U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. BUREAU OF SOILS— MILTON WHITNEY, Chief. LN COOPERATION WITH THE KENTUCKY AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION A. M. PETER, ACTING DIRECTOR. ' SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. A^s; A MAP LIB ^ ^^i Vertical Fil' ^^c BY ^ ^Bi '^ ' ^""^ DUYNE, InCharge, and L. R. SCHOEmiANN, 2 ^Hi ' ^ Department OF Agriculture, AND S. D. AVERITT c ^=i '^ ^^E Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. H. H. BENNETT, Inspector, Southern Dxvision. [Advance Sheets— Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils, 1916.] WASHINGTON: GOVERNAIENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1919. BUREAU OF SOILS. MixTON Whitnky, Chief of Bureau. AxBEBT G. Rice, Chief Clerk. SOIL SUEVET. CuETis F. Maebut, In Chargt. G. W. Baumann, Executive Assistant. COMMITTEE ON THE CORRELATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS. CuETis F. Marbut, Chairman. Hugh H. Bennett, Inspector, Southern Division. W. Edward Heaen, Inspector, Soutliern Division. Thomas D. Rice, Inspector, Nortliern Division. W. E. McLendon, Inspector, Northern Division. Macy H. Lapham, Inspector, Western Division. J. W. McKebicheb, Secretary. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. BUREAU OF SOILS— MILTON WHITNEY, Chief. IN COOPERATION WITH THE KENTUCKY AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION, A. M. PETER, ACTING DIRECTOR. SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. BY CORNELIUS VAN DUYNE, In Charge, and LR.SCHOEmiANN, OF THE U. S. Department of Agriculture, and S. D. A'VERITT, OF THE Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. H. H. BENNETT, Inspector, Southern Division. [Adrance Sheets — Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils, 1916.] "WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1919. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau or Soils, Washington^ D. C, April 2, 1918. Sir : In the extension of the soil survey in the State of Kentucky work was undertaken in Shelby County and completed during the field season of 1916. The accompanying report and map cover this survey and are sub- mitted for publication as advance sheets of Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils for 1916, as authorized by law. Respectfully, Milton Whitney, Chief of Bureau, Hon. D. F. Houston, Secretary of Agriculture, URL ^c/ 3-A-^^^^ CONTENTS. Page. Soil Survey of Shelby County, Kentucky. By Corneliub Van Duyne and L. R. Schoenmann, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and S. D. Averitt, of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station 5 Description of the area 5 Climate 9 Agriculture 11 Present agriculture 14 Soils 29 Shelby villa silt loam 34 Cincinnati silt loam 40 Cincinnati silty clay loam 45 Eden silt loam 45 Eden clay 47 Hagerstown silt loam 50 Elk silt loam 51 Huntington silt loam 52 Summary 52 Chemical Composition of the Soils of Shelby County, Kentucky. By S. D. Averitt, of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station... 55 Introduction 55 Shelbyville silt loam 56 Cincinnati silt loam 57 Cincinnati silt loam, rolling phase 57 Cincinnati silty clay loam 58 Eden silt loam 58 Eden clay 58 Hagerstown silt loam 59 Huntington silt loam and Elk silt loam 59 Permanent fertility 59 Summary of results of analyses 60 Method of sampling the soils 60 Locations of samples analyzed 64 ILLUSTRATIONS. plates. Plate I. Fig. 1-Characteristic undulating surface of the Shelbyville silt loam. Fig. 2-Patchy cultivation of some of the more badly eroded land in the eastern part of the county 32 Fig. 1. Sketch map showing location of the Shelby County area, Kentucky. MAP. Soil map, Shelby County sheet, Kentucky. Fig. 1. — Sketch map showing location of the Shelby County area, Kentucky. SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. By CORNELIUS VAN DUYNE, In Charge, and L. R. SCHOENMANN, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and S. D. AVERITT, of the Kentucky Agricul- tural Experiment Station.— Area Inspected by HUGH H. BENNETT. DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA. Shelby County, Kentucky, lies in the north-central part of the State nearly midway between the cities of Louisville and Lexington. Oldham and Henry Counties bound it on the north, Franklin and Anderson Counties on the east, Spencer County on the south, and Jefferson County on the west. The county is irregular in shape, with a length and width through Shelbyville, near its center, of 18 and 22 miles, respec- tively. Its total area is 382 square miles or 244,480 acres. Shelby County embraces a portion of an extensive general phj^siographic divi- sion of central and north-central Ken- tucky, known as the Lexington Plain. Viewed as a whole, this is an undulating, gently sloping plain. In Shelby County the slope is toward the west. The degree of dissection of this plain varies in different parts, and the county may be divided according to the local relief, determined largely by erosion, into three divisions. These are, as a rule, fairly well defined, although topography typical of one division may be found within the other two, and vice versa. The divisions are as follows: (1) The rolling to hilly region in the eastern and south- eastern part of the county; (2) the undulating to broadly rolling region, occupying the central part; (3) the rolling region of the ex- treme western and an area South of Jeptha Knob in the southeastern part. The most prominent topogi'aphic feature of the county is Jeptha Knob, which is visible from nearly every ridge or hill crest and from whose summit may be seen the greater part of the county. Jeptha Knob is located just south of Clay Village and about miles east of Shelbyville. It rises rather abruptly from the general level of the plain and attains an elevation of 1,185 feet,^ or about 300 feet above the surrounding country. The base of the knob has a general cir- cular shape nearly 2 miles in diameter. The slopes are compara- iW. H. Linney, Geology of Shelby County, Ky. Geol. Survey. 6 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. tively steep and are deeply cut by the heads of the several branches which rise upon them. Four flat mesalike areas form the highest elevations on the knob. Several broad low outliers extend northward and northwestward for short distances beyond the limits of the knob. The rolling to hilly region of the eastern part of the county com- prises a belt from 2 to 6 miles wide extending southward from the Henry County line to a point east of Waddy, where it swings south- westward and then west, leaving the county about 3 miles southwest of Southville. This belt narrows opposite Bagdad and again at Waddy. It is widest in the basin of Sixmile Creek in the north- eastern corner, and also in the southeastern corner north of Mount Eden. The most diversified topography of the county occurs within the limits of this region. It consists of the thoroughly and rather deeply dissected country within the basin of the Kentucky and Salt Rivers, where erosion has been very active and has met with only moderate resistance from the underljang rocks. The valleys are narrow and V-shaped, wnth steep but seldom precipitous sides. The small laterals of these rivers head abruptly and deepen quickly, so that there is usually a well-defined line between this region and the one to the west. The stream channels are from 100 to 300 feet below the crests of the ridges. The main ridges divide and subdivide, becoming narrower and lower in the direction of the stream flow. They have a marked com- mon level within the same general section, which indicates the former plainlike character of the region. The drainage system is dendritic in ground plan and the total length of stream channel, large and small, is large. There is practically no bottom land within the region. The largest streams, such as Big Beech and Sixmile Creeks, have a widely meandering course, with little or no bottom or terrace areas along them, the steep valley sides rising as a rule directly from the stream beds. The undulating to broadly rolling region of the central and western parts of the county embraces the least diversified country. It is the largest of the three regions and covers about three-fourths of the county. It lies between the other regions. The divides are broad, long, and smooth, the valleys comparatively broad and shal- low^, with slopes wiiich merge gradually with the ridge tops. The main streams are few in number and flow in a general southerly di- rection, some of them crossing the county. Their valleys along the upper courses are small, shallow, and comparatively narrow, but gradually widen and deepen in the direction of the stream flow, though never becoming very wide. Near the Sj^encer County line the surface is more uneven. Here in places short steep slopes face the stream courses. The lateral streams, though fairly numerous, are short, have few tributaries, and are often merely shallow, incon- SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. 7 spicuous draws, in which water flows only after heavy rains. The creeks flow for the most part over solid rock, with here and there accumulations of gravel and cobbles. These large creeks have a medium gradient and flow in channels from 50 to 100 feet below the general level of the surrounding country. In the southern part of the county they follow broadly meandering courses, bordered here and there with narrow bodies of bottom and terrace land. The rolling region of tlie western and southeastern parts of the county includes areas whose topography is intermediate between those of the other two regions. It occurs as practically a continuous belt on the west side of the county and includes nearly all of that part of the county lying in the Floyds Fork drainage. In addition it embraces another area in the southeastern quarter of the county south of Jeptha Knob and east of Guists Creek and the lower por- tion of Brashears Creek. Floyds Fork forms the county boundary for a few miles in the northwestern corner of the county. Its valley, the greater part of which is outside of this county, has lost its plain- like character and is a conspicuous topographic feature, being unlike any other valley in or near the county. A profile transverse to the longer axis is that of a widely spreading V. The valley slopes are moderately short and are traversed by numerous tributaries. The divides range from broad and rolling to moderately narrow and irreg- ular-. They become conspicuously lower toward the west and thus give the marked valley topography to the Floyds Fork Basin. The streams, which are intermittent, have a moderately steep gradient with channels in the bedrock. The southeastern area of this division varies somewhat in topo- graphy from the above description. It represents a dissected plain of topography intermediate between that in the first division and in the second division. The valleys are narrow, V-shaped and steep sided, the divides broad and undulating. The valleys and streams are like those in the regions first described and the divides like those of the second division. The valley slopes break abruptly from the undulating tops of the ridges. In the first topographic division the ridges range in elevation from 800 to 900 feet above sea level while the beds of the larger streams are from 620 to 750 feet above sea level where they cross the county line. To the w^est in the second division the highest determined ele- vations, aside from Jeptha Knob, are at Bagdad, 912 feet, and Chris- tianburg, 903 feet. The divide on which these places are located doubtless increases in elevation toward the north so that higher ele- vations are found in the vicinity of Pleasureville. It is believed that the highest elevations in the county, aside from Jeptha Knob (1,185 feet A. T.), are found along the Henry County line south w^est, south, and southeast of Eminence, Henry County. Other elevations of in- 8 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. terest are Shelbyville, 750 feet ; Mulberry, 849 feet ; and Simpsonville, 825 feet. On the western side of the county the hills range from 700 to 750 feet in elevation while the stream courses cross the line at elevations of 620 to 680 feet. The lowest known elevations are Avhere Floyds Fork crosses the Shelby-Jefferson line near the northwest corner, where Cane Run crosses the same line near the southwest corner, and where Sixmile Creek crosses the Shelby-Henry line in the northeast corner, all approximately 620 feet. Although all of the drainage from the county eventually reaches the Ohio River, it follows rather widely different courses. The southeastern part is drained southwestward by Salt River and the northwestern part northward by streams tributary to the Ken- tucky. The divide between the two systems runs across the county in an irregular line. Drainage courses ramify to practically every farm in all parts of the county. Poorly drained areas of any considerable size are rare. Not all of the county is equally w^ell drained, however, as conditions, degree of slope, depth to rock, and the structure of subsoil and sub- stratum cause local variations in its thoroughness. In addition to surface drainage, a considerable flow* of water is carried by subter- ranean channels in the underlying limestone formation. Both perennial and intermittent streams exist in the county. The streams are slowly deepening their channels through the processes of solution and erosion. After rains the streams of the hill sec- tion carry abundant sediment but those of the central portion are usually clear or are only slightly muddy. AVater power sufficient to operate grist and flour mills exists along a number of these streams, and such mills played an important part in the agricultural develop- ment of the county. At present practically no water power is de- veloped within the county. Shelby County was formed from a part of Jefferson County in 1792. Territory now included in Franklin, Henr}', Gallatin, Oldham, and Spencer counties has since been cut off. The earliest recorded set- tlement was in 1779, near the present site of Shelbyville. Early immi- gration was slow\ Most of the settlers came from the Eastern States, especially from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. The present population consists chiefly of the descendants of the early settlers. According to the United States census the population of the county in 1880 was 16,813; in 1890, 16,521; in 1900, 18,340; in 1910, 18,04i. In 1850 the white population was given as 10,289 and the colored as 6,617, a total of 16,906, There has thus been only a comparatively small increase in the last 70 years. In 1910, the rural population was 14,629, or 81.1 per cent of the total population. There was a slight SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. 9 increase in the urban population and a somewhat larger decrease in the rural poi^ulation during the preceding decade. The rural popu- lation, which is 34.9 per square mile, is evenly distributed over the count3^ Shelbyville, the county seat and largest town, had a population of 3,412 in 1910, It is centrally located and is the most important trad- ing and shipping point of the county. It is strictly a residential town. Waddy, with a population of 254 ; Bagdad, 185 ; Simpsonville, 184; Cropper, 159; Christianburg, 140; Finchville, 100; and Hatton, are towns and commercial centers of local importance. Harrison- ville, Graefenberg, Clay Village, Southville, Jacksonville, Peytona, Chestnut Grove, and Toddspoint are small trading points lying off the railroads. Mount Eden and Pleasureville are partly within the county. Eminence, lying about a mile beyond the line in Henry County, affords marketing and shipping facilities to quite an area in the northern part of the county. Shelby County is reached by lines of the Louisville & Nashville Eailroad system. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad also operates through trains over the Louisville & Nashville tracks. Besides these steam roads, the electric line, Louisville & Interurban, maintains frequent passenger and freight service. No part of the county is more than 10 miles from a station or shipping point on the lines of one or another of these systems. Shelby County has a large mileage of pub- lic roads, nearly all of which are surfaced with stone and are kept in good repair, but the earth roads are in a less satisfactory condition. The farm products are usually sold to local dealers, Shelbyville being the principal marketing and shipping point within the county. Milk and cream are shipped in large quantities to Louisville; mules are shipped tp the southern markets; and Burley tobacco is packed at Shelbyville for shipment to outside manufacturing points. Near- by markets outside the county include Louisville, which is only 30 miles distant from the center of the county; Lexington, approxi- mately 50 miles; and Cincinnati, about 120 miles away. Rural free delivery routes serve practical!}' all parts of the county. Rural and long-distance telephone service is available throughout the county. The country districts are well supplied with schools, and graded and high schools are maintained in the several towns. CLIMATE. The climate of Shelby County is temperate. The winter is of moderate duration and, while the weather conditions are more or less changeable, periods of excessively cold weather are usually short. Snow may fall during the months of December to March, inclusive, but seldom stays on the ground for any considerable length 56266°— 19 2 10 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. of time. The summers are long and warm, with hot spells seldom lasting more than a few days. As a rule the nights are cool. The mean annual precipitation, which is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, is 44.8 inches, affording sufficient rainfall for agriculture without irrigation. The range in annual precipitation is from 32.18 inches to 65.45 inches. The average annual snowfall is 20.8 inches. The average date of the last killing frost in the spring is April 15 and of the first in the fall is October 17, giving a growing season of 180 days. The dates of earliest and latest killing frosts in fall and spring, respectively, are September 22 and May 22. The accompanying table, compiled from the records of the Weather Bureau station at Shelbyville, giving the normal monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature and precipitation, represents fairly the con- ditions prevailing over the county, as the station is not only centrally located but there are no physiographic features to cause marked differences in different parts of the county : Normal monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature and precipitation at Shelbyville. Temperature. Precipitation. Month. Mean. Absolute maxi- mum. Absolute mini- mum. Mean. Total amount for the driest vear (i904). Total amount for the vi'ettpst vear (1890). Snow, average depth.i December 'F. 35.9 33.7 34.0 'F. 69 76 74 *F. -11 -15 -23 Inches. 3.66 3.97 3.69 Inches. 3.56 3.45 3.29 Inches. 3.74 7.12 7.63 Inches. 3.7 4.6 5.2 Winter 34.5 76 -23 11.23 10.30 18.49 13.5 45.3 54^9 65.0 92 93 102 - 3 22 28 4.91 3.03 4.01 6.08 2.73 1.23 10.60 3.71 3.85 4.7 0.7 May 0.5 Spring 55.1 102 - 3 11.95 10.04 18.16 5.9 June 73.9 77.1 75.5 105 107 104 41 46 44 4.70 4.20 3.03 3.31 2.30 3.53 9.66 3.69 5.34 July August 75.5 107 41 11.93 9.14 18.69 September 69.5 56.4 43.9 103 94 80 28 18 8 2.89 2.13 3.95 1.87 .44 .39 1.69 3.28 5.14 October T. November 1.4 Fall 56.6 103 8 8.97 2.70 10.11 1.4 Year 55.4 107 -23 44.08 32.18 65.45 20.8 Snowfall taken from the records of the Weather Bureau station at Lexington, Fayette County. SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. 11 AGRICULTURE. Agriculture has been the chief industry of Shelby County from the earliest settlement. The early agriculture was self-sustaining, only such products being grown as were needed to feed and clothe the settlers. Corn and other cereals, flax used to make clothing, and garden vegetables were the chief products. Live stock early became of some importance. By 1792 the population had increased sufficiently to warrant the organization of a county government and the increased crop produc- tion made it necesary to seek outside markets for disposal of the surplus. AVheat early became an article of export, being shipped in boats on the Ohio River. Cattle were raised in numbers and driven to distant markets. Grist mills were early established. Agriculture, however, was and has continued to be the chief source of income. A fertile soil, favorable topographic and climatic conditions, and the comparative ease of clearing the land were the main factors in the early agricultural development. Railroad building which began in the early fifties further stimulated growth. At this time corn and wheat were still the chief crops, while tobacco, which up to this period had been grown almost solely for home consumption, became an article of export. Live-stock raising had assumed greater import- ance and dairying became a growing industry. The character of the agriculture and the general changes which have taken place within the last 30 years or more may be readily seen upon consultation of the several tables compiled from reports of the Federal census. Briefly, the farming has always been, along general lines with a tendency in the last two or three decades toward a specialization in the production of tobacco as a money crop, and toward the extension of the live-stock and dairy industries. In the last few years there has been an increased interest in farming, and in maintaining and increasing the productiveness of the soil by better methods of cultivation. The following table gives the total number of farms in Shelby County, their average size and their relation to the total area of the county, also the improved land per farm, as given in the Census Reports 1880 to 1910, inclusive: Land and farm areas of Shelby County. Year. Number of farms. Proportion ofto'talarea of county in farms. Average size of farms. Improved land in farms. Proportion of land in county im- proved. 1880 1890 1900 1910 1,625 1,513 1,997 2,301 Per cent. 85.3 80.7 85.7 87.1 A cres. 143.4 146.0 117.0 103.8 Acres. 112.5 116.0 103.0 94.1 Per cent. 78.5 79.8 88.0 90.7 Per cent. 67.0 64.3 75.4 79.2 12 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUEEAU OF SOILS, 1916. A study of the above table shows that agriculture was exten- sively developed prior to 1880, that there has been a marked increase in the number of farms, in the percentage of total area in farms, and in the percentage of improved land in farms in the last two decades. Also that there has been a decrease during the same period in the average size of the farms and in the acreage of improved land per farm. During the period covered by the table there has been an increase of 12.2 per cent in the proportion of improved land in farms. These figures show a normal condition in a rather old settled agricultural county, with a slowly increasing population. The following table gives the acreage and production of the prin- cipal crops of the county as reported by the last four censuses — 1880, 1890, 1900, and 1910 : Acreage and prodnciion of the principal crops. Crop. 1910 1900 1890 1880 Cora Acres. 31,584 12.862 19,868 9,035 1,840 1,404 471 2,609 Bushels. 1,133,885 95,346 Tom. 22,001 Pounds. 9,314,692 A ores. 32,9.54 31,435 11,639 6,430 1,582 573 278 449 Bushels. 1,00.3,240 399,460 Tom. 11,791 Pounds. 6,465,370 Acres. 33,310 21,062 11,171 3,767 7,601 1,3.83 910 473 Bushels. 1,313,807 299,416 Tom. 10, 776 Pounds. 3, 767, .586 A cres. 40, 953 21,627 9,632 661 4,868 4,256 Bushels. 1,493,101 Wheat 282,672 Hay (tame grasses only) . . Tobacco Tom. 7,066 Pounds. 620,262 Oats Rye Other minor crops 344 Total acreage 79, 673 85,340 79, 677 82,547 Study of the above table shows that there has been a marked decrease in the acreage of the cereals, corn, wheat, oats, and rye ; that the acreage in ha}^ has much more than doubled ; and that the acre- age in tobacco is fifteen times as large as at the beginning of the period. The increased acreage in other minor crops is due mainly to their greater use as forage crops. The acreage and yields of corn have been fairly constant from 1890 to 1910. Wheat reached its greatest acreage and production in 1900 but showed a marked de- cline in 1909. Briefly, there has been a strong tendency toward an increase in the production of hay and forage crops in connection with the growing live-stock industry and also the development of the pro- duction of tobacco as the chief money crop. The total acreage in cultivation to crops shows a decrease from 82,347 acres, or 45 per cent of the improved land, in 1880, to 79,410 acres, or approximately 40 per cent of the improved land in 1910. Hence, although there SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. 13 has been an increa.se in the number of farms and in the percentage of improved land per farm, there has been a decrease in the acreage of cultivated crops. As there is less virgin soil and less waste and vasted land, this decrease, assuming that these data are approxi- mately correct, must be accounted for by the increased acreage of improved land used for pasturage. The following table gives the value of all propert}' per farm and the proportion of value in land, buildings, implements, and domestic animals : Value of farm property. All property perfarni. Proportion in — Year. Land. Buildings. Imple- ments. Domestic animals. 1880 Uol'ars. 6,294 6,539 5,479 8,015 Per cent. 187.2 '86.4 65.4 65.6 Percent. Per cent. 2.1 2.0 2.4 2.2 Per cent. 10.7 1890 11.6 1900 20.4 20.9 11.8 1910 11.2 1 In the CensMS Reports of 1880 and 1S90 the value of land and buildings Is included in one Item, while in the reports of 19J0 and 1910 the values are given separately. The foregoing table shows that there has been a markedly uniform percentage valuation of all classes of farm property. In the decade ending with 1910 the average acreage valuation of land increased over $20 an acre, or more than 60 per cent. As the percentage valu- ation remained practically constant within the same period, there must necessarily have been an increased valuation of the other kinds of farm property. Tenure of farms. Farms operated by- Year. Owners. Tenants. Managers. 1880 Per cent. 79.5 82.02 70.2 61.4 Per cent. 20.51 17.98 28.9 37.5 Per cent. 1890 1900 0.9 1910 1.1 The above table shows a gradual decrease since 1890 in the number of farms operated by the owners and a corresponding increase in the number operated by tenants and managers. Over 17 per cent fewer farms were operated by their owners in 1910 than at the beginning of the period. 14 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. PRESENT AGKICULTUEE. A summary of the data for 1910, given in the preceding tables, shows that 79,416 acres, approximately 40 per cent of the improved land, or in other words 29.2 per cent of the total acreage of the county, 273,280 acres, was in cultivation to annual farm crops. The remaining 60 per cent of the improved land in 1910 was in wood- land, pasture, orchards, and farm yards or in waste land. This per- centage seems high, but it must be kept in mind that the figures are for the whole county rather than for the best or the average section, and that there is a considerable acreage in the eastern and southeast- ern sections which, although under fence and classed as improved land, is allowed to grow up to brush and weeds and is put to no use. It also requires a large acreage of pasture to maintain the large num- ber of live stock now in the county. Revenue from crop and live-stock sources in 1909. Product. Acreage. Value. Per cent of total value. Acres. 47, 703 331 19,868 772 '500 9,709 Per cent. 60.4 .5 25.2 1.0 .6 12.3 Dollars. 768,378 15,495 244,834 15,124 13,463 1,245,811 Per cent. 32.8 . 7 10.4 2.4 .6 53.1 Pur cent. 20.0 other grains and secda .4 Hay and forage crops 6.4 Vegetables 1.4 Fruits and nuts .4 32.4 Total 78,983 2,343,105 Live stock and products: A nimals sold and sjanghtp.rftd 1,107,660 213,559 155,102 19, 734 74.0 14.3 10.4 1.3 28.9 Dairy products, excluding home use ... ' 56.9 Poultry and eggs 4.0 Wool - -- .5 Total 1,496,055 3,839,160 j 1 1 Estimated. The above figures are from the last census and are the latest available from a reliable source. With a few exceptions they repre- sent fairly the present conditions and outline in a general way the character of the agriculture in the county. The cereals lead in acreage, followed in order by hay and forage crops, the special crops including tobacco and hemp, vegetables, fruits and nuts, and other grains and seeds. On the basis of value the special crops, tobacco and hemp, lead with over 53 per cent, but these crops are exceeded as a source of revenue by live stock and live-stock products, the SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. 15 value of which amounted to two-^ths of the farm income from all sources. In general four types of farming prevail: (1) Live-stock farming, where farm operations mainly center on the production of feed for stock, with tobacco or hemp or both as money crops; (2) dairy farming, with dairy products as the chief source of income and tobacco as a minor source; (3) general farming, with no specialized industry or crop, with an income derived from various sources such as dairy products, the sale of live stock, tobacco, and the excess of other crops; and (4) general farming on a small scale with tobacco as the chief source of income and the sale of stock, poultry, and eggs as minor sources of income. The money crops in order of acreage are corn, wheat, tobacco, and hemp. The last three are wholly money crops; only the excess of corn above the needs of the farm is sold. Tobacco is not only the leading source of income, but it is a more general source than any of the other crops. With many it is the only cash crop. In addition its production and marketing give employment to more labor than the other crops. Wheat is next in importance as a cash crop. It is grown on approximately 75 per cent of the farms. The income from the sale of corn is difficult to estimate, and varies greatly in different years. It is the most valuable crop grown from the stand- point of total acreage, acreage per farm, and the uses to which the crop is put. Hemp, although a minor crop, is an important source of income on the farms where it is grown. The net income from this crop is relatively large. Approximately 60 per cent of the cultivated land in 1909 Avas used for the production of cereals, including 40 per cent in corn, 16.2 per cent in wheat, 2.3 per cent in oats, 1.5 per cent in rye, and a few acres in barley. The cereals lead in acreage but rank second in total value of crops and third in value of all crop and live-stock products. Corn leads the cereals both in acreage and value of the crop and ranks second in value of all crops. In 1909 it was planted on 31,584 acres or approximately 40 per cent of the cultivated area of the county. The production the same year was 1,133,885 bushels, or an average of about 36 bushels per acre. Com is the most widely grown crop in the county. It is grown on practically every farm in fields ranging from a few acres to 50 acres or more, the former pre- vailing in the hilly section and the latter over areas of more favor- able topography. Its production is confined to no one type of soil. The Shelbyville silt loam gives the highest yields, followed by the Cincinnati silt loam. Com is easily the most important crop in the county from the standpoint of utility. It is the chief grain feed for horses, cattle, and hogs. The stover' furnishes a large part of 16 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. the rough feed for farm stock during the feeding season. A large acreage is cut for silage. In addition it is a source of food for family use. As a rule the county produces sufficient corn for its own needs. Some farmers have an excess to sell, while others have to buy in order to have sufficient feed for stock. In unfavorable sea- sons when the yields are low, corn is imported; in others when the yields are exceptionally good, a portion of the crop is exported. Shelby County ranks high in corn production in the State. It is planted on a fairly uniform acreage each year, the largest plantings occurring in the sections where the live-stock and dairy industries are most highly developed. It is a fairly dependable crop, the yields ranging from 40 to 100 bushels on the Shelbyville and Cincinnati silt loams to 25 to 70 in the more rolling and hilly sections of the county. A considerable acreage is cut for ensilage, and it is said that there are more silos in the county than in any other in the State. The silos are filled in the early fall, and the silage is used as feed for dairy cattle and beef cattle. Corn is planted on sod land which has been plowed the previous fall or early in the spring and well prepared. The greater part of the crop is check-rowed, the remainder being drilled in, and it is given frequent and clean cultivation as long as its size permits. Corn is planted to a less extent on land which was in corn the previous season. Several varieties are grown, the most important being Johnson County White, Johnson County Yellow, Boone County White, and Hardin County White. Quite a number of the farmers grow a Pro- lific variety for silage. The selection of seed is a more or less common practice. Practically all the corn is cut by hand, but a comparatively small acreage is harvested by pulling the ears, and it is either husked in the field or hauled to the barn and husked later. The grain is usually stored in good cribs, only a few of the old-style rail cribs being in use. The stover is handled in various ways. A large part of it is shredded and stored in barns, another part is allowed to stand in the shocks in the field and is hauled to the barns as needed, while a smaller percentage is fed in the fields. Wheat ranks second in acreage among the cereals and third in acreage in comparison with other annual farm crops. As a cash crop it follows tobacco. In 1909, 12,862 acres produced 95,346 bushels of wheat. In 1916, a poor wheat year, the estimated produc- tion was 60,000 bushels. A^Tieat is grown on about 75 per cent of the farms, the fields ranging from 5 to 100 acres or more. The greatest acreage is grown in the central portion of the county; in the hill sec- tion it is a very unimportant crop. Although the acreage is de- creasing and the crop is of relatively less importance than formerly, SOIL SURVEY OP SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. 17 it is the medium through which hmd is seeded to grass and as such it has an important phice in the present types of farming. The gen- eral opinion among the farmers seems to be that wheat growing is unprofitable. The Shelbyville silt loam leads all other soil types both in acreage and yield of Avheat. The Cincinnati silt loam and the Eden silt loam follow. The yields range from 8 or 10 to 25 or 30 bushels per acre. Wheat is almost wholly a cash crop. Only a very small pro- portion is fed and only when the price is low. It is sold to local dealers. Wheat is sown in the fall either on corn, tobacco, or hemp land, or on land used the preceding year for wheat. Fultz and Harvest Queen have been the standard varieties, but declining yields are causing the introduction of other varieties. Rudy's Bearded was largely sown during the past fall (1916). This variety, although not as good a milling wheat, has given higher yields in the past two or three seasons than the older varieties. Corn, tobacco, and hemp ground is prepared for wheat by disking the surface from one to three times. In the case of the corn and hemp land, the crop is sown between the shocks, except where the former is cut for silage. In a few cases the seed is sown with a narrow drill between the corn rows. Ground that has lain fallow or has been in wheat the previous season is plowed and harrowed as in the preparation of other crops. The quantity of seed per acre ranges from 1 to 1^ bushels. The crop is cut with a binder, and it is practically all thrashed from the shock, only a small proportion being stacked and none hauled to the barns. Some loss or damage to the crop results from unfavorable weather between the time of cutting and thrashing. A small part of the straw is baled and sold. In 1909 oats occupied 1,840 acres, producing 33,337 bushels, or approximately 18.6 bushels per acre. This crop is grown on 2.3 per cent of the farmed area and is therefore of relatively little im- portance. The yield ranges from 10 to 50 bushels per acre. Com- paratively few farmers grow oats, and these only in small fields on practically all the soils in the county. The low yield is regarded as being due to unfavorable climatic rather than to soil conditions. Fre- quently the crop makes a good growth and then either lodges and does not fill properly or else is blasted by hot weather. Oats are thrashed in the same manner as wheat. The grain for the most part is used in feeding work stock. A small acreage is cut green for hay. A few farmers grow a mixture of oats and peas for feeding pur- poses. Rye is another minor cereal crop with an acreage in 1909 of 1,404 acres and a yield of 10,626 bushels. About 1.5 per cent of 56266°— 19 ^3 18 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. the farmed area was devoted to this crop. The acreage of rye varies quite widely from year to j^ear. It is sown either early or late in the fall and furnishes some pasturage for cattle and sheep and in the spring is either allowed to ripen grain or is plowed under and the land planted to other crops. Its value as a cover crop is recognized to a certain extent and its use for that purpose is increasing. It is a valuable crop for the farmers of the county on account of the many purposes for which it may be used. According to the 1910 census the production of haj'^ was 22,001 tons from 19,868 acres, or an average of slightly over 1 ton per acre. This grouj) of crops occupies approximately 25 per cent of the total acreage in farm crops. Most of the hay is clover and timothy mixed or one or the other of these grasses alone. Clover predominates in the new seeding and timothy in the meadows which have been in grass for two or more seasons. In general there is more clover on the Shelbyville silt loam in the central part of the county and more timothy on the Cincinnati silt loam in the western part. Hay is produced on all soil types except the bottom land. In places orchard grass is sown with the other grasses, especially on the Cincinnati silt loam. Hay is an important crop in the county. It is almost entirely a subsistence crop and is used for feeding work stock, beef cattle, dairy cattle, and sheep. A few farmers buy and others sell hay, but prac- tically none is exported to outside markets nor is there any im- ported. Whiteweed is abundant in the mowings. Wild carrot is also prevalent but does not become conspicuous until after the first crop is cut. A number of other weeds are common on much of the hay land. The clover usually grows tall and coarse and frequently lodges. In changing the land to grass the general practice is to seed timo- thy with the wheat in the fall and to sow the clover in the spring. There is seldom any trouble in getting a stand of timothy, but getting a stand of clover is more uncertain. As a rule there is less difficulty in this respect in fields on the slopes than on the divides. A common practice is to cut hay from the field for a season or two, when it is either plowed for cultivated crops or is used for pasture. Land is kept in grass from 2 to 10 years, but ordinarily 3 or 4 years. On the dairy and live-stock farms, where large quantities of forage crops are required, the fields are left in grass a shorter period than in the general farming section. The fields are usually pastured after the second growth has a good start. Practically no attention is given to the care of the grass land. The hay is cut when mature, and ricked or stacked in the fields. Only a small proportion of the crop is stored in barns; most of it is h.-mled to the barns as needed during the feeding season. There seems to be a tendency to let the grass become too ripe before cutting, as SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. 19 the clover lodges and often smothers out the roots, allowing other less valuable grasses and weeds to grow. Frequently the weeds ripen their seed before the hay is cut. The latest census report gives 741 acres of grains cut green and 549 acres of coarse forage. During the present season the cutting of grains for hay was by no means common. The coarse forage refers mainly to cowpeas cut for hay. In addition 321 acres of the same crop gave a yield of 2,454 bushels of peas. At present there is a larger acreage planted and a much greater proportion of the crop is cut for hay. Wheat in many cases follows cowpeas. In a few cases the crop is allowed to remain on the land or it may be plowed under as a green-manure crop. Good yields of either hay or seed are obtained. The value of this crop for its soil-improving qualities is widely recognized. Soy beans are planted on only a few acres. Although no acreage of alfalfa was reported for 1909 and the present acreage is very small, the impoi-tance and possibilities of this crop are sufficiently great to justify its discussion. At present it is confined to a few small fields on the Shelbyville and Cincinnati silt loams. A few farmers are attempting its production on a larger scale. Many attempts have been made to grow this crop with in- different success. Failures have resulted from one cause or another, so that the opinion among the farmers is that the soils are not adapted to it and that, as so much preparation is required to grow the crop successfully, better returns are obtained from clover, which also fits better into the rotation. Liming and inoculating the land for alfalfa generally have not been done, although their need is recognized. One of the difficulties in growing this crop is the reappearance of bluegrass in the fields. When a good stand is ob- tained, two or three cuttings of about 1 ton each are obtained each season. Besides the value of grass in hay production, its value in pastures, especially in the live-stock country, is large. As less than 50 per cent of the improved land is in farm crops, it is evident that a con- siderable acreage is used for other purposes. The cattle, horses, sheep, and hogs graze during the greater part of the year on either permanent pastures, consisting of bluegrass fields used wholly for that purpose for a term of years, or temporary pastures, a step in the rotation between hay land and cultivated crops. Other pasture lands are fields which are turned out without seeding to grass, and hilly areas not used for cultivated crops. In the hill section these usually consist of steep slopes formerly farmed, but now so washed and gullied that cultivation is impossible. The latter produce com- paratively little pasturage. Little attention is given to the care of pasture lands and they are frequently overgrazed. 20 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1916. Th:- special crops of the county are tobacco, hemp, and sorghum. In 1909 these were grown on a combined acreage of 9,T09 acres, 12.3 per cent of the area in annual farm crops. In acreage they thus rank third but in value they stand first. Tobacco was produced on 9,035 acres, hemp on 471, and sorghum on 203. The former, then, is an important crop and the others minor ones. It was grown on 11.3 per cent of the farmed area with a production of 9,314,692 pounds and an average yield of 1,030 pounds per acre. Shelby County in that year ranked third in the State in the production of Burley to- bacco, being exceeded only by Lewis and Owen Counties. It pro- duced about 4 per cent of the total Kentucky crop. The yield of tobacco ordinarily ranges from 700 to 1,000 pounds on the soils of the Eden series in the hilly section of the eastern part of the county and from 1,000 to 1,800 pounds or more or. the soils of the Shelbyville series. Very little tobacco is grown on the Cincin- nati silt loam, except in areas adjacent to soils of the two series first mentioned. In the hilly section, where the farms are fairly small and w^here the crop is grown by the owner with some hired help, the fields contain from 1 to 10 acres with an average of about 4 acres. In sections of more favorable topography and soil, where the farms are larger and the crop is grown largely by tenants, the fields range from 5 to 50 acres or more, with an average of 10 or 12 acres. The general opinion is that the acreage in tobacco has not materially increased since 1909, and that, though varying somewhat from year to year, it is close to 10,000 acres. Tobacco is usually grown by tenants on shares. On many farms it is the chief source of income. Well-drained land, which warms up early in the spring, seems to be best suited to the production of tobacco. The crop is planted much more frequently on the slopes than on the tops of the broad undulating divides. During the early stages of the commercial pro- duction of this crop virgin land Avas considered necessary, and many acres of woodland bluegrass pasture were broken for this purpose. Even now it is planted on the new land where available. There is, however, little left in any section of the county and clover sod forms the greater part of the land put in this crop. The cropping of steep hillside fields to tobacco without attention to seeding to grass has re- sulted in their erosion to such an extent that large areas are at pres- ent unfit for cultivation. A higher organic-matter content appears both to increase the yield and to improve the quality of the leaf. It is a Avell-recognized fact that a better quality of tobacco is groAvn in the hill country of the eastern part than in other parts of the county. The factors causing this difference have not been deter- mined. The soils of the hill section, although having a heavier and less permeable subsoil because of their sloping -surfaces, have a more perfect run-off and so are well drained. They therefore warm up SOIL SURVEY OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY. 21 early in the spring. Their lime and potassium contents, as indicated by chemical analysis, are also higher and their organic matter content is lower than in case of the soils of the Shelbyville series. In gen- eral the grade of tobacco varies within the same field and in adj