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THE SOILS OF CALVERT COUNTY 



The topography of the surface of this soil varies with its manner 

 of occurrence. In the terrace areas it is flat-topped or gently sloping, 

 while in the outcrop areas it is more steeply sloping or even precipitous 

 and considerably gullied by stream action. 



The soil itself consists of a silty to fine sandy, yellow or brown 

 loam, having a depth of about ten inches. This soil is uniformly under- 

 lain by a yellow loam of a finer texture than the soil, usually to a 

 depth of forty or fifty inches. In the outcrop areas of this type the 

 subsoil grades down into the unweathered bluish clay of the Calvert 

 formation; while in the terrace areas, as at Dares Wharf, the subsoil 

 is underlain by cross-bedded sands. 



The Sassafras loam is a type of soil well adapted to general farming 

 purposes, and if it occurred in larger areas would form a marked class 

 of farming lands. It produces some of the best corn crops raised in 

 the county and produces fair wheat yields. It is also cultivated in 

 tobacco with good results. In other regions than Calvert County this 

 soil supports excellent pear orchards and furnishes good crops of tomatoes 

 and asparagus. 



The following analyses give an indication of the texture of the Sassa- 

 fras loam. The percentage of clay in this soil is less than that in either 

 the Norfolk or Leonardtown loam. 



Mechanical Analyses of Sassafras Loam. 



