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146 THE SOILS OF CALVERT COUNTY 



space in a cubic foot of material tlian a fine-grained compact clay has. 

 But the soil pores are large and more continuous and the volume of 

 spacC; compared with the area of the walls of the cavities, is much 

 greater than in the clay soil. As a result water moves more freely 

 through sandy soils than through clays. Sandy soils are incapable 

 of retaining the high percentage of soil moisture usually found in clays, 

 when all other conditions but those of texture are similar. 



With the Leonardtown loam the actual texture of the soil masses 

 is largely modified in its influence upon the circulation and retention 

 of soil moisture by the peculiar structure. Water in passing through 

 the subsoil must pursue a very roundabout course, for the clay lenses 

 are highly impervious while the sandy joints permit of a much easier 

 flow. Thus the soil water flows from the surface of one clay lense to 

 that of another and is much more retarded in its progress than would 

 be the case if the same materials were mixed together in a homogeneous 

 mass. As a consequence the Leonardtown loam presents the agricul- 

 tural features of a heavy clay soil while composed of the materials 

 of a somewhat sandy loam. The peculiar structure also makes the 

 subsoil more friable, and the Leonardtown loam is frequently spoken 

 of as a brittle soil to distinguish it from more plastic masses of clay. 



The natural growth common to the Leonardtown loam comprises the 

 white oak, pitch pine, and, in low-lying wet areas, the sweet gum. The 

 white oak growths are such a common feature of this soil that it is 

 locally known as white oak soil, while the fact that much of its area 

 is covered with timber also causes it to be spoken of as forest land. 



The Leonardtown loam is one of the heaviest soil types found in 

 Calvert County, and with proper cultivation it should produce good 

 crops of wheat and furnish fair pasturage and clover crops. It is too 

 heavy for the production of the best grades of tobacco, and consequently 

 it has not been utilized to the best advantage in the Maryland areas 

 where it occurs. 



The uniformly yellow appearance of the surface soil indicates a lack 

 of organic matter, which should be supplied in the form of stable 

 manures, and by plowing under green crops like crimson clover and 



