Wheat winter kills, the loose soils heaving badly under influence of
frost. The areas lie at too high elevations for corn. Oats do well,
making large yields. Irish potatoes, even under ordinary culture,
will yield from two hundred to three hundred bushels per acre. It
seeds in blue grass naturally, which affords excellent pasturage.
Clover and other grasses will also grow luxuriantly upon it. The
areas occupied by this soil are mostly cleared.'"

"Yes, Sir," said the Chief, "the Potters black loam is a fine
soil--loose and porous as stated in the Report. You see it has a
good physical condition."

"There is one other description in this Report for 1903 that is of
special interest to me," said Percy. "This relates to a type of soil
which the surveyors found in the low level areas of prairie land in
McLean County, Illinois, and which they have called Miami black clay
loam. I think we have several acres of the same kind of soil on our
own little farm. I found the following statements on page 787:

"'When the first settlers came to McLean County they found the areas
occupied by the Miami black clay loam wet and swampy, and before
these areas could be brought under cultivation it was necessary to
remove the excess of moisture. With the exception of a few large
ditches for outlets, tile drains have taken the place of open
ditches. Drainage systems in some instances have cost as much as $25
an acre, but the very productive character of the soil, and the
increase in the yields fully justify the expense. There are few
soils more productive than the Miami black clay loam. Some areas
have been cropped almost continuously in corn for nearly fifty years
without much diminution in the yields.'"