any locality, dependent in character upon the nature of the underlying rock. All rocks are decomposed, to a greater or less extent, through the action of surface waters; the soluble constituents are carried away, while the insoluble ones remain and constitute the soils. Residuary soils are represented only over small portions of the area of the Higginsville sheet. They are found where the rock is near the surface, along hill slopes where the wash has been severe, along small streams of which the declivity is great. Over the area underlain by the Warrensburg sandstone such soils are of a sandy nature; over the surrounding areas, underlain by shales and limestones, they are generally argillaceous and may be calcareous.

Foreign soils of two kinds are represented here: i. e., soils derived from alluvium and soils derived from drift.

The alluvial soils are found over the flood plains of the Missouri river and of the larger tributaries. They are composed of the silts carried down the streams from points above and deposited over the plains in times of flood. They hence are composed exclusively of material occurring over the drainage areas of the respective streams, though a large portion of these may be derived from the drift, inasmuch as the alluvium is of later origin. Such alluvial silts are generally rich in organic matter derived from the remains of vegetation transported by the waters. They are light, siliceous, rich loams, and they make the alluvial plains of the rivers, where well drained, the most productive farming lands in the State. The total area of such lands within the Higginsville sheet is about 42 square miles, and of this, about 25 square miles is north of the river. The soils of the drift occupy by far the greater area. The exact limits of the formation are described on subsequent pages. Within these limits it is everywhere present, excepting where the slopes are too steep for any soil to rest, or where it is covered by alluvium. The material is what is known as loess, which is normally a silt of light gray color, composed of extremely fine particles of quartz and associated materials which are found in other glacial deposits. They are derived from a remote source

to the north and were brought to their present locations through glacial action. The loess is the finely ground portion of a great mass of material which was transported by the glacier; it represents the portion which was floated away by water from the edge of the glacier and deposited over the bottom of a great marginal lake or stream. It is porous, homogeneous and pulverulent and constitutes the basis of a most admirable soil. It is absorbent and yet easily drained; it is easily tilled and is free from rocks. To this glacial covering of loess the country owes its distinction as a rich agricultural region.

The color of the soil here is generally rich and dark, sometimes almost back. This is not the original color of the materials from which the soil is derived, but is an acquired one, and does not generally extend below the depth of two or three feet. The origin of this color here has not been made a subject of exact investigation, but what seems a probable explanation is, that it is due largely to the prairie and forest fires which were once so common here. These would naturally cover ground with charred remains of grass and wood, which would impart the dark color to subsequently falling rain-water, and this, in turn, would transmit the color by percolation to lower depths. A succession of such fires for many years can readily be conceived as an adequate cause for the coloration of the soil to depths of several feet.

FORESTRY.

The greater part of this sheet has been and still continues to be what is known as prairie country, and is destitute of forest trees. Outside of certain limited areas of thin and poor soil over which a scrubby growth of oak has sprung up, timber is confined to the neighborhood of the streams.

The most common trees found here, according to determinations made by Mr. C. F. Marbut, an assistant of the Survey, are the black oak (Quercus tinctora, and probably Q. coccinea and Q. rubra), the white oak (Q. alba), the water oak (Q. aquatica), the laurel oak (Q. imbricaria), the slippery elm (Ulmus fulva), the American elm (U. Americana), the cotton

wood (Populus monilifera), the white maple (Acer dasycarpum), and the linden (Tilia Americana). Of rarer occurrence are the swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), the black-jack (Q. nigra), the black walnut (Juglans nigra), the buckeye (Esculus glabra), the wild cherry (Prunus Pennsylvanica), the red-bud (Cercis Canadensis), the pawpaw (Asimina triloba), the white ash (Fraxinus Americanus), the sycamore or buttonwood (Platanus occidentalis, very rare), and the hickory (Corga-, very few.)

The general distribution of forest trees within the area is shown on the accompanying outline map.

Concerning the distribution of the trees Mr. Marbut reports as follows: "The timber of the area of the Higgins ville sheet is almost wholly confined to the Missouri river bluffs and to a narrow belt along the bottoms of Davis and Tabo creeks and their tributaries. A little timber occurs along Salt creek bottom toward its upper part; but most of the bottom, after its course changes to an eastward one, is open excepting for a few willows on the banks.

"The timber belt along the river averages about two miles in width. The principal growth is black-oak, white-oak, linden, elm, cottonwood, with scattered post-oaks, hickories, black walnuts, wild cherries, mulberries and blackberries, and a few others of no value for timber. The tops of the ridges are occupied by the black-oaks and white-oaks, though the whiteoaks are more frequent on the hill-sides. Post-oaks are very rare, occurring only on flat uplands. The linden trees are found along the rich hill sides and in the bottoms. They grow to a very large size and are used for lumber. Elms grow in the bottoms. Black walnut timber is not very plentiful. It is sometimes found around old farm-houses or old towns.

"The timber belt along Tabo creek is an extension of the Missouri river belt; but as one proceeds from the river the tree growth changes. The trees most met with along this belt are the elms, the maple and the laurel (probably willow) oak. This oak is the most common on the flat bottoms away from the vicinity of the streams, and on the wet lands of the adjoining uplands and tributaries.

"The timber belt along Davis creek is composed principally of elms and oaks, with cottonwood, black walnut, hickory, mulberry, ash and cherry, the latter being somewhat rare.

FIG. 3. Outline map showing distribution of forest trees within the Higginsville sheet.

"Southwest of Corder, in section 33, township 50 N., 25 W., and in sections 3, 4 and 5 of township 49 N., 25 W., is a small timber area consisting principally of black-oak, which especially characterizes the tops and sides of the hills. In the creek the black oaks are replaced by elms and willow-oaks. Continuing down the creek toward Aullville, a scrubby growth of post oaks replaces the above. This growth is found in the

western part of sections 3 and 13, and in the eastern part of section 4, township 49 N., 25 W.

"Along the larger streams flowing into Davis creek, in township 49 N., 24 W., is a growth of black-oaks of small size, with elms. These occur generally over the bottoms, but along the tops of the hills on the north side of the creek is a growth of scrubby post-oak, which has sprung up in the sandy, uncultivated soil.

"The growth along the Missouri Pacific railway between Aullville and Higginsville, is principally elm and oak (black) and willow.

"In township 50 N., 24 W. are a few groves of cottonwood in the flat bottoms of the small branches, and cottonwood trees are frequently met with in the moist rich soil of the prairie branches. On the sand-bars in the Missouri river are a few sycamores. No linn trees were noted excepting along the Missouri river bluffs. Such may, however, occur scattered along the bottom of the large creeks. White-oaks are rare, occurring, so far as remembered, only along the Missouri river bluffs."