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18-Haxtun loamy sand. This is a deep, well drained,
<br />sandy soil mainly in swales and sandhill valleys in the
<br />southern and north-central parts of the county. This
<br />soil formed in eolian sand that overlies an older buried
<br />soil. The areas range to 50d acres in size. Slopes are
<br />mainly 0 to 3 percent but range to 5 percent in some
<br />small areas.
<br />Included in mapping are Dailey loamy sand,
<br />which makes up about 5 percent of this map unit, and
<br />Manter loamy sand, which makes up about 10 percent.
<br />Typically, the surface layer is grayish brown
<br />loamy sand about 10 inches thick. The upper part of
<br />the subsoil is dark grayish brown sandy loam about 10
<br />inches thick. The lower part is a buried subsoil of dark
<br />grayish brown sandy clay loam about 21 inches thick
<br />(fig. 2). The substratum, to a depth of 60 inches, is
<br />very pale brown, calcareous sandy loam. South of the
<br />Arikaree River, the substratum is calcareous coarse
<br />and medium sand below a depth of about 40 inches.
<br />Permeability is moderate. The available water
<br />capacity is moderate. The effective rooting depth is 60
<br />inches or more. Surface runoff is slow. Water erosion
<br />is a slight hazard, and soil blowing is a severe hazard.
<br />About 60 percent of the acreage of this soil is
<br />cropland, most of which is irrigated. The rest is
<br />rangeland. The main crops are corn, small grains,
<br />sorghum, hay, and pasture grasses. This soil is well
<br />suited to irrigation, and good yields can be expected
<br />with proper management.
<br />The main concerns in managing irrigated cropland
<br />are controlling soil blowing, which can result in large
<br />losses of the organic matter in the soil, and
<br />maintaining soil fertility. Soil blowing can be
<br />controlled by leaving crop residue lying on the surface
<br />or as standing stubble when crops are not grown.
<br />Crops can be seeded directly into the crop residue,
<br />which serves as a protective mulch that can prevent
<br />damage to young crops by soil blowing. Grasses and
<br />legumes grown in rotation about one-fourth of the time
<br />help to restore the organic matter lost through soil
<br />blowing. Decomposition of organic matter in the soil
<br />has a stabilizing effect that helps the soil resist soil
<br />blowing.
<br />This soil is best suited to sprinkler irrigation.
<br />Frequent light applications of water, particularly early
<br />in the growing season, make the most efficient use of
<br />water. Fertilizers that add nitrogen and phosphorus to
<br />the soil, applied at rates determined by soil tests,
<br />normally increase the yield of irrigated crops.
<br />The main concerns in managing nonirrigated
<br />cropland are controlling soil blowing and conserving
<br />moisture. This soil is best suited to grain sorghum;
<br />however, small grains can also be grown. To help
<br />maintain the organic matter content and soil structure,
<br />an alfalfa-grass or grass mixture should be grown for 2
<br />or 3 years and then alternated with annual crops. Crop
<br />residue can be left on the soil to reduce the hazard of
<br />soil blowing. Light applications of nitrogen fertilizer
<br />normally increase crop yields and the amount of crop
<br />residue produced. Crops should be planted at right
<br />angles to the prevailing wind, and the newly planted
<br />field should be left in a ridged condition. Ridges
<br />equivalent to those left by a deep furrow drill are most
<br />effective.
<br />The potential native vegetation is dominantly sand
<br />bluestem, needleandthread, prairie sandreed,
<br />switchgrass, little bluestem, and blue grama. If the
<br />range is overgrazed, these grasses decrease in number,
<br />and sand sagebrush, sand dropseed, and wild buckwheat
<br />increase. Undesirable weeds and annual plants invade
<br />and increase as the range condition deteriorates.
<br />Badly depleted range can be improved by
<br />interseeding with a mixture 'selected from sand
<br />bluestem, sideoats grama, switchgrass, and indiangrass.
<br />Sand sagebrush management helps to increase
<br />production on overgrazed range.
<br />Wildlife habitat, especially for openland and rangeland
<br />wildlife, is an important secondary use for this soil.
<br />Habitat favorable for ring-necked pheasant, moiJming
<br />dove, and many nongame species can be developed on
<br />cropland by establishing nesting and escape cover.
<br />Undisturbed nesting cover is vital for pheasants and
<br />should be planned for, especially in areas of intensive
<br />agriculture. Rangeland wildlife, for example, the
<br />pronghorn antelope, can be encouraged by developing
<br />livestock watering facilities, by properly graZing
<br />livestock, and by range seeding, where needed. Sand
<br />cherry, American plum, cotoneaster, and other species
<br />can provide food for openland wildlife. The trees and
<br />shrubs recommended for use in windbreaks can provide
<br />cover.
<br />This soil generally is suited to windbreaks and
<br />environmental plantings. Soil blowing is the principal
<br />limitation to establishing trees and shrubs. This
<br />limitation can be overcome by cultivating only in the
<br />tree row and by leaving a strip of vegetation between
<br />the rows. Supplemental irrigation is necessary at the
<br />time of planting and during dry periods. The trees that
<br />are best adapted and that have a good chance of
<br />survival are Rocky Mountain juniper, ponderosa pine,
<br />Siberian elm, Russian-olive, and hackberry; the shrubs
<br />are skunkbush sumac, lilac, and Siberian peashrub.
<br />This soil is well suited to use as sites for septic tank
<br />filter fields and houses. However, foundation footings
<br />need to be wide enough to provide a safety margin of
<br />support for the weight of buildings.
<br />Capability subclass 111e, nonirrigated and irrigated.
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