SOILS. 



The Triassic stony loam, designated by the letters Tsl on the soil 

 map, forms the sides of the valley in the southern portion and is 

 found in many isolated areas scattered through the valley, frequently 

 occurring as drumlins or hogbacks. These areas were islands in the 

 glacial lake, and hence were not covered by the lake sediments. 

 The soils of these areas are the characteristic, stony New England 

 soils which have to be picked over year after year to remove the 

 rocks and boulders and thereby facilitate the cultivation of the land. 

 When so cleared of rocks and stones the soil is adapted to general 

 farming and particularly to grain and hay crops and to certain fruits, 

 particularly apples. As a rule it affords excellent pasturage when 

 turned out to grass. A fair quality of tobacco is raised upon this 

 soil, especially in certain localities, but it cures up red and is adapted 

 only to certain markets. 



The Holyoke stony loam (Hksl) is similar in many respects to the 

 Triassic, except that it is not quite so strong a soil for agricultural 

 purposes. The topography is considerably more broken, the hills are 

 quite steep, and the land is not very extensively farmed in the areas 

 surveyed. It affords very excellent grazing, however. So far as 

 known, tobacco has not been grown upon this formation. 



The Enfield sandy loam (Esl) consists of a thin covering of sandy 

 loam overlying the Triassic stony loam, which occurs from 1 to 2 

 feet below the surface. The Triassic stony loam makes a very de- 

 sirable subsoil, and, although this formation occurs in rather narrow 

 areas and is of small extent, it is considered one of the best soils of 

 the valley. 



The Hartford sandy loam (Hsl) is the typical soil for the seed-leaf 

 tobacco. It is a medium grade sandy soil from 10 to 20 feet deep, 

 easily cultivated and moderately retentive of moisture. It produces 

 a fine wrapper leaf and is highly prized as a tobacco soil. It is not so 

 well adapted to general farming, however, as the Triassic stony 

 loam. 



The Windsor sand (Ws) is a coarse, open, sandy soil, a grade 

 coarser than the Hartford sandy loam, and not at all adapted to 

 general farming. This formation is adapted to early truck crops, 

 and such crops are grown upon it to a considerable extent. Late 

 crops, such as corn and tobacco, on this soil are liable to suffer 

 severely from the summer droughts. About two years in five, the 

 seasons happening to be favorable, a very superior wrapper leaf is 

 produced on these soils, and it is from these that the lightest, finest 

 wrapper leaf would be expected if the plants could be kept continu- 

 ously growing and unaffected by drought. 



The Podunk fine sandy loam (P/s/), although covering but a small 

 area, has a world- wide reputation as being the district in which the 

 broad-leaf tobacco is produced in the greatest excellence. This is a 

 very fine-grained, sandy soil, a grade finer than the Hartford sandy 

 loam, and tobacco crops have been grown on it continuously for 

 twenty-five consecutive years without any apparent deterioration in 

 the soil. 



The Chicopee gravelly loam (Cgl) is little cultivated on account 

 of the very high content of gravel throughout the material. It is 



