Successful farming today depends upon a good understanding of the basic soil resources we have to work with.

Detailed information about your soils and capabilities of your land is made available through the Conservation District and Natural Resources Conservation Service offices.

Soils technicians studied the soil on each farm by making borings and recording all the information about each soil type on aerial photographs. This then becomes a soils map, which shows specific information about each soil type and its location on each farm in Butler County.

Because of the importance of the surface soil, this layer is examined in considerable detail. The map will show the surface texture and general workability.

Texture of a soil refers to the amount of sand, silt and clay present - which determines, directly or indirectly, erosion hazard, crop adaptability and water infiltration.

No less important is the subsoil layer or layers, since this is an important part of the crop-rooting zone. In this layer, such characteristics as water and air, soil, texture and available water are extremely important.

Soil depth is another important property that is examined in the field and recorded on soil maps. Soil depth determines how much soil is available from which the plant roots can get their supply of food and water.

The slope of the land probably has more affect on erosion than any other soil feature, although texture, soil structure and many other factors influence erosion indirectly. Erosion that has occurred is recorded for each soil by indicating the amount of topsoil removed.

This information on slope and erosion points is not only for the specific hazards for each soil type but to the conservation measures that need to be installed to protect the land.

Another important feature about the soil shown on a soil map is the degree of drainage.

On the basis of observation and inferences used to obtain classes of runoff, seven drainage classes have been defined; ranging from very poorly drained to excessively drained.

When these extremes appear on a soil map, they reflect specific hazards to continued cultivation and growth of crops.

Many of these hazards can be corrected.

When all the known data about soils is gathered and recorded and the affects of local climate are evaluated, a land-use capability classification is made. These are used to express the capability of a soil or a group of similar soils and the hazards involved in their use.

Crop yields, therefore, depend on the soil characteristics as well as climate and the level of management. Soil and water conservation practices should be implemented.