THE SOILS OF CALVERT COUNTY 



BY 



JAY A. BONSTEEL AND R. T. AVON BURKE 



IXTRODUCTORY. 



Calvert County, Maryland, comprises an area of 218 square miles 

 lying between the Patuxent Eiver and the Chesapeake Bay. It is the 

 smallest county in ^Maryland. The extreme length of the county from 

 northwest to southeast is slightly over 35 miles, and it varies in breadth 

 from 9 miles in the northern part of the area to about 5 miles in the 

 southern part. The entire area of the county is included between the 

 parallels of 38° 20' to 38° 45' north latitude and the meridians of 

 76° 22' to 76° 41' west longitude. The extreme elevation of the county 

 above sea level is less than 200 feet. Its long coast line and the numerous 

 embayments along the Patuxent shore make the county easily accessible 

 by water. Prince Frederick is the county seat and Solomons its largest 

 town. Agriculture and the oyster industry are the chief occupations of 

 its inhabitants. 



THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY*. 



Calvert County extends as a long, narrow peninsula, between two tide- 

 water estuaries, and, while half of its area rises to 120 feet elevation 

 or higher, the surface is very uneven and very much cut up by streams. 

 This is due to the steep, short fall of the water courses and to the 

 unconsolidated nature of the materials upon which the water acts. 



Hunting Creek, flowing into the Patuxent, and Fishing Creek, 

 flowing into Chesapeake Bay, liave nearly cut the county into two 

 parts. Battle Creek and Parker Creek have almost accomplished the 

 same dissection farther south, while St. Leonard Creek has its head- 

 waters within a half mile of Chesapeake Bay, though flowing into the 

 Patuxent. ^lany smaller streams have also deeply trenched the surface. 



