254 FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



lo. MIDDLE FLORIDA HAMMOCK BELT. 

 (FIGURES 31, 33, 35, 36, 64-68) 



References. Garber 2, Harper i (219-220, 254-255, 276-277), Matson & Clapp 

 (98, 99, 121, 279, 287-288), Matson & Sanford (27, 113-114, 128, 263, pi- 

 3A, 4B), Sellards i (58-67), Sellards 3 (293 or 47), Sellards & Gunter 1 

 (263, 279-284), Sellards & Gunter 3 (143-149), Smith 2 (221, 222), and U. S 

 soil surveys of Gadsden, Leon and Jefferson Cos. and the "Gainesville area." 

 Illustrated in 3d Ann. Rep. p!. 7.2, 8.2, 8.3, 27.2, fig. 19; 4th Ann. Rep., pi. 

 12.2, !"g. 15. 



This is a complex and diversified region, extending in an arc 

 approximately parallel to the Gulf coast from Liberty County up 

 through some of the southernmost counties in Georgia and then 

 southeastward near the axis of the Florida peninsula to Marion 

 County. It embraces about 1,900 square miles iji the area covered 

 by this report. Within the region there are many small areas of 

 red hills, flatwods, and other variations, which might be entitled to 

 rank as distinct regions if they were large enough; but it is our of 

 the question to show them at all on the map here used. The Talla- 

 hassee red hills, which were included in the hammock belt in the 

 Third Annual Report (though separated on the map by a dotted 

 line) are here ranked as a distinct region, however (No. 11). 



Geology and Soils — Rock outcrops are chiefly confined to river- 

 banks and sink-holes, and those that have been identified are mostly 

 Upper Oligocene. The rocks are nearly everywhere covered by red- 

 dish sandy clay, and often also by a few feet of more or less loamy 

 sand. The clay is most conspicuous in the western part, and grad- 

 ually diminishes eastward and southward. The soils are mostly 

 rather sandy, but vary from red loam hills much like those of the 

 next region to damp sour sandy flatwoods like those of region 9, 

 gray h'gh hammock lands, and sihy second-bottom deposits; and 

 most of these types occur in nearly every county. 



No chemical analyses of soils from this region seem to be avail- 

 able, but the government soil surveys above cited contain many me- 

 chanical analyses and descriptions which are of considerable interest. 

 From this source eight types have been selected, as follows : 



I. "Gadsden sand," from % mile northeast of Quincy, Gadsden Co. 

 Depth ID inches. This is described as a dark gray fine sand, or medium 

 sandy loam, resting on a gray or yellow or brownish sandy loam slightly 

 lighter in texture. There are some ferruginous pebbles in the soil. This 

 soil is mostly on slopes near streams, and may be partly colluvial. Its 

 vegetation is of the hammock type, and it is regarded as a very productive 

 soil, for a sand. 



