176 



THE SOILS OF PRINCE GEORGE S COUNTY 



iiientary materials have been removed by erosion. The surface of 

 this soil type is rolling or deeply sloping, and it usually descends to 

 rocky, uncultivated areas along the streams. This soil has been 

 derived from underlying crystalline rocks through the mechanical 

 and chemical processes of weathering. The circulation of atmos- 

 pheric water charged with various chemicals has broken down the 

 minerals of which the rock was composed. The action of frost and 



Mechanical Analyses of Elktox Clay. 



Locality. 



L)csci-i|itiuii. 



05 o 



.5-161 HmilesNW. of|Fine gray loam, 

 Marlboro. to 8 inches. 



5463j3 miles S. of Mealy gray loam, 

 McKendree. to 10 inches. 



5462 



Subsoil of 5461.iHeavy grayish 

 clay, 8 to .36 

 inches. 



P.ct. 

 0.01 



.01 



.01 



5464Subsoil of 5463. Sticky mottled clay, 

 10 to 36 inches. 



P ct. P.ct. 

 3.74 Tr. 



6.02 



3.14 



1.64 



0.00 



013.78 



P.ct. 



1.56 



2.30 

 0.00 



0.00 Tr. 



•6 3 



ct. 

 .24 



2.24 



2.58 



P. ct. P. ct. p. ct. 

 7.9033 0841.54 



4.22 

 6.24 



.96 1.64 



4.98 

 34.10 



P.ct. 

 9.73 



47.84130.63 



I 

 ! 



35.0018.59 



5.6850.88i36.43 



encroaching vegetation has further modified the composition and the 

 texture of the surface material. In this way a soil has been formed 

 which is composed of disintegrated and decomposed rock materials. 

 Certain minerals have resisted this weathering process, and still 

 survive in the soil in their original condition. 



The soil of the Cecil mica loam consists of a friable yellow loam 

 which contains considerable quantities of unweathered muscovite 

 mica, existing in small flakes. When dry this soil is loose and almost 

 sandy ; when wet it feels slippery and greasy — a property due to the 

 presence of a large quantity of polished mica scales. The subsoil, 

 occurring at a depth of about 9 inches, is a reddish-yellow loam, 

 which also contains a large proportion of mica flakes. This grades 



