintaining a good physi- 
 cal condition and as a source of nitrogen for the grain crops. 
 
 Black Clay (69) 
 
 Black Clay is a heavy soil occupying low areas only. It is an unimportant 
 type because of its small total area. It has a black surface and is drab below 
 8 or 10 inches. Its heavy nature and its topographic position make drainage dif- 
 ficult. It is farmed in part and should be handled in the same way as Type 107, 
 described above. 
 
 Drab Clay Loam (70) 
 
 Drab Clay Loam occurs in the Illinois bottom south of Hardin and also in a 
 narrow strip just south of Star City in the Mississippi bottom. It differs from 
 Type 107 in being lighter in color, which characteristic indicates a lower organic- 
 matter content. 
 
 .! 
 
 
Calhoun County 15 
 
 Management. — The management requirements of this type differ but little 
 from those of Type 107. Particular attention should be given to keeping the 
 supply of organic matter at least as high as it now is. The areas in timber should 
 not be cleared; they are better suited to timber than to farming on account of 
 the character of the soil and the frequency of overflow. 
 
 Drab Clay (71) 
 
 Drab Clay differs from Drab Clay Loam (70) chiefly in being heavier thruout 
 the profile. It is farmed for the most part but is not a desirable soil, its fine 
 texture making it difficult to work. It has a brownish drab surface and below 
 about 8 inches it is drab or grayish drab. 
 
 Management. — This soil differs but little from Type 107 in management re- 
 quirements. Regular additions of organic matter are probably of more impor- 
 tance with it than with Type 107 because of its heavier nature and because it has 
 a lower organic-matter content. 
 
 Brcwn Mixed Loam (73) 
 
 Brown Mixed Loam is probably the best general fanning soil in Calhoun 
 county and occupies a total area of a little over 22 square miles. It lies above 
 overflow. This type was developed from loess material washed down from the 
 adjacent uplands by the small creeks and deposited along the bluffs in the Illinois 
 and Mississippi bottoms. 
 
 This material has been deposited so recently that little subsurface or subsoil 
 development has taken place. The surface 6 or 8 inches is light brown in color 
 and the texture varies somewhat depending on the rate of flow of the creek that 
 deposited it. The material below the surface 6 or 8 inches becomes lighter in 
 color. At a depth of about 16 or 18 inches a slight increase in compaction and 
 plasticity can be noted, indicating that this soil is in a very youthful stage of 
 development. 
 
 Management. — Brown Mixed Loam is an excellent soil, and if provision is 
 made for returning leguminous organic matter at regular intervals it will main- 
 tain a high state of productivity. Many areas of this type will grow alfalfa and 
 sweet clover without the application of limestone, altho before seeding either of 
 these crops tests should be made to determine whether any limestone is needed 
 and if so, how much. Plants root deeply in this soil because of its permeability, 
 and thus have a wider feeding range than where there is an impervious subsoil. 
 Because of the deep-rooting habits of plants on this soil it is unlikely that suffi- 
 cient increase in crop yields would be secured from phosphate or potash fertilizers 
 to justify their use. The first thing to do is to meet the nitrogen deficiency by 
 the use of legumes, tho it may be necessary in some areas to apply limestone 
 before planting legumes. Following this, mineral fertilizers may be tried to see 
 whether they can be used at a profit. 
 
 Mixed Sandy Loam (74) 
 
 Mixed Sandy Loam is of the same origin and has the same characteristics as 
 Brown Mixed Loam (73) described above except that it has a coarser texture. 
 
16 Soil Report No. 53 
 
 Its relative coarseness is explained by the fact that the material comprizing this 
 soil was deposited in rapidly flowing water and the finer sediment was thus 
 carried away. The largest area of this type occurs along Mississippi river near 
 Star City. 
 
 Management. — Mixed Sandy Loam, if farmed, should be treated in the same 
 way as Brown Mixed Loam. It is not so good a soil as Brown Mixed Loam but 
 where overflow does not render it unfit for farming it may by good management 
 be made to produce good crops. 
 
 Deep Brown Silt Loam (77) 
 
 Deep Brown Silt Loam occupies a total of about 19 square miles in Calhoun 
 county. Altho horizon development is not very pronounced, because of the 
 youthfulness of this type, the following characteristics can be distinguished: 
 a brown or light brown surface soil, a grayish brown subsurface which begins 
 at a depth of 8 or 10 inches, and a somewhat grayer subsoil which contains many 
 black iron spots and soft iron concretions. Attention should be called to the 
 fact that this type as it occurs in Calhoun county is not so deep and is of a 
 grayer color than it is in the small bottoms in central and northern Illinois. 
 
 Management. — Deep Brown Silt Loam for the most part is farmed. It pro- 
 duces satisfactory crops, but much of it is subject to overflow during periods of 
 high water. Because of its frequent overflow, which results in sediment being 
 deposited in some places and a part of the soil being washed away in others, it 
 is a question whether it would be worth while to apply any fertilizer treatment 
 on this soil. 
 
 Mixed Loam (Overflow) (142) 
 
 Because it is so frequently overflowed, Mixed Loam (Overflow) is not of 
 agricultural interest. It is occupied by timber, and no attempt should be made 
 to use it for any other purpose as it will undoubtedly bring better returns in 
 timber than if cleared and farmed when not under water. 
 
 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CALHOUN COUNTY SOILS 
 
 In the Illinois soil survey the soil types are sampled in the manner described 
 below and subjected to chemical analysis in order to obtain knowledge of the 
 important plant-food elements. Samples are taken, usually in sets of three, to 
 represent different strata in the top 40 inches of soil, namely: 
 
 1. An upper stratum extending from the surface to a depth of 6% inches. This stratum, 
 over the surface of an acre of the common kinds of soil, includes approximately 2 
 million pounds of dry soil. 
 
 2. A middle stratum extending from 6% to 20 inches, and including approximately 4 
 million pounds of dry soil to the acre. 
 
 3. A lower stratum extending from 20 to 40 inches, and including approximately 6 million 
 pounds of dry soil to the acre. 
 
 By this system of sampling three zones for plant feeding are represented 
 separately. It is in the upper, or surface layer, that the farmer is more particu- 
 larly interested, for it includes the soil that is ordinarily turned with the plow 
 and is the part with which the farm manure, limestone, phosphate, or other 
 
 
Calhoun County 
 
 17 
 
 fertilizing material is incorporated. Furthermore it is the only stratum whose 
 composition can be greatly changed by adding plant-food materials. 
 
 For convenience in making application of the chemical analyses, the results 
 presented in Table 2 are given in terms of pounds per acre. It is a simple matter 
 to convert these figures to a percentage basis in case one desires to consider the 
 information in that form. In comparing the composition of the different strata, 
 it must be kept in mind that different quantities of soil are represented, as indi- 
 cated above. The figures for the middle and lower strata must therefore be 
 
 Table 2. — Chemical Composition of Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam, 
 Calhoun County, Illinois 
 Average pounds per acre in 2, 4, and 6 million pounds of dry soil for the 
 three sampling strata respectively 
 
 Stratum 
 
 Depth 
 
 in 
 inches 
 
 Total 
 organic 
 carbon 
 
 Total 
 nitro- 
 gen 
 
 1 990 
 1 670 
 1 960 
 
 Total 
 phos- 
 phorus 
 
 1 120 
 
 2 440 
 4 270 
 
 Total 
 potas- 
 sium 
 
 Total 
 magne- 
 sium 
 
 Total 
 calcium 
 
 Upper 
 
 0-6% 
 6^-20 
 20-40 
 
 20 470 
 14 160 
 13 050 
 
 32 850 
 
 72 310 
 
 108 410 
 
 4 070 
 11 060 
 25 770 
 
 7 950 
 
 Middle 
 
 16 990 
 
 Lower 
 
 32 340 
 
 divided by two and three respectively before being compared with each other 
 or with the figures for the upper stratum. 
 
 No attempt is made in this report to determine the chemical composition of 
 the bottom-land soils for two reasons. In the first place, some of them have been 
 found to vary so greatly in character, even within very small areas, that average 
 analyses would have but little application to any particular piece of land. In 
 the second place, many bottom lands are subject to overflow, with the result that 
 the soil is constantly changing; hence the chemical composition of a given area 
 determined one year might bear no relation to its composition another year. 
 No analyses are made of soils which, because of being rough hill land or for other 
 reasons, are untillable. 
 
 It so happens that in Calhoun county all of the upland tillable soil has been 
 found to be of the same type, namely, Brownish Yellow-Gray Silt Loam. Three 
 samples of this type were secured from different parts of the county and found 
 to agree very closely with each other in their chemical composition. The average 
 chemical composition is given in Table 2. 
 
 The soil of this county presents one peculiarity in its chemical make-up which 
 sets it off to some extent from the soils of other Illinois counties that have been 
 studied; namely, a very high phosphorus content in the subsoil layers. The 
 total phosphorus content averages 4,270 pounds an acre in the lowest sampling 
 stratum and 2,440 pounds in the second stratum. The surface soil contains the 
 usual quantity of phosphorus as compared with other soils in this part of the 
 state. 
 
 The other soil constituents with which we are concerned in this study do not 
 exhibit marked deviations from the usual. The organic carbon is found to be 
 fairly low and it decreases rapidly with depth. Organic carbon, which is used as 
 a measure or organic matter, amounts to 20,470 pounds. Since organic carbon 
 
18 Soil Report No. 53 
 
 constitutes about half the organic matter, it may be computed that in the 2 
 million pounds of surface soil in an acre there is about 2 percent of organic 
 matter. In the second stratum the organic matter content is reduced to .7 per- 
 cent and in the lower stratum to .44 percent. 
 
 Nitrogen is always associated with the organic matter of soils. In the surface 
 stratum the quantity is usually about one-tenth that of the organic carbon, as is 
 the case in Calhoun county. It is not removed so rapidly as the carbon, however, 
 by the decay of the organic matter, and as a result the proportion of nitrogen to 
 carbon is greater in the older organic matter of the deeper layers. Thus the 
 ratio of nitrogen to carbon increases from 1:10.3 in the surface soil to 1:8.5 
 in the second stratum and to 1:6.7 in the lower stratum. 
 
 The other three elements concerned, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, are 
 present in this type in Calhoun county in amounts frequently found in upland 
 silt loams. Calcium and, to a less degree, magnesium are related to the acidity 
 of the soil. Determinations of acidity, as hydrogen-ion concentration (not re- 
 corded in the table), show a medium degree of acidity in the surface soil and 
 a rapidly increasing acidity with increasing depth down to about 30 inches, after 
 which there is a gradual diminishing of acidity. These results indicate that in 
 general somewhat more limestone is needed on this soil type as it occurs in 
 Calhoun county than one would ordinarily interpret as being necessary on the 
 basis of the detailed acidity tests in any given field. In the sample from the 
 south end of the county the degree of acidity thruout the profile was considerably 
 less than in the other two samples studied. 
 
Soil Reports Published 
 
 1 Clay, 1911 
 
 2 Moultrie, 1911 
 
 3 Hardin, 1912 
 
 4 Sangamon, 1912 
 
 5 LaSalle, 1913 
 
 6 Knox, 1913 
 
 7 McDonough, 1913 
 
 8 Bond, 1913 
 
 9 Lake, 1915 
 
 10 McLean, 1915 
 
 11 Pike, 1915 
 
 12 Winnebago, 1916 
 
 13 Kankakee, 1916 
 
 14 Tazewell, 1916 
 
 15 Edgar, 1917 
 
 16 DuPage, 1917 
 
 17 Kane, 1917 
 
 18 Champaign, 1918 
 
 19 Peoria, 1921 
 
 20 Bureau, 1921 
 
 21 McHenry, 1921 
 
 22 Iroquois, 1922 
 
 23 DeKalb, 1922 
 
 24 Adams, 1922 
 
 25 Livingston, 1923 
 
 26 Grundy, 1924 
 
 53 
 
 27 Hancock, 1924 
 
 28 Mason, 1924 
 
 29 Mercer, 1925 
 
 30 Johnson, 1925 
 
 31 Rock Island, 1925 
 
 32 Randolph, 1925 
 
 33 Saline, 1926 
 
 34 Marion, 1926 
 
 35 Will, 1926 
 
 36 Woodford, 1927 
 
 37 Lee, 1927 
 
 38 Ogle, 1927 
 
 39 Logan, 1927 
 
 40 Whiteside, 1928 
 
 41 Henry, 1928 
 
 42 Morgan, 1928 
 
 43 Douglas, 1929 
 
 44 Coles, 1929 
 
 45 Macon, 1929 
 
 46 Edwards, 1930 
 
 47 Piatt, 1930 
 
 48 Effingham, 1931 
 
 49 Wayne, 1931 
 
 50 Macoupin, 1932 
 
 51 Fulton, 1932 
 
 52 Fayette, 1932 
 Calhoun, 1932 
 

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