166 THE SOILS OF PEINCE GEORGE's COU2v'TY 



This soil is only producing' to its full capacity in the northern part 

 of the county, where, through the use of green manures and lime, 

 from 15 to 18 bushels of wheat per acre are frequently raised upon 

 it. Elsewhere this soil type is generally lacking in organic matter. 

 The Leonardtown loam should furnish an excellent soil upon which 

 to introduce stock raising and dairying at points where market gar- 

 dening can not be undertaken. 



THE eeo:n^aedtown gravelly loam. 



The Leonardtown gravelly loam occupies an area of about 6 square 

 miles, occurring chiefly along the Montgomery County line. The 

 surface is usually gently sloping and well drained, and this soil type 

 is cultivated over the greater part of its area. 



The original plant growth on the Leonardtown gravelly loam has 

 been quite generally removed, but the areas now in forest show a 

 second gro^^h of oak and pine in about equal quantities. This soil is 

 farmed to corn, wheat, and grass. It is more typically a corn soil 

 than a wheat or grass soil, though these crops are produced to a fair 

 advantage in the regular rotation. 



The soil consists of a gravelly loam, containing from 15 to 30 per 

 cent of fine and medium gravel mingled with some sand and larger 

 amounts of fine material. The soil usually extends to a depth of 9 

 inches, and is underlain by a more compact yellow loam, which also 

 contains considerable amounts of sand and gravel. At a depth of 

 about 30 inches the subsoil is underlain by a bed of gravel and sand 

 usually several feet in thickness. 



The soil thus constituted forms an intermediate grade between the 

 heavy, grain-producing soils and the light tobacco and truck soils. It 

 is thus adapted to a variety of crops. At present it is used for gen- 

 eral farming. In addition to the corn, wheat, and grass now raised, 

 the Leonardtown gravelly loam is capable of producing good crops of 

 tomatoes, peas, sugar corn, and similar crops in demand for canning 

 purposes. It requires careful farming and a more general use of 

 stable and green manure to secure the best results from this type of 

 soil. 



