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The Physical and Mineralogical Properties of Related Minnesota Prairie Soils¹

ABSTRACT

The morphological, chemical and mineralogical characteristics of soils are to a considerable extent attributable to the amount of water that enters the soil. The Clarion, Nicollet, and Webster soils in south central Minnesota were investigated. These soils are members of a catena developed on calcareous glacial till of Wisconsin age (Mankato substage). Three profiles of each series from widely scattered areas were studied.

The study revealed that the (1) color of the soil is directly related to drainage; (2) there was little or no accumulation of clay in the B horizons of any of the soils; (3) the surface soil of the Clarion series is the most highly weathered horizon as indicated by a relatively low content of apatite and orthoclase, a high content of garnet, and the presence of kaolinite in the coarse clay fraction; (4) the high cation exchange capacity of all soils is not attributed entirely to organic matter but more particularly to the high montmorillonite content of the clay fraction; and (5) the observable and distinguishable properties of the soils of the three series are chiefly morphological rather than chemical or mineralogical.

¹ Paper No. 3246 of the Scientific Journal Series, Minnesota Agr. Exp. Sta., Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. Presented before Division V, Soil Science Society of America, St. Paul, Minn., Nov. 11, 1954.

² Assistant Professor and Professor of Soils, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. respectively.

Received for publication November 3, 1954.