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TABLE 5.-0apability of land for use, by soil groups, in the Southe~stern Baca County Soil' Con- servation District-Continued ,RANGE III (rlld) Acfoage and proportion in land.oapablUty olass- IV (blue) VI (orango) __ Total VII (brown) VIII (purple) Soil group --,-- 3. Deep, moderately sandy lK)l1s________ 4. Medium-depth, moderately heavy soils_______________________________ 5, Deep sandy sollsmH__________.______ 55. Medlum.depth, sandy lK)lls__________ 6, ShallowJ moderately heavy solls_ ___. 66. Very snaUow, moderately hCllVY lK)11B-_________________.,____________ 7, Loosesaods_________ ________________ 88. Playa lake beds________ .___m'_______ {I, Rough brokAn or stony InmL Aeres ,Pet, ]4,650 100.0 Acres o Pet, Acres 14,6/iO BRUSH LAND 461 100.0 0 0 0 0 461 0 i4ij:if 38 15.3 211 84.7 0 0 249 4,174 4,410 51,4 3 ('j 0 -74~6- 0 8,587 0 701 21.3 135 4.1 2,4~7 0 3,293 0 0 ZI 1.2 2,20{I 98,8 0 2,2\16 0 0 0 29,488 10,0.0 0 2\1,488 0 0 0 629 100.0 0 629 3, Deep. moderately sandy'solls'_u,_____ 4, Medlum-deptli, moderately heavy solls_______________________n______ 5, Deep sandy solls_____________________ 55. Medium-depth, sandy soils_________. 6ft. Ver~ shallow, moderately heavy s0118___________________________ 7.I.oosesands________________________.._ {I, Rough broken or stony land_____ ---------~- Allbrushypasture_________ ______ 4,635 10,3 6,149 11.5 376 ,8 34,M3 77,4 0 ~__~~_ 45,003 l Farmyards and urban and mIscellaneous areas not inoluded, ~ Color distinguishing class area on maps acoompanying this bulletlD. I Less than 0,1 pereeut, Slightly more thllJl 26 percent of the land in crops at the time of the survey' in the southeastern district an<J ~O per- eent'of cropland in the western district is suitable only for permanent grass or woodland. In the two districts, 269,150 acres of cropland or idle land are in classes VI, VII, or VIII and should be restored to native grass. This is more than 21 percent of the totalland,in the districts. Ahout 45 percent of the land has been put under the plow. Litnd of classes III and IV only can be recom- mended for 'cultivation, and only a lim- ited acreage of class IV. Most :of the cultivated land should be of class III, which means that' even largcr acreagcs than those just mentioned should be l'evegetated. There are many factors other than land capability, however, that en tel' in to farm planning. Class III land is found only in the sOJlthern half of the county and makes up only 28.2 percent of the southeastern and 14.7 percent of the western distriet. It is not intermingled with land of other 28 classes in such a way that each individ- ual farmer can have enough of this land to accommodate his needs under the present system of farming. Some farms are cOJ1lposed almost entirely of class III land, but tbese opcrators are already short of pasture and eannot plow out more. About 30 percent of the land in each district is in class IV, which should be used largely as pasture. 'The amount to be cultivated varies according to the soil, erosion, land use pattern, and needs of individual operators. Much land of this class that is noW idle or in cultivation should be rcstored to grass. Experienced faIm people and various Government agencies are recommend- ing that the present type of farming be changed. Livestock farming, using small acreages of cultivated land for production of a res.erve and winter feed suppl;V, is recommended as the most practIcal farming system. This will in- volve a big reduetion in cultivated hind, not only because fewer crops will bc i , Physical Land Conditions in the