7- WEST FLORIDA PINE HILLS. 23 1 



region have been taken from the government soil surveys of Gads- 

 den and Escambia Counties, pubhshed in 1904 and 1907 respectively. 

 In the case of the Escambia soils each represents the average of 

 two localities, but the localities are not specified, and the depths 

 are not given. The soils are as follows : 



1. "Norfolk sandy loam" from two miles southwest of 'J.It. Pleasant, 

 Gadsden Co.; depth 10 inches. This is the most extensive soil of t^ie Gads- 

 aen County plateau, and is described as a light grayish sandy soi' resting 

 on a yellow sandy loam. Ferruginous pebbles are common, the vc,!.;L-la 

 tion is mostly open forests of long-leaf pine, with practical'.y the same 

 undergrowth as that mentioned above in connection with the chemical 

 analysis; the location being nearly the same. 



2. Subsoil of same, 10 to 36 inches. 



3. "Norfolk sand," Escambia Co. This is described as an incoherent 

 light-gray or yellowish medium sand about 5 inches deep, underlaid by 

 3'ellowish or reddish sand of the same texture to a depth of 36 inches or 

 more. It is said to cover nearly half of Escambia County, and to be 

 characterized by salamander hills, lo^ng-leaf pine, and some "scrub oak" 

 (doubtless Quercus Catesbaei) and dogwood. Very little of it is in cultivation. 



4. "Norfolk fine sandy loam," Escambia Co. This is a fine sandy 

 loam or loamy fine sand from 8 to 18 inches deep," 'becoming gradually 

 j'ellowish and clayey with increasing depth, with numerous ferruginous con- 

 cretions. The vegetation is long-leaf pine and wire-grass. 



5. "Norfolk loam," Escambia Co. "A loam from 6 to 10 inches deep 

 It is usually brown or grayish in color for the first 4 or 5 inches, but be- 

 low this it changes to a light yellow." The subsoil is said to be clayey 

 and impervious. The vegetation is a very heavy growth of long-leaf pine 

 and wire-grass. 



6. "Orangeburg sandy loam" (named for Orangeburg, S- C). This 

 differs from the "Norfolk" soils in being redder and more clayey, and is 

 most common in the northern half of Escambia County. "The native 

 vegetation is quite generally a strong and vigorous growth of long-leaf 

 pine." The soil is said to be so productive in its natural state that very 

 little fertilizer has been used on it in the short time it has been under cul- 

 tivation. "A general appearance of prosperity is noticed where this type forms 

 the principal farming land."* 



*This soil is found in the part of Florida where the summers are 

 driest (see climatological data for Flomaton, on page 183), and a chemical 

 analysis would doubtless show it to be .above the state average in potash 

 and some other minerals. The prevalence of long-leaf pine on it may 

 be due to the fact that it occurs in comparatively small bodies which have 

 no protection from fire, and long-leaf pine resists fire better than any 

 other upland tree in that part of the state. 



