The Relation of Soil Character, as Expressed by Certain Soil Types, to the Choice of Land for Grazing in the Mixed Prairie of North Dakota

The mixed prairie region of North Dakota embraces the entire western or Great Plains portion of the state. It is the region that is commonly known as the Missouri Plateau and is drained by the upper Missouri and its tributaries. It has an altitude of 1800 to 2700 feet, and a mean annual rainfall of l4-l8 inches. The surface features of the region are almost wholly the result of erosion and the topography ranges from level in sections-distant from main streams to the rough and broken country adjacent to the Little Missouri river known as the Badlands. The normal soil of the region is a well developed chestnut soil. The loams and silt loams have a mellow brown surface soil underlain at 3 to 5 inches by brown soil arranged in medium sized friable vertical blocks extending to a depth of 19 to 21). inches. The parent material may consist of either till or residual sandstone, shale, or clay of the Fort Union formation. The rolling and hilly upland is characterized by a brown soil having a shallow solum. The parent material is residual from sandstone or clay. Numerous soils developed from local and general alluvial material occur which together with the uplands soil result in an intricate pattern of soil types having extreme variations in productive capacity. The physiographic features naturally limit the uses of the land to two main groups namely, grazing and crop production. The native mixed grasses occur in several vegetative types closely associated with soil types. Although varying in quality and quantity the vegetation offers excellent grazing. The major dominants and the moat important species from the grazing viewpoint found on the normal loam and silt loam soils are Blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), needle grass (Stipa comata), nigger wool (carex filifolia), the sedges [carex stenophylla and pensylvanica) and Western wheat grass (a smithii). Associated with these grasses and sedges are usually a few other less important species as..June grass (Koeleria cristata), other needle grasses and numerous forbs; chiefly plantain (plantage purshii). The choice of land for crop production as encouraged under the homestead laws and the fact that the settlers were naturally Intent upon farming, in'general was limited only by topography that prevented the use of machinery. Prevailing climatic conditions and soil characteristics were ineffective buffers in regulating the intensive use of the land for cropping purposes. Unfortunately many of the settlers who are still using the land have experienced the thrill of harvesting a bumper crop produced on the newly broken sod under favorable climatic conditions without observing striking variation in yield between various soil types. It is true that the natural production and adaptation of various soil types to crop yield are neither accurately nor relatively revealed on new land and as a result, many farmers continue to use the land and operate their farms on the strength of crop yields obtained under extremely favorable physical conditions for plant growth. As a result the wholesale application of artificial stimulants of various kinds, such as seed and feed loans, have been necessary in order that the existing land use pattern may survive. Continuous cultivation has increased oxidation of the original organic content and subsequently reduced the amount of available nutrients, water holding capacity, altered the soil structure, and as a result, the general fertility of the soil is reduced. The light textured soils become subject to serious wind erosion and many shallow and immature soils inherently low in fertility are quickly rendered still more unfit for crop production. Many of the solonized soils having such a high toxic effect on plant growth that crop production is prohibitive are being cultivated continually, despite meager yields. Attempted production of green manure crops, especially on the young and immature soils, has not been successful and with the general decrease in organic matter, active wind erosion reduced the desirability of summer fallowing. The semi-arid climate with the extreme variation in rainfall, temperature, and wind movement between seasons from year to year makes crop production a hazardous occupation oven on the best soils of the region. Perhaps the moat obvious example depicting the shortcomings of the homestead law is in the region known as the badlands. The character and extent of the various soils generally limited the use of the land to grazing. Scattered ownership, however, and uneconomical units resulted in a distinct lack of range control and overgrazing caused the encroachment of inferior grasses, I can think of no better summation or the prob-