Hall County, Nebraska - Chapter 12: The Topography and Soil Survey of Hall County, 1920

Chapter 12: The Topography and Soil Survey of Hall County

description of the area ^ Hall County is situated in the south-central part of Nebraska. Grand Island, the county seat, is 154 miles west of Omaha. The county is bounded on the north by Howard County, on the east by Hamilton and Merrick counties, on the south by Adams County, and on the west by Buffalo County. It is nearly square, being approximately 24 miles long from north to south and 23 miles wide east and west. Its total area is 528 square miles, or 337,920 acres.

Hall County lies near the eastern margin of the Great Plains. In general the surface is smooth, and there is no conspicuous topographic relief. The Platte River crosses the county in a northeasterly direction, flowing through a shallow valley 12 to 15 miles wide. About 6 square miles of territory in the extreme northwestern corner is included in the South Loup River Valley. The upland consists of two small triangular areas, one in the northwestern part of the county and one in the southeastern part. These upland areas represent remnants of an originally continuous eastward-sloping plain.

The Platte River flows near the southern side of its valley, in a number of widely separated channels which inclose a great number of low-lying, elongated islands. The bottom land in general lies only 5 to 10 feet above the water, and there are many poorly drained depressions representing the sites of old channels. To the north of the first bottoms is a very extensive nearly level alluvial terrace, lying 15 to 40 feet above the flood plains. The city of Grand Island is situated near the southern border of this terrace, which for convenience in reference may be called the Grand Island terrace. The dividing line between the first bottoms and this terrace is a low bluff extending southwesterly from Grand Island and lying 1 to 2 miles south of the Union Pacific Railroad. The terrace reaches a width of 6 to 13 miles, and is the largest topographic division in the county. Its surface has scarcely been modified. In a few places the wind has heaped up low hummocks of sand, but there has been little stream erosion. There are a few small eastward-flowing streams on the terrace, but they follow sluggish, winding courses and occupy relatively deep, canallike channels, without tributaries. There are also a few winding sloughlike depressions, which seem to represent the abandoned channels of present streams. The upland areas lie 50 to 150 feet above

1 Much of the text matter and the bulk of the statistics set forth in this chapter were prepared by J. O. Veatch, of the U. S. department of agriculture, and V. H. Seabury, of the Nebraska soil survey (based upon inspection made by Thomas D. Rice) and first published in advance sheets of Field Operations of U. S. department of agriculture, Bureau of Soils, and offered for information of Hall County people generally.

the Platte Valley floor. The surface in general ranges from slightly rolling to nearly level and flat, but in places near drainage ways there are narrow zones of broken and eroded land. About 30 square miles of upland in the northern part of the county is rolling and uneven, owing to the heaping up of loose sand into irregular, low, rounded hills and dunes by the wind. This area forms a narrow divide between the Loup, and Platte valleys and is known as the "sand hills." A similar but much less extensive line of low hills occurs along the margin of the southern upland area facing the Platte Valley.

The elevation of the first bottoms and terraces of the Platte River ranges from 1,800 to 2,000 feet above sea level. There is a gradual slope eastward of about 9 feet per mile. The elevation of the Loup River Valley in the northwestern corner of the county is about 1,900 feet above sea level. The upland in the northwestern part ranges from about 1,940 to 2,100 feet. The elevation of the southern upland area ranges from about 2,060 feet above sea level on the west to about 1,900 feet along the eastern boundary of the county.

The Platte River drains the entire county except a small area in the northwestern part which is drained by the South Loup River. The Platte is heavily loaded with sediment, and is engaged in aggradation and in lateral cutting rather than in deepening its channel. All the longer streams have low gradients. Most of the streams are intermittent. Even the Platte River frequently becomes dry for short periods during the summer. There are many nearly level areas which have no welldefined drainage ways and in which there has been little modification of the original constructional plains surface. The rainfall, however, is comparatively light, and many of the soil types have porous subsoils and are well underdrained, so that areas with only a very moderate slope may be naturally drained sufficiently for farming. The only areas that are markedly deficient in drainage are small depressions in the upland and the lower lying bottoms along the Platte River, aggregating

The first settlement in this territory was made about 1857, by a colony of Germans, and the county was organized in 1858. Its population in 1880 was 8,572, and in 1910, 20,361. Approximately 86 per cent of the population consists of native white persons and 13.6 per cent of foreign-born white persons, principally Germans. All the population outside Grand Island, or 49.3 per cent of the total, is classed as rural, and averages 19 persons to the square mile. All parts of the county are settled, but the density of settlement is slightly greater in the central-valley part along the Union Pacific Railroad.

Grand Island, with a population in 1910 of 10,326, is the principal city and county seat. It has a number of manufacturing industries, and is one of the largest horse and mule markets in the west. Doniphan, with a population of 399, in the southeastern part of the county ; Wood River, with a population of 796, in the southwestern part ; and Cairo, with a population of 364, in the northwestern part, are important local trading points and grain markets.

Natural Transportation Advantags

Lines of the Union Pacific and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroads and the St. Joseph & Grand Island railway traverse the county and afford excellent transportation facilities. No farm is more than ten miles from a railway station. The public highways are all earth roads, but they are generally maintained in good condition by frequent grading and dragging. Roads have been laid out on practically every section line except in a few square miles of rough sand-hill uplands and also in some parts of the Platte River bottoms, which are difficult of access on aC' count of the numerous channels. Rural mail delivery routes reach all parts of the county, and practically all the farmers have telephone connection with Grand Island and other nearby towns.

from New York to San Francisco passes through the country almost parallel with the transcontinental railroad, the Union Pacific. A mile of road east of Grand Island was prepared a few years ago with hard cement surface. Plans are laid in 1919 to prepare at least another mile of macadamized or hard surfaced road. The program for 5,000 miles of state-aid permant highways for Nebraska, enacted by the 191-9 legislature, gives Hall County a net- work of state highways to every corner. From east to west runs the Lincoln Highway. From the southeast corner of the county to Grand Island the Seward- York-Aurora Highway, which is included in the route of the proposed Pershing Memorial National Highway from New York to San Francisco, via Indianapolis, La Clede, and St. Joseph, Missouri, to Lincoln, Nebraska, and to Grand Island, the proposed junction of the Lincoln and Pershing transcontinental highways; from Grand Island, through Cairo and on past the northwest corner of the county, the Potash Highway, leading to the Black Hills; from Grand Island north to St. Libory and on to St. Paul and Loup City, the north route starts to the Loup Valley, and the Hall County part of this state road may soon become part of the Grainland Highway from Sioux City to Kansas; as also may the stateroad leading from Grand Island through Doniphan to Hastings and south. Thus does Hall County naturally become the hub of the central part of the state, on its two great means of transportation, railroads and permanent highways. Recently the federal government has assigned forty large motor trucks for road and highway work in this vicinity and locations have been selected near Grand Island for gravel and sand pits to furnish material for road construction.

Hall County is situated in the east-central part of the Great Plains region. The soils have been influenced by a climate intermediate between that of the north-central Mississippi Valley and that of the semi-arid High Plains. However, they partake more of the nature of soils of humid than of semi-arid regions. The greater part of the soils has been derived from old and recent alluvium laid down in the valley of the Platte River. The soils of the upland, which constitute a little less than one- third of the county, are derived mainly from the underlying formations, which consist of silt, sand, and sandy clay. These are mainly of Pleistocene age, but some of the material is possibly late Tertiary.

The principal deposit on the upland is a pale-yellow or grayish, loosely consolidated material consisting mainly of silt and very fine sand. In structure and chemical characteristics it is similar to the loess along the .Missouri and Mississippi rivers. It is part of an extensive formation, probably Pleistocene in age, which underlies a large part of central and eastern Nebraska and is known geologically as "Plains Loess." The silt formation in this county is overlain by a thin deposit of yellow fine and very fine sand. This superficial sand deposit is not uniformly distributed over the whole upland and in places it has been largely removed by erosion, but it has had an important influence on the character of the soils. The sand generally is not more than 10 feet in thickness, but in places it has been heaped by wind action into hills 25 to 30 feet high.

In the following pages of this report the various soils mapped in Hall County are described in detail and discussed in their relation to agriculture.

Hall Silt Loam And Friable Soil

(69,253 acres, 20.2%) The soil of the Hall silt loam is uniformly a very dark brown, friable silt loam, high in organic matter, to a depth of 8 to 12 inches, underlain by a somewhat lighter brown, more compact silt loam which continues to depths ranging from 15 to 24 inches. The surface soil contains only a very small percentage of particles coarser than very fine sand. There is generally a fairly abrupt change to the subsoil, which consists of 6 to 8 inches of dark-yellow clay, tough and plastic when wet and very hard and impenetrable when dry, underlain by less plastic silty clay to a depth of 36 to 40 inches. The lower subsoil usually contains sufficient lime to efifervesce freely with acid. The lime content apparently is not high in the surface material, although there is no evidence of a deficiency. The substratum is a pale-yellow or grayish, friable silt loam and very fine sandy loam, extending to depths of 10 to 20 feet.

The Hall list loam occurs principally in one large area west and north of Alda and Wood River, in the central-western part of the county. This area includes practically all of Harrison township; and with the friable subsoil phase, all but a part of the northwest quarter of Cameron township, and extends into southeast four sections of South Loup, two south tiers of sections in Mayfield and a few sections in west end of Center township.

There are two very small, isolated areas, one in Lake Township north of Grand Island and one a short distance northeast of Doniphan. The typical soil covers 16.7 per cent of the county. The principal area, on the Grand Island terrace, lies 20 to 40 feet above the first bottoms of the Platte, and about 1,900 feet above sea level. There is an imperceptible eastward slope. The surface varies from flat to fairly undulating. The area is traversed by a few winding, sluggish creeks, with deep channels, and there are a few narrow, winding ditchlike depressions, which represent remnants of old stream channels. The soil is nowhere subject to stream erosion. Except in a few shallow depressions the natural drainage is adequate for farming in normal years.

Because of its large extent and high average productiveness the Hall silt loam is the most important soil in the county. About 90 per cent of it is under cultivation. Some of the more poorly drained areas are used for pasture. Corn, wheat, alfalfa, and oats are the principal crops grown. Barley, millet, sorghum, and kafir are grown in occasional small fields. On account of the very small acreage of pasture on the average farm, little live stock is kept. A small number of farmers are engaged in stock feeding, using the surplus grain and hay produced in the neighborhood. A very small percentage of the farmers keep dairy herds, and sell both milk and cream. The average yield of corn is about 28 bushels per acre, of wheat 23 bushels, of oats about 40 bushels, and of alfalfa, as a total of several cuttings, between 3^/2 and 4 tons. Alfalfa probably gives better results than on any other soil in the county.

Under favorable moisture conditions this soil is easily worked and maintained in good tilth. It is somewhat heavier than most of the terrace soils, and if worked when wet it tends to compact and clod, so that rolling is often necessary to work up a good seed bed for wheat. Four-horse teams are commonly used with gang plows turning two furrows to a depth of 6 or 7 inches. Owing to the level character of the surface, tractors can be easily used in fall plowing.

Hall silt loam, friable-subsoil phase. - The Hall silt loam, friable-subsoil phase, differs from the typical Hall silt loam mainly in the higher texture and more friable structure of the subsoil.

The principal area of Hall silt loam, friablesubsoil phase, is a strip one-fourth to 1 mile wide skirting the southern and eastern boundary of the large area of typical Hall silt loam lying north of Wood River. A second area of considerable size occurs at the town of Wood River, and a small area is encountered south of the Platte River, in South Platte township.

This phase does not differ materially from the typical Hall silt loam in topography and drainage, and there is apparently very little diiTerence in agricultural value. Alfalfa may not give quite as good results, but corn withstands drought as well as on the typical soil, or better, and gives equally good yields.

Hall Very Fine Sandy Loam

loam is a very dark brown, uniformly fine material consisting predominantly of very fine sand and silt, with but a small percentage of clay and scarcely any material coarser than fine sand. It becomes slightly lighter in color at a depth of 12 to 15 inches, and at 18 to 20 inches grades into a moderately compact, lightbrownish or yellowish fine sandy clay. The substratum, beginning at depths of 36 to 40 inches, is generally lighter in texture than the subsoil, consisting of very fine sandy loam or sand. The surface soil has a high content of organic matter and appears black when wet. In the flatter, poorly drained areas the lower subsoil is frequently a grayish or yellowish-drab, compact, puttylike clay, containing sufficient lime to efifervesce with acid. In some places the division line between the Hall very fine sandy loam and silt loam is rather arbitrary, and it is probable that considerable silt loam is included with the very fine sandy loam.

The Hall very fine sandy loam is confined to the Grand Island terrace. It occupies a large area in Lake Township directly north of Grand Island, and a belt ranging from onefourth mile to 3 miles wide extends south- ' westward from Alda past the town of Wood River to the county line. These areas are irregular in outline and contain numerous inclusions of other types. Smaller developments are mapped near Cairo and Abbott.

This is a productive soil, and because of its comparatively large extent it is one of the more important farming types of the county. Eighty-five per cent or more of its area is under cultivation. Wheat, com, alfalfa, and oats are the principal crops, named in order of acreage. The average yield of wheat is probably 20 bushels per acre, of com 30 bushels, and of oats 40 bushels. Alfalfa yields 3I/2 tons per acre per season. The areas of lighter subsoil apparently differ in agricultural value from the typical soil.

The surface soil of the Hall very fine sandy loam is loose and loamy, and in years of normal rainfall it is easily maintained in good tilth. The soil is slightly more coherent than the associated fine sandy loam and sand types, and it forms a somewhat better seed bed for

Hall Fine Sandy Loam

The surface material of the Hall fine sandy loam is a very dark brown, loose fine sandy loam. In general it becomes somewhat lighter in color at 10 or 12 inches, but it continues as a brown fine sandy loam, containing considerable organic matter, to a depth of 18 or 20 inches, where it grades into a yellowish friable fine sandy clay. This in turn passes into a yellowish or grayish, friable clay and sticky sandy loam or sand at 3 or 4 feet. The soil is uniformly fine in texture, containing high percentages of very fine sand and silt and only a very small percentage of particles coarser than fine sand. Much of the soil included with this type is a fine loam in texture. This latter soil does not differ from the fine sandy loam in color or topography, and it is not possible to make an accurate separation. Part of the type as mapped along the southern margin of the sand hills from Cairo eastward varies from typical in having a lower subsoil of yellow silt or very fine sandy loam.

The Hall fine sandy loam occurs principally to the north and northwest of Grand Island, in Mayfield. Prairie Creek, and Lake townships, and in a belt one-fourth to one-half mile wide, extending southwestward along the southern border of the Grand Island terrace from a point near Alda to the county line. The areas are very irregular in outline, and in no place cover an entire square mile. The surface is nearly level or only slightly undulating, but the type on the whole is slightly higher lying and better drained than the closely associated Hall very fine sandy loam. In places it occupies hills or dirges lying 5 to 15 feet above the surrounding level, and only a very small total area is flat and poorly drained.

it is regarded as one of the more valuable soils of the county. Corn, wheat, alfalfa, and oats are the principal crops, named in the order of acreage. The greater part of the grain and hay produced is sold from the farms. Crop yields show wide variety from year to year. The average yield of com is about 30 bushels per acre, of wheat 20 bushels, of oats 35 bushels, and of alfalfa, per season, 3 to 3^ tons. The soil has a loose, loamy structure and is easily worked and maintained in good tilth.

The typical Hall sandy loam consists of a dark grayish brown or black, friable sandy loam which becomes lighter in color at a depth of 10 to 12 inches and at 18 to 24 inches grades into a light-brownish or yellowish, heavier subsoil. This varies in different places from a compact sandy loam to a silty clay. The type is not very uniform. As mapped it includes some areas of brown loamy sand which does not differ materially from the O'Neill sand except in its heavier subsoil. In some of the more poorly drained depressions the lower subsoil is a drab, plastic, calcareous clay. The soil everywhere contains a relatively large proportion of fine and very fine sand, and it is not in all places closely differentiated from the Hall fine sandy loam.

The greater part of the Hall sandy loam occurs in Center township, directly west of Grand Island. It is developed mainly in the flatter and more poorly drained areas associated with the O'Neill sand, and much of the type receives run-ofT and seepage water from hills occupied by the latter soil. It is less extensive than the Hall very fine sandy loam and fine sandy loam, and of lower average productiveness. About 90 per cent of it is under cultivation - corn, wheat, and oats being the principal crops. Com is sometimes "drowned out" in the more poorly drained depressions.

Hall Clay Loam

The Hall clay loam consists of 8 to 10 inches of very dark gray or black, slightly plastic and sticky clay loam, grading into dark-drab or yellowish-drab, stiff fine sandy clay. The surface for 2 to 4 inches commonly consists of a dark-grayish or black, loose, fine sandy loam or very sandy loam. This rests upon a subsurface layer of plastic clay. Grayish, sticky sand, underlain by coarse sand, usually saturated with water, is encountered at depth of 3 to 4 feet.

The Hall clay loam occurs in a number of small, widely separated developments. The largest areas are found in Lake township, directly north of Grand Island, and in Mayfield and Harrison townships, a short distance southwest of Abbott. Numerous oval or circular patches, many of them too small to be shown separately on the soil map, are distributed throughout the larger area of Hall fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, and silt loam. The clay loam occupies shallow, poorly drained depressions on the Grand Island terrace.

The greater part of the type in the larger areas is too wet for successful farming, and is valued as pasture land and for wild hay. Most of the smaller areas are farmed in connection with more arable land. The soil is sticky and difficult to work when wet, and tends to bake and clod when very dry. In favorable years good yields of the staple crops are obtained. Where the type can be drained it can be made as productive as the naturally better drained soils. Thorough drainage and the use of barnyard manure are probably the best methods of treatment for the alkali spots. The class of soil aggregating the next greatest acreage is the Cass series.

The Cass series is characterized by darkbrown or black surface soils and a lighter colored subsoil, commonly pale yellow or grayish. A distinguishing characteristic is the lighter texture in the subsoil than in the surface layer. In Hall County the surface material in most places is sufficiently calcareous

The Lamoure series is similar to the Cass in color, but differs in that the subsoil is as heavy as the surface soil, or heavier. The material is often calcareous throughout the 3-foot section and always effervesces in lower subsoil. Drainage is sufficiently thorough for successful farming.

Cass Sandy Loam

To a depth of 6 to 10 inches the Cass sandy loam consists of a very dark brown, loose, friable sandy loam, fairly well supplied with organic matter. The soil becomes lighter in color and coarser in texture with depth, and changes at 15 to 20 inches into a grayish or pale-yellowish coarse sand. The surface material generally contains enough calcium carbonate to cause effervescence with acid. The subsoil in general is loose and porous, but in a few places a dark-colored, coherent sandy loam extends to a depth of 20 to 30 inches, the soil closely resembling Lamoure sandy loam in structure and other characteristics.

The Cass sandy loam occupies low northeast-southwest ridges in the higher parts of the first bottoms of the Platte River. The largest areas occur in Washington and Alda townships.

This soil is well drained, and practically all of it is under cultivation. Corn is the principal crop, followed by wheat, oats, and alfalfa.

Cass Fine Sand

(16,128 acres, 4.8%) The Cass fine sand consists predominately of 6 to 8 inches of loamy fine sand which gradually becomes lighter in color and coarser in texture with depth, and grades into a lower subsoil of yellowish or grayish, incoherent medium sand. The top soil is dark brown or black, depending upon the local drainage conditions. Generally there is only a very small percentage of organic matter below a depth of 3 or 4 inches.

A very small area has been formed along the channels of the South Loup River, in the extreme northwestern part of the county. The organic content and the soil color vary with the age of the deposit. The surface is uneven and hummocky, being characterized by depressions inclosed by ridges 5 to 10 feet high or by low, wind-formed knolls. Drainage is generally good. The uneven surface favors ready run-off, and the open, porous subsoil and substratum permit free underdrainage.

This type is less extensive than the Cass fine sandy loam, and is of much less agricultural importance. The greater part of it is used for pasture. Most of the land was cleared at an early date and now supports a fair growth of native grasses, together with such introduced forage plants as redtop, bluegrass, and sweet clover. Most of the small islands in the stream channels are covered with Cottonwood, elm, ash, willow, and a brushy growth of locust and buffalo berry.

Only a very small percentage of the Cass fine sand is under cultivation. Com, the principal crop, gives fair yields on the darker colored and deeper areas of fine sand, since this soil withstands drought as well as the heavier types. The areas of medium sand, however, have not proved durable. Occasionally fair stands of alfalfa are obtained on the typical fine sand areas. The soil seems to be unsuited to the production of wheat and oats. It is easily plowed and tilled under all moisture conditions. On account of its loose, incoherent structure it drifts to some extent during high winds.

Cass Fine Sandy Loam

(23,808 acres, 7.0%) The Cass fine sandy loam typically consists of a very dark gray or black fine sandy loam which changes to gray at 6 to 10 inches and gradually becomes lighter in texture with depth, passing at 12 to 20 inches into gray or gray and yellowish mottled, loamy fine sand, loose in structure. The lower subsoil consists of a gray, porous medium sand which changes at 3 to 4 feet to coarse sand and fine gravel. The topsoil is generally well supplied with organic matter, and it contains sufficient calcium carbonate to effervesce slightly with acid. The principal variations in texture are toward a silt loam and a very fine sandy loam. In places there is only a very thin layer of soil high in organic matter, underlain by yellowish-gray, incoherent fine sand, the type here closely resembling the more loamy areas of the Cass fine sand. In some of the lower situations the black fine sandy loam is underlain at a depth of 12 to 15 inches by gray, medium and coarse sand.

A silty variation of this type is encountered in three areas, aggregating about 750 acres, in Alda and Washington townships, and in a small area in the extreme northwest part of the county in the South Loup River bottoms. This soil is of small extent, but all of it is under cultivation. It consists of a dark-brownish, mellow silt loam, 6 to 8 inches thick, grading into dark-grayish, compact very fine sandy loam which is underlain by grayish, loamy fine sand at 20 to 30 inches. There is usually a substratum of coarse sand at about 40 inches. The surface soil is well supplied with organic matter and appears black when wet. The soil is moderately calcareous to a depth of 20 to 30 inches.

The typical Cass fine sandy loam is largely confined to the first bottoms of the Platte River, where it occurs in strips 100 yards to one-half mile in width parallel to present and old channels of the river. A very small area occurs in the extreme northwestern part of the county, in the South Loup River Valley.

The Cass fine sandy loam is the most extensive bottom-land soil in the county. About 60 per cent of it is under cultivation, this proportion representing the better drained area. Corn is the principal crop, followed by wheat and oats. There is a small acreage of alfalfa. The uncultivated land is valued as pasture and for wild-hay production. Cattle and hogs are fed on most farms, and the corn and hay crops are largely consumed on the farm. Sweet corn makes a rank growth, and on a few farms this crop is grown in small fields for seed. Corn yields vary greatly, depending upon the season. The average yield for a period of years is probably about 25 bushels per acre. Small grain does not give as good results as on the heavier soils of the bottom lands and upland. The yields of wild hay average about IJ/^ tons per acre. The surface soil of this type has a loose, loamy structure, and is easily plowed and tilled. Level cultivation is generally practiced in growing corn.

Cass Clay Loam

The surface soil of the Cass clay loam is a dark-drab or black, slightly plastic clay loam, underlain at shallow depths by coarse sand and fine gravel. Over most of the type the surface soil consists of 2 or 3 inches of black fine sandy loam or silty loam, underlain by dark-drab, stiff clay to a depth of 6 to 15 inches. There is generally a sharp change to the porous, coarse subsoil, only 1 or 2 inches of sticky fine sandy loam or medium sand intervening in places. The surface soil of the Cass clay loam is generally well supplied with organic matter and in a few places there is a superficial layer of 3 to 4 inches of sticky loam.

This type occurs widely distributed in the first bottoms of the Platte River, where it occupies narrow, elongated depressions representing old river channels which have been partly filled with silt. The subsoil material is identical with that on the floors of the present channels. The type is poorly drained and is more subject to overflow than other types of the bottoms. In wet periods the ground water frequently rises to the base of the clay, or within 12 or 15 inches of the surface. The type lies only 4 or 5 feet above the stream channels.

land. In most places it supports a heavier growth of grasses than the lighter texture types. In the few fields under cultivation fair yields of corn and oats are obtained in dry years. The soil is somewhat sticky when wet and tends to become hard and cloddy.

Artificial drainage is necessary to improve this soil and make it suitable for profitable farming, but throughout most of the type this is impracticable on account of its slight elevation above the stream channels.

Marshall Loam

Marshall loam is a very dark brown, mellow loam. It becomes lighter colored and higher in clay content at about 15 inches, and grades at 18 to 20 inches into a dark yellowish brown, friable, fine-grained clay, which changes to a yellow, friable silty clay at about 30 to 36 inches. The type as mapped varies in texture, much of it being a fine loam or a fine sandy loam, and it everywhere contains a relatively large proportion of very fine sand and silt. It is intermediate in color and structure between the associated Colby and Grundy soils.

The Marshall loam occurs in Doniphan and South Platte townships, in five areas varying from 300 to 1 ,500 acres in extent. Its surface is slightly undulating, not quite as level as that of the Grundy silt loam but not quite as uneven as that of the Colby soils. The drainage is good.

All the type is under cultivation to the staple crops of wheat, corn, oats, and alfalfa. Its productiveness is about the same as that of the Marshall and Grundy silt loams. It is somewhat easier to work than those types, and probably withstands severe droughts a little better than the Grundy soil.

Marshall Silt Loam

(4,672 acres, 1.4%) The surface soil of the Marshall silt loam is typically a very dark brown, mellow silt loam, 12 to 15 inches deep. The subsurface material is a lighter brown, friable silt loam, which grades into yellowish-brown, friable silty clay loam at 20 to 24 inches.

The Marshall silt loam occurs in several small areas in the northwestern part of the county and in two small areas in the extreme southeastern part. Its surface varies from nearly level to undulating or gently sloping. In the northwestern part of the county the type occupies drainage divides, the steeper slopes comprising areas of Colby silt loam.- The two small areas in the southeastern part of the county occur on comparatively gentle slopes along small drainage ways. The land is sufficiently sloping to be well drained without being subject to destructive erosion.

This soil is productive, and practically all of it is under cultivation. Wheat, com, and alfalfa are the principal crops. Oats are grown to some extent.

Grundy Silt Loam

The surface soil of the Grundy silt loam consists of a very dark brown, mellow silt loam, 10 to 12 inches deep, grading into a lighter brown, slightly more compact silt loam. This changes rather abruptly, usually at a depth of 18 to 24 inches, to a yellowish-brown, tough, impervious clay, which resembles a clay hardpan. This clay is stiff and plastic when wet and becomeJs extremely hard and crumbly when dry. The subsoil varies in color from yellowish brown to yellowish drab, but is usually lighter in the lower part. A substratam of yellowish or pale-yellowish, friable silt is encountered at depths of 3'/^ to 5 feet. The lower subsoil and the substratum are calcarous, but the surface material nowhere contains sufficient lime to effervesce with acid.

This soil is confined principally to one large uniform area in Doniphan and South Platte townships, in the southeastern part of the county. It occupies a nearly level or slightly undulating plain, little modified by stream erosion.

Practically all the type is under cultivation, and it is regarded as one of the more valuable general-farming soils of the county. Wheat, corn, alfalfa, and oats are the principal crops, named in order of acreage. Kafir, sorghum, and millet are grown in small fields. Orchard fruits probably bear somewhat better than on the terrace and first-bottom soils. Only a few farmers feed stock extensively and most of the grain and hay produced is sold.

Colby Fins Sandy Loam

The surface soil of the Colby fine sandy loam consists of a light-brown or yellowish loose fine sandy loam, grading at 6 to 12 inches into a yollow, heavy fine sandy loam or fine sandy clay loam. The subsoil, beginning at 15 to 20 inches, is a light-yellow, friable, mealy, fine or very fine sandy loam. In general the soil is very similar to the Colby silt loam in composition and origin, but it has a slightly looser surface soil and a more porous, friable subsoil.

An area of Colby fine sandy loam about 6 square miles in extent is mapped in Martin and South Platte townships, with a few smaller bodies in close association with the Colby silt loam. The type also occurs in a narrow east-west strip along the southern border of the sandhills, in South Loup and Mayfield townships, extending from the Buffalo County line to a point about 5 miles east of Cairo. The surface in general is uneven or slightly undulating. Low, rounded hummocks or knolls and intervening shallow depressions give rise to a choppy surface resembling that formed by wind in areas of loose sand. The type is well drained, but is not subject to serious erosion.

Practically all this soil is under cultivation. Corn, wheat, oats, and alfalfa are the principal crops. The methods of farming and th.e disposition of the crops are much the same as on the Colby silt loam. Corn gives practically the same yields as on the silt loam, namely, about 25 bushels per acre, but the fine sandy loam does not seem to be as well adapted to wheat and alfalfa.

The type in most places is easily maintained in good tilth, where manure or rotted straw is applied, and it can be worked under a wider range of moisture conditions than the silt loam. The hummocky character of the surface does not seriously interfere with plowing

Colby Silt Loam

The surface soil of the Colby silt loam is a dark brownish gray, mellow silt loam, ranging from 6 to 10 inches in depth. It usually contains a relatively high percentage of ver)f fine sand and is ordinarily loose in structure, but becomes moderately compact if worked when wet. The surface soil is underlain by a yellow silty clay loam layer, 4 or 5 inches in thickness. The subsoil, beginning at 12 to 18 inches, is a pale-yellow, friable silt loam or very fine sandy loam, usually calcareous at about 3 feet. The surface soil is variable in thickness and color, being very thin and light gray or yellowish on the more eroded slopes, and dark in color and fairly well supplied with organic matter in the more nearly level areas. The type dififers from the Grundy and Marshall silt loams mainly in its lighter color and more friable subsoil.

The Colby silt loam is somewhat more widely distributed in the southeastern upland area than in the northwestern upland. In the northwestern part of the county it largely occupies gentle or moderate slopes, but to some extent occurs on very steep slopes along drainage ways, where the land is too steep for successful farming and has been gullied in places. In the southern part of the county the areas along the border of the upland facing the Platte River bottoms are characterized by moderate to steep slopes, and are rather deeply eroded in places. Back from the margin of the upland the larger areas have a slightly uneven surface, with low, rounded hillocks or knolls and intervening level depressions. The steep slopes and uneven surface make plowing and harvesting of crops more difficult and detract to some extent from the agricultural value of the land.

terrace. Wheat is the principal crop, followed by corn, alfalfa, and oats. Many farmers grow wheat continuously on the same fields for periods of 4 to 9 years. Small patches of kafir, sorghum, and millet are occasionally grown. Orchard fruits seem to bear a little better than on the bottom-land and terrace solis. The yields of all crops very widely with the season, the state of improvement of the soil, and the care used in cultivation. The average yield of wheat is probably about 18 bushels per acre, of corn 25 bushels, of oats 35 bushels, and of alfalfa about 3 tons.

Colby Sandy Loam

The surface soil of the Colby sandy loam consists of a brown, loose sandy loam, 10 to 15 inches deep. It is dark in color and moderately high in organic matter to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, below which it is light brown or yellowish brown. The subsoil is a yellow, friable sandy loam. The surface material is generally finer in texture than the subsoil. It varies from a loamy sand to a dark-colored soil closely approaching a loam or fine sandy loam. In places there has been a slight concentration of clay in the upper subsoil, forming a layer, 6 or 8 inches in thinkness, of friable sandy clay or clay loam. Layers of incoherent, medium, and coarse sand are occasionally encountered in the subsoil.

The Colby sandy loam occurs in the higher uplands in the southeastern part of the county. It is encountered mainly in one large area extending from the Hamilton County line to a point about 4 miles southwest of Doniphan. Two very small strips representing an eroded phase occur on the slopes of the blufifs facing the Platte Valley in South Platte township. In general the surface of the type is nearly level, but in places it is made slightly undulating by hummocks or knolls a few feet high. Drainage is everywhere thorough, but there are no slopes steep enough to be seriously eroded, except in the two small areas on the blufif slopes in South Platte township.

and alfalfa are the principal crops. The soil is looser and more easily worked and maintained in good tikh than the upland silt loams. It is probably not quite as well suited to wheat as are the silt loams, but it withstands drought moderately well and produces on the average about the same yields of corn. It has practically the same agricultural value as the Colby fine sandy loam.

Valentine Sand

The Valentine sand consists of a lightbrownish or yellowish, loose sand which shows very little difference in texture or color to a depth of 3 feet. To a depth of about 7 inches the soil is light brown in color and contains a small amount of organic matter. The type consists almost entirely of about equal parts of medium and fine sand, with no coarser particles and barely sufficient silt and clay to render the mass slightly coherent when wet. The sand deposits from which the soil is derived have a thickness of 5 to 25 feet. The Valentine sand is locally known as "sand hills."

This type occupies a total area of 45 square miles. It occurs principally in the northern part of the county, directly north of Cairo and Abbott, in South Loup, Mayfield, and Prairie Creek townships. An area of about 4 square miles is mapped south of the Platte River in Martin township. The billowy, undulating surface has been formed by the shifting and heaping up of sand by the wind, and is characterized by high, rounded hills or ridges. The type represents quiescent dunes, with a maze of lower wind-formed knolls. There are no well-defined drainage lines, most of the rainfall being absorbed by the porous, deep sand. The hills range from 75 to 150 feet above the first bottoms of the Platte and Loup rivers.

This land is used mainly for pasture. Probably not more than ten per cent of it is under cultivation. It supports an excellent growth of native grasses and has a carrying capacity of 30 to 40 cattle to the quarter section. The pasture season ordinarily extends from April to October. The land is used as summer pasture for stock which is fed on farms during the winter. Some of the more favorable situated land is farmed. Corn and wheat are fairly successful with careful cultivation and yearly change of crops. Alfalfa seems to do well, but considerable difficulty is encountered in getting a good stand. The soil seems to withstand drought as well as the heavier types, but it is less durable and productive. The surface soil in many places is drifted by the wind. Coarse manure and straw spread over the land have generally been found beneficial in preventing excessive drifting. Corn usually is deeply listed.

Land of this type most suitable for farming has had a selling price of $35 to $40 an acre. Pasture land has been selling for about $20 an acre.

The O'Neill sand consists of a light brown, loose, loamy medium sand which shows little change in texture to a depth of 3 feet. The soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches is somewhat darker than below, as a- result of the incorporation of organic matter, and the subsurface sand is brownish yellow or grayish. In a few places on the terrace south of the Platte River the type in some narrow strips contains coarse sand and fine gravel in the subsoil.

The principal areas of O'Neill sand are mapped on the terrace directly west and southwest of Grand Island. Important developments occur a few miles southwest of Wood River, and on the terrace south of the Platte. The total area of the type is 12.2 square miles. Its surface is undulating, characterized by knolls or hummocks 5 to 15 feet high. These appear to be in part accumulations by wind action. Drainage is good, most of the rainfall being rapidly absorbed by the porous sand.

oats. Alfalfa makes a strong growth, but the stand is rarely as thick as on the Hall silt loam and very fine sandy loam and similar types. This soil is not as durable and productive as the heavier soils of the terrace, but it is easily plowed and tilled, has adequate drainage even in wet years, and withstands drought quite as well as the heavier types. It is, however, subject to shifting by the wind, and injury to young plants frequently results. Coarse manure and straw are applied, where available, to check the tendency to drift, and corn usually deeply listed.

The selling value of this land is considerably lower than that of the associated soils, such as the fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, and Hall silt loam.

The O'Neill fine sand differs from the O'Neill sand mainly in its finer texture. The surface soil has a fair content of organic matter to a depth of 6 to 10 inches, and is loamy in structure. In many places the subsoil sand seems to be slightly coarser than the surface material.

This type occurs in a large number of small, irregular areas, mainly north and northwest of Grand Island, and in the Loup River Valley in the northwest corner of the county. It has a total area of 6.8 square miles. Practically all the type is under cultivation. Fair yields of corn, wheat, and alfalfa are obtained. The type on the whole is probably a little more productive than the O'Neill sand.

O'Neill Loam

O'NEILL LOAM (9,856 acres, 2.9%) The O'Neill loam consists of a dark-brownish, fine-textured loam, 12 to 15 inches deep grading into a light-brown sandy loam which changes to a yellowish or grayish, loose coarse sand, containing some fine gravel, at any depth from 20 to 36 inches. The substratam to a depth of 10 to 20 feet consists of grayish or yellowish sand and gravel. In some places the surface soil closely approaches the Hall sandy loam in texture.

The O'Neill loam is confined mainly to the border of the Grand Island terrace. It extends in disconnected areas across the county. The principal area is in the vicinity of Grand Island. The surface of this soil varies from nearly level to slightly uneven and hummocky. There is sufficient slope for adequate surface drainage and the porous, sandy subsiol and substratum rapidly absorb moisture. The greater part of the type, with the exception of the area occupied by the city of Grand Island, is under cultivation to the staple crops of corn, wheat, oats, and alfalfa. Its average productiveness is somewhat lower than that of the types having heavier and more retentive subsoils. Corn frequently "fires" and gives greatly decreased yields in dry years. Sweet corn is grown in small fields, and some trucking is carried on near Grand Island. Millet, sorghum, and kafir are grown in small patches for forage. Yields of corn vary form 10 to 30 bushels per acre, depending upon the rainfall Wheat yields 15 to 18 bushels per acre and oats 20 to 30 bushels. The surface soil is loose and mellow, and can be worked under a wide range of moisture conditions.

The selling price of farm land of this type is generally lower than that of the associated heavier soils to the north, such as the Hall fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam, and silt loam.

Lamoure Fine Sandy Loam

(10,368 acres, 3.1%) The Lamoure fine sandy loam consists of a very fine dark brown or black, loose fine sandy loam, with the average thickness of about 12 inches, overlying a subsoil or dark grayish, moderately compact fine sandy clay which becomes somewhat coarser and more friable with depth, changing at 3 or 4 feet to a loose, porous, medium and coarse sand. The essential difference between this type and the Cass fine sandy loam is the heavier character of the subsoil to a depth of 3 or 4 feet The surface soil generally has a fairly high content of organic matter and both soil and subsoil effervesce with acid, indicating a rather high content of lime. The depth to which the dark-colored fine sandy loam extends ranges from 10 to 20 inches. There are also minor variations in texture, some of the included soil consisting of very fine sandy loam and fine loam.

The Lamoure fine sandy loam occurs in narrow strips conforming in direction to the general northeast course of the present and old channels of the Platte River. It is rather widely distributed throughout the whole extent of the first bottoms. It has a nearly level surface, but on the whole lies at a slightly higher elevation than the associated Cass fine sandy loam and clay loam, and has somewhat better drainage. The ground-water level in years of normal rainfall is about 5 feet below the surface.

The Lamoure fine sandy loam is considered one of the more valuable bottom-land soils for general farming. About 90 per cent of it is under cultivation. Com, wheat, oats, and alfalfa are the principal crops, with corn far in the lead. Most of the corn and hay produced is used to feed cattle, hogs and sheep. This type, like the other bottom-land soils, seems to be less well adapted to wheat than the terrace and upland soils, and the grain is 8 to 10 days later in maturing. Where a fairly good stand of alfalfa is obtained the seasonal yield is about 3 tons per acre.

The soil is easily plowed and maintained in good tilth. It is usually plowed to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Checking and level cultivation are practiced to a much greater extent than listing in the growing of corn. Over the greater part of the type land has values of an average of about $100 an acre.

Lamoure Silt Loam

(5,312 acres, 1.6%) The surface soil of the Lamoure silt loam is typically a very dark brown or slaty-black, mellow silt loam, 8 to 12 inches deep. The upper subsoil is a moderately compact, brownish silty clay loam or clay, and is underlain at 29 to 30 inches by a yellowish or grayish, more friable, very fine sandy loam. Porous, medium or coarse sand is encountered at depths of 31/2 to 5 feet. The soil is high in

The Lamoure silt loam is confined to the first bottoms of the Platte River, where it occurs north of the Middle Channel in Alda, Wood River, and Jackson townships. Like the other soils of the first bottoms, it occurs in comparatively narrow strips. The land is nearly level, but water rarely stands on the surface for any considerable time, and most of the areas are sufficiently well drained for successful farming.

Practically all the type is under cultivation. It is regarded as one of the more durable and productive soils for general farming. The average yield of com for a period of 8 or 10 years is about 30 bushels per acre, of wheat 20 bushels, and of alfalfa, for all cuttings, about 3 or 31/2 tons. The soil under ordinary moisture conditions is loose and mellow, and easily plowed and cultivated. It is slightly sticky when wet and tends to clod, but the clods subsequently break down readily. The land has been valued at about $100 an acre.

Lamoure Clay Loam

The Lamoure clay loam consists of a black, slightly plastic, heavy clay loam, grading at 6 to 10 inches into a dark-drab or slaty-black, heavy, compact clay which becomes lighter colored with depth and changes to sticky sandy clay or sandy loam at about 3 feet. A substra of coarse, porous sand is encountered at oepths ranging from 3 to 4l4feet.

The Lamoure clay loam occupes low-lying, level situations and narrow depressions in the first bottoms along the Platte River. It occurs in several small, widely separated areas, principally in Washington township east and south of Grand Island.

Much of the land is poorly drained, and the growth of crops is frequently retarded by excessive moisture. The soil, however, is durable and productive, and the greater part of the type is under cultivation. Corn is most successful, yielding 25 to 30 bushels per acre except in wet years. On account of its

Gannett Loamy Sand

The surface soil of Gannett loamy sand is a dark-gray or black sand, having a small content of silt and containing sufficient organic matter to produce a loamy structure. At depths ranging from 6 to 12 inches there is a subsurface layer of light-gray or pale yellowish, loose sand. This is underlain by a darker colored, generally bluish-gray, more compact sand, which shows splotches of brownish iom oxide. The lower subsoil is in places slightly calcerous. It becomes moderately hard when dry, although it contains evry little silt or clay. Over much of the type as mapped the soil is a loamy fine sand. This is included with the predominant loamy sand type owing to the fact that the finer textural distinctions are of little importance in mapping of soil of this character.

The Gannett loamy sand occurs in several small irregular areas in the northern part of the county, in Lake, Prairie Creek, and South Loup townships. It has a total extent of 7.8 square miles. The type has been formed in cirrcular, valleylike depressions, inclosed by or adjacent to hills of Valentine sand. The surface is nearly flat or slightly uneven. The type receives the seepage from the sand hills and is for the most part without adequate natural drainage.

This soil supports a heavy growth of coarse native grasses and is valued cheifly for the production of wild hay and pasturage. A small proportion of it has been placed under cultivation to the staple crops. Yields are comparatively low even in favorable years. Alfalfa is not successful on account of the poor drainage and the shallow depth to ground water. The land has about the same selling price as areas of the associated Valentine sand.

Gannett Sandy Loam

medium sand which extends to a depth of 15 to 20 inches and gives way to a lower subsoil of dark-drab, stiff, plastic, rather impervious clay. This in several places was observed to be calcareous. There is a rather abrupt change in texture from the sand of the surface soil to the clay of the subsoil. The substratum at depths of 3 to 5 feet is a friable yellow silt. In the wetter situations the surface soil contains a higher percentage of organic matter and is black in color. As mapped, the type includes developments of loamy sand and fine sand soils.

The Gannett sandy loam occurs in nearly level, poorly-drained areas and small depressions in the uplands in the northern uart of the county, principally in Prairie Creek township. Drainage for the most part is poor. In topography and relation to the hills of Valentine sand the type is similar to the Ganneett loamy sand. It differs chiefly in having a clay subsoil at depths of 3 feet or less.

This type is of minor agricultural importance Its chief disadvantage is poor drainage. It supports a heavy growth of native grasses, and affords good pasturage and fair yields of hay. Probably a little more than one-half of the type is farmed, corn, oats, and wheat being the principal crops. Occasionally good yields are obtained, but the average productiveness is much lower than that of terrace soils to the south and east, such as the fine sandy loam and very fine sandy loam of the Hall series.

Summary

Hall County is situated in the south-central part of Nebraska. It lies on the eastern slope of the Great Plains region. The surface is nearly level or slightly uneven and greatly undulating, without any marked relief. The elevation of the county ranges from about 1,820 feet to 2,100 feet above sea level. The county covers an area of 528 square miles, or 337,920 acres.

The mean annual rainfall is 29.45 inches. The precipitation is highest from May to August. Summer droughts are frequent, and crops are occasionally injured. There is a normal growing season of 163 days.

Agriculture in Hall County consists mainly of grain growing with the raising and feeding of live stock as an important coordinate industry. Wheat occupies the greatest acreage and is the principal income crop. Corn occupies an acreage only slightly smaller than that of wheat, and is the principal subsistence crop. Alfalfa and oats rank next in acreage. Cattle, hogs, and sheep are fed for market.

In 1910, about 95 per cent of the area of the county was in farms, and 87.3 per cent of the farm land was improved. There were 1,627 farms in the county, with an average size of 196.5 acreas, Over 56 per cent of the farms were operated by owners. The average value of all property per farm in that year was $17,682. The average selling value of farm land has been about $100 an acre until recently.

Uplands comprise 31.6 per cent of the total, area of Hall County. The upland soils are derived principally from a Pleistocene formation consisting of yellow silt, known as Plains Loess. First-bottom, alluvial soils bordering the Platte River cover 22.5 per cent of the total area of the county, and terrace or secondbottom soils practically all the remainder. There is a small aggregate area of terrace and first-bottom land along the South Loup River, in the extreme northwestern part of the county. Silt loam soils predominate throughout the county.

The predominating upland soils, derived from the yellow silt and sand of the "loess," are classed in the Grundy, Marshall, and Colby series. A considerable area of soil is derived from the wind-blown deposits, and is classed in the Valentine series. The Scott series is mapped in poorly drained depressions in the Grundy and Marshall soils, and the Gannett series in similar situations in the Valentine soils.

The Grundy, Marshall, and Colby soils are highly productive and well adapted to general farming, and practically their entire area is under cultivation to the staple crops. The Scott soil is of little of no agricultural importance. The Valentine soil supports a good growth of native grasses, and is used mainly for grazing. The Gannett soils are naturally poorly drained. They are used mainly as pasture land and for wild-hay production, but part of the area is cultivated.

The terrace soils are classed in the Judson, O'Neill, and Hall series. These soils on the whole are very desirable general-farming types, and they are largely under cultivation. They have in general a mellow, loamy structure, are well drained without being subject to erosion, and have a smooth surface well suited to the use of labor-saving machinery. Some of the areas of looser soil are subject to drifting in places, and in some of the lower lying situations the drainage at times is deficient.

The first-bottom soils are classed in the Cass and Lamoure series. The Cass fine sand is somewhat droughty and is not an important agricultural soil but the Cass sandy loam is largely under cultivation. About 60 per cent of the Cass fine sandy loam is cultivated, the remainder being poorly drained. The Cass clay loam is in general poorly drained and it is used mainly for pasture. The Lamoure soils are desirable and productive types, largely under cultivation.

Rapid Rise In Values In 1919

It will be noted that price valuations throughout the present chapter have been kept in the past tense. This is due to the rapid rise in land values which occured within a few months in 1919. Land values in Iowa have risen until farms there are selling in the summer of 1919 up to $500 an acre; in eastern Nebraska, sales from $200 to $400 are becoming quite frequent, and the following tabulation is given here to show the effect this rise has had in Hall County land values. Land heretofore valued around $100 an acre is selling in August, 1919, at $175 to $200 an acre. Land formerly classed from $50 to $65 an acre is selling for $100 an acre, and so the proportion holds all the way along the line except the cheaper lands under $50, have not sustained a proportionately high rise.

John Rushen has sold his farm near Cairo after living there more than 25 years. The farm has an acreage of 120 acres and sold at $200 an acre or a total of $24,000. It was bought by Elmer H. Vanhoosen of Halsey, Nebraska, who will get possession March 1, 1920. He will make his home on this farm, it is reported from Cairo.

Mr Rushen has moved to Cairo and has purchased the George Brundage and the old Grandma Stoeger property, the two being adjoining. The price paid for the two was about $3,000 in all.

The J. E. Cox farm near Cairo has been sold to W. A. Crabtree who gets possession March 1. It has 160 acres and the price was $175 an acre or $28,000. The place is farmed now by Link Omar. Mr Cox recently disposed of his holdings at Cairo and moved to Lincoln. It is understood he has retained farming interests in the western part of the state.

Mr. Crabtree has sold his farm northwest of Grand Island. It comprises an entire section which is known as a "short" section and contains 618 acres. He received $60 an acre for it or $37,000. It was bought by James McMillan who has been engaged in the mercantile business in the western part of the state but who, it is said, has been conducting this business from his home in Grand Island. Mr. McMillan is to get this farm March 1. It has been owned by Crabtree for ten years.

Dr. E. A. Watson of Grand Island has purchased two farms. One is the old McKee place five miles from Wood River and the other is the Westphal place ten miles west of Grand Island. He is to get possession of both places March 1. Both are 160 acre farms and the price paid by the doctor is understood to have been around $160 an acre, a total of about $51,000.

The price was $155 an acre and Mr. Freeman is to get possession March I. Mr. Tagge has been raising some blooded stock of high rating in the county, Angus and Jerseys, and will have a sale of these in the fall. He plans to retain some of the Jerseys. The total sum received for his place was $62,000.

one mile north of his present farm from Mrs. Lachenmaker for $140 an arce or $11,200. He is to get possession March 1 The present owner lives on the place. Mr. Tagge plans to leave in several months for a visit to the coast where he will spend perhaps five months. He will be accompanied by his family and by Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Boldt. On his return he will settle on the 80.