The Cooperative Soil Survey

SOIL SURVEY OF BARTON COUNTY MISSOURI

Parsons Series - Missouri Distribution

The Parsons series consists of deep, level to gently sloping soils on upland divides and benches in all parts of the county. These soils formed under tall prairie grasses in shale residuum overlain by a thin mantle of loess or old silty alluvium. The material in the southeastern part of the county also includes cherty limestone residuum (fig. 17).

Figure 17.Profile of Parsons silt loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes. There is an abrupt change from the light-colored silt loam subsurface layer to the dark-colored clay subsoil.

    In a representative profile, the surface layer is very dark grayish-brown silt loam about 8 inches thick. The subsurface layer is dark grayish-brown silt loam about 6 inches thick. The subsoil is about 34 inches thick. The upper 5 inches is very dark grayish-brown clay, the next 7 inches is dark yellowish-brown clay, the next 22 inches is mottled, brownish-gray, yellowish-brown, and dark yellowish-brown silty clay loam. Many prominent dark-red mottles are in the upper part. The underlying material is mottled, brownish and grayish silty clay loam several feet thick. It is friable, is medium acid, and grades with depth to weathered clayey shale.

    Parsons soils are medium in natural fertility and are somewhat poorly drained. Permeability is very slow, and the available water capacity is high or moderate. A perched water table is at the top of the clay subsoil in wet periods. Susceptibility to erosion, seasonal droughtiness, and wetness are limitations that affect use of these soils.

    Most areas of these soils are in row crops and small grain. They are worked with big farm machinery, and the crops marketed as cash-grain crops. The most important crops are corn, wheat, soybeans, and grain sorghums. A small acreage of tame grasses and legumes, mostly tall fescue and lespedeza, is used for hay and pasture. Some redtop is grown for seed. A small and diminishing acreage is in native tall prairie grasses that are mowed for hay.

    Representative profile of Parsons silt loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes, in a cultivated field, 650 feet east and 2,595 feet north of the southwest corner of sec. 33, T. 32 N., R. 32 W.:

A1—0 to 8 inches, very dark grayish-brown (10YR 3/2) silt loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak, fine and medium, platy structure; very friable; few roots; vesicular; few worm channels ; medium acid; abrupt, smooth boundary.

A2—8 to 14 inches, dark grayish-brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; few, fine, faint, dark-brown mottles; weak, fine, platy structure; friable; few roots; vesicular; common worm channels; many iron and manganese concretions ; very strongly acid; abrupt, wavy boundary.

B21t—14 to 19 inches, very dark grayish-brown (10YR 3/2) clay, brown (10YR 4/3) kneaded; common, medium, distinct, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) mottles and many, fine, prominent, dark-red mottles; weak, coarse, prismatic structure parting to moderate, very fine, angular, blocky structure; very firm; continuous thick clay films; common, dark grayish-brown silty peds in the uppermost inch of this layer; many iron and manganese concretions; very strongly acid; clear, smooth boundary.

B22t—19 to 26 inches, dark yellowish-brown (10YR 4/4) clay; common, medium, distinct, very dark grayish-brown (10YR 3/2) mottles and few, fine, faint, very dark gray and yellowish-brown mottles; weak, coarse, prismatic structure parting to weak, fine, angular blocky structure; very firm; thick continuous clay films; few worm and root channels; many iron and manganese concretions; strongly acid; clear, smooth boundary.

B31t—26 to 39 inches, coarsely mottled, grayish-brown (10YR 5/2), dark yellowish-brown (10YR 4/4), yellowish-brown (10YR 5/6), and strong-brown (7.5YR 5/6) silty clay loam; weak, coarse, subangular blocky structure; firm; thin patchy clay films on faces of peds; thick clay films in pores and root channels; strongly acid; gradual, smooth boundary.

B32t—39 to 48 inches, coarsely mottled, light-gray (10YR 6/1), dark yellowish-brown (10YR 4/4), and yellowish-brown (10YR 5/6) silty clay loam; weak, coarse, subangular blocky structure; friable; vesicular; thin gray clay films in root channels and pores; strongly acid; gradual, smooth boundary.

C1—48 to 69 inches, strong-brown (7.5YR 5/6) silty clay loam; coarse, medium, prominent, light-gray and gray (10YR 6/1 and 5/1) mottles; massive; friable; medium acid; gradual, smooth boundary.

C2—69 to 92 inches, strong-brown (7.5YR 5/8) clay loam; few, coarse, prominent, light-gray (5Y 6/1) mottles, and few, fine, faint, yellowish-red mottles; massive; few, flat, iron-filled sandstone chips; medium acid.

    The A1 horizon, or the Ap horizon, is very dark grayish-brown silt loam 6 to 10 inches thick. In some places the A2 horizon is absent because of erosion or the mixing that results from deep plowing. In undisturbed areas the A1 horizon has strong granular structure in the upper 4 inches. Thickness of the A horizon is 6 to 16 inches. The B2t horizon ranges from 10 to 16 inches in thickness. The B21t horizon is dominantly mottled very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) but ranges from very dark gray (10YR 3/1) to dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2). The kneaded color is dark brown (10YR 4/3 to 4/4). The B22t horizon is dominantly dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4), but ranges to grayish brown (10YR 5/2). The B3t horizon ranges from 18 to 30 inches in thickness and from very strongly acid to slightly acid in reaction. The underlying material is silty clay loam, silty clay, or clay and ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid.

    Parsons soils are associated with Barden, Newtonia, Bronaugh, Summit, Liberal, Barco, Carytown, Gherokee, Crel-don, and Keeno soils. The abrupt, lower boundary of the subsurface layer distinguishes Parsons soils from Summit, Barco (see fig. 8), and all the other associated soils except the Cherokee and Carytown. Parsons soils have a darker colored or thicker surface layer than the Cherokee and Carytown soils. The underlying material in Parsons soils is acid, but it is alkaline in Carytown soils. Parsons are deeper than Liberal and Barco soils. They lack the fragipan and the chert content that are present in Creldon soils.

Hughes, H.E. 1974. Soil Survey of Barton County, Missouri. USDA-SCS. U.S. Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC.