Fayette County, Indiana - Chapter 2, 1917

Chapter 2

The last geological survey fif I'^ayette county was made by the state geological department in 1909 and this chapter is largely a summary of the report made that year by A. E. Taylor, one of the field assistants attached to the department. The chapter is supplemented by data secured from other sources, but the main facts have Ix^en gleaned from the report of 1909.

Fayette county covers 215 scpiare miles, or a total of 138,240 acres. In 1909 there were 82,732 acres under cultivation, 21,000 were in jxisture, 11.000 in woodland i>asturc, anfl 8.500 in woodland.

Traversing the county almost centrally from north to south is the large valley of the West fork of White Water river. Its width varies from one tf) two miles, and its lower bottom is from one hundred to two hundred feet below the adjacent uplands. This valley, together with the valleys of many tributary streams, has developed ;i deeply dissected surface over the greater part of the county. In the eastern jiart of the county the areas which have escaped the eroding jxiwer of the streams have generally been found bv the tributaries of the East fork of White W'ater. which runs through I'nion county, about one mile east of the bayette-Union county line. The only gently rolling surface in the count\ is found in I'ose}- and b^airview townships and the western half of (Grange.

The main streams tributary to White W'ater river in the count\- are as follow: Williams creek, which rises in I'osey township and, meandering south and east, empties into W hite Water about three miles south of Connersville, its main tributary being known as Little Williams creek ; Lick creek, also rising in Posey township, and coursing .south and east, empties into W^hite Water about two miles north of C'onner.sville ; Village creek, rising in LInion county, and running through Jennings and ("onnersville town- ships, empties into White Water two miles l>elow the county seat ; Wilson creek, rising in Jennings township, flows through Jennings and Jackson townships and, uniting with White Water river at Nulltown; Fall creek, rising in Connersville township, passes through that township and Columhia and empties into White Water about four miles below the county seat ; Garrison creek, and one large tributary, both rising in Orange township, flowing through Orange and Columbia townships, empty into White Water in Franklin county. The only other stream of any size emptying into White Water in the county is Noland's fork, which rises in Delaware county and empties in White Water about four miles north of Connersville. Simpson creek runs south through the eastern part of Waterloo township and empties into the East fork of White Water in Union county.

Drift Formations

With the exception of a small district in the southern part of the county, situated on either side of the White Water, where the Illinoisan drift appears as the surface formation, the later Wisconsin drift covers the entire county. The southern boundary of this drift on the west side of ^Vhite Water is marked by a morainic ridge entering Fayette county from northwestern Franklin county, and continuing north in a northeasterly direction to a point along the White Water about four miles south of Connersville. Here it meets a morainic ridge on the east side, which extends south into Franklin county, also marking the southern limit of the Wisconsin drift. From the point four miles south of Coimersville, along White Water, an interlobate moraine was formed, extending northward into Henry and Wayne counties. In the upland the moraine is seldom less than fifty feet in thickness and is generally one himdred feet or more.

In addition to these drifts which have been described, all bekmging to the Pleistocene period, there are outcrops of the laurel limestone of the Silurian period in the southwestern part of the county, and of the Cincinnati limestone and shales of the Ordovician in the western portion of the county. Much of the stone is valuable for building purposes, the best being about six inches in thickness. There was considerable stone cjuarried in the southeastern part of Harrison township and the northwestern part of Connersville township during the years when the canal and railroads were being liuilt through the county, '("his stone was used for locks on the canals and alnitments on railroad bridges. It was also largely used for the foundations of houses, and at least one house in Harrison township was wholly coni-'ayi:ttk forxTV, Indiana. 71

There are eii^ht tyi>es of soil found in l'"a\ette county, six of which are ui)land and two bottom >oils. The Miami series, which is l>y far the most e.\tensi\e, occurs as the .Miami clay loam. Miami silt loam, Miami loam and .Miami black clav loam, and has had its derivation from the Later Wisconsin drift. With the exception of some small spots of Miami black clay loam in the western and northwestern portions of the county, some very limited areas of the .Miami loam alongr the .slopes of White Water and the Miami silt loam of the southeastern ciuarter of the county, the Miami clay loam covers all the county except Jackson and Columbia townships. The southern half of Columbia and a small area in southwestern Jackson have Oak Forest silt loam as the surface soil. The first and second terraces along the W^est Fork of White Water are mantled with Huntin,i,^on loam, while the bottoms of the smaller valleys contain an im])ure form of the same type. On a very few narrow \alley Hoors in Columbia and Jackson townshijis, where the limestone talus has accunnilated c.xtensi\'ely, the bottom-land soils should be more ]iroperl\- termed Hamburq- loam.

Miami Clay Eoam

Miami clay loam is very closely allied to its occurrences in Union, southern Rush and southern Wayne counties. It is a light brown or ash-gray clay loam or silt loam, with a depth of from six to eleven inches. When rubbed between the fingers it imparts a smooth feeling, which is indicative of a high percentage of silt.

rhe .subsoil is a brown or yellow clay loam, becoming a sandy clay at a depth of two and one-half feet. This subsoil, because of the hillside wash, often appears as plow soil. In such cases the crops yield poorly and the land may be clas.sed as untillable. Many farmers remember when these hillsides produced as well as any of the upland, but through careless plowing and cropping, so as to leave the land bare, the soil has been carried down into the bottoms. .\ few suggestions from successful farmers jis to how to improve a soil of this character have been taken up in general discussion. Blue grass and crops that hold the soil should be grown on the slopes instead of corn.

There are a number of farmers on the Miami clay loam who hold that tiling is not necessar\- where there is sufficient slo]ie for the water to run off from the surface, but those who have experimented along this line are of an entirely different oinnion. They find that it not only makes a decided difference in the surface wash, but that it drains the water from the little intervening spaces between the grains of dirt and so permits the air to circulate more readily. This facilitates the conveying of the nitrogenous foods to the roots of the legtnninous plants, which results in a richer soil and better yields. In one case in the northeastern part of Waterloo township the corn crop was more than trebled li}- tiling a rolling surface which would ordinaril\- be said to drain itself.

An average corn crop for this type is about thirt}-three bushels to the acre, while the leading farmers are getting fifty-five and sixty. Wheat averages fourteen bushels to the acre and oats about thirty. Clover ranges between one and two tons, and timothy from one to one and a half tons to the acre.

Miami .Silt Loam

Miami silt loam is an extension of the Miami silt loam areas of Union and Franklin counties. It has a similar texture, color and subsoil, and bears about the same relation to the Miami clav loanL It differs, however, from the Union connty soil in tliat a iar,t,aT |)<.Tcenla,y;f of its area occurs on a decidedly rolling surface, thus permitting a large auKiunt of wash, which has left either a very thin soil or has uncovered the subsoil. This results in cheaper land as a result of lighter crops. The axerage farmer is getting about thirty-two bushels of corn and fourteen of wheat to the acre, while the best farmers get fifty of corn and seventeen of wheat.

Miami loam occupies ;i \ cry limited area (one s(|uare mile I along \\'hite \\'ater river in the northern jiart of the countx. it is found on the steeper slojies and has conseouenlly i)een subjected to a greater surface wash.

Miami black clay loam also occupies but about one s(|uare mile in the county. Since stream erosion has been the prevalent factor in shaping the topography of I<"ayette county, most of the old marshes, lakes and ponds, renuiants of the glacial epoch, have l<ing since lieen drained, and the organic matter which accumulated in them has lieen thoroughl\- dcconi])osed or dissolved out of the soil. .\ verv few of these basins have left traces in the scattered, isolated .-uid sm;di s])ois of lilack land occupying the sags in Orange. !''air\ie\\ and I'osey to\\nsbi])s. These spots ;ire known as the liest corn land in the county.

The Oak |-"orest silt loam, covering about twelve S(|nare miles in the county, is a tyjie h;i\ing its main dexelopment in I'Vanklin county. The limited area in l'"a\elte count\- is found on the ridge summits in the southern part of the county. ()\\ing to the ridges l)eing narrow :uid high the soil is badly wa.sbed and is as likel\ to have lieen re|)laceil by the silt loam subsoil as it is to be present. Ibe soil is considered the poorest in the countv, being an ashen grav silt li:,im, cold, sour and very deficient in organic matter and lime. The improvements of this soil are \ery poor, tiling, green manuring and crop rotation being almost entirel\ neglected. \'er\' little stock is raised, most of the grain being marketed. ( orn ranges from se\enteen to twentytive bushels to the acre, and wheat from ten to eighteen. This t\pe of soil, with tiling, green manure, lime, stable manure, commercial fertilizer and crop rotation. ma\' be made to double its yield, and each succeeding vear finds more of this soil bringing satisfactory returns.

Huntington lo;ini. cosering sixteen square miles in the county, is found in sporadic areas in the smaller \alleys, hut hy far the more important occurrences are in the first and second terraces of the ^Vhite Water valley. The farms located on these terraces are considered superior to those on the upland. With their natural underdrainage through the gravel heds, which are generally from three to live feet below the surface, and the loo.se, open, brown loam or sand)' loam, this soil is the earliest of all the types found in the county. Corn is planted two weeks earlier than on the upland and can be tended several da\s sooner after a heavy rain. The result is that the average farmer is getting fort}- bushels of corn to the acre, while the best farmers get sixty, as against thirty-three for the average fanner and fiftyfive to sixty f(5r the best on the upland. \\'heat does not do as well on the first bottom, but sometimes yields twent\- bushels to the acre on the second terrace.

The first bottom is not as desiralile lanfl as the second. This is due in part to the damage done by the flood, and partly to a more sandy and gravelly texture, with beds of sand or gravel near the surface which causes it to suffer more from droughts. Often old bars of sand and gravel are encountered on the first bottom which are classed as worthless, but which might make very good alfalfa soil. The most desirable land fif both bottoms is found north of Connersville.

Limestone Slope Clay Loam

There is only half a square mile of Limestone Slope clay loam in the county, and this is found scattered through the southern part of the county on the hillsides. It is not cultivated to an\- extent, and because of its tendency to wash it should not be tilled at all, but be kept in blue grass, alfalfa, or some crop that will hold the soil. Some farmers have even attempted to grow tobacco on these slopes, but for reasons just given the crop cannot be profitable after a few years. A^lost of the tobacco is grown in Jackson and Columbia townships.

The following table compiled by the state geologist for the 1910 report, shows the types of soil found in each township in Fayette county, together with the total acreage in famis, acres of tillable land and acres of woodland.