SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES AND THEIR USE XXXVI. 



THE VOLUSIA SILT LOAM. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The Volusia silt loam occurs at the higher altitudes in the plateau 

 country which stretches from the vicinity of the Delaware River 

 westward along the line between New York and Pennsylvania to 

 the eastern boundary of Ohio, including considerable areas in the 

 northeastern counties of that State. It is not found south of the 

 extreme limits of glaciation. Within this region it has been encoun- 

 tered in eight different soil survey areas and has been mapped to the 

 total extent of 821,184 acres. It is estimated that the type covers not 

 less than 5,000,000 acres in the general region. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF SOIL AND SUBSOIL. 



The surface soil of the Volusia silt loam, to an average depth of 

 H inches, is a yellow or light-brown silt loam. The color varies with 

 the local conditions of drainage and with the amount of organic 

 matter present. In poorly drained areas there is a tendency toward 

 a gray or ash color, while in well tilled fields the surface soil is 

 usually brown. From 8 inches to about 20 inches the subsoil is usu- 

 ally a pale-yellow silt loam, underlain by a compact mottled gray 

 and yellow heavy silt loam. The entire soil mass is filled with angular 

 fragments of shale and sandstone rock of all sizes. The underlying 

 shale or sandstone rock is sometimes encountered at shallow depths, 

 but is usually buried by 3 to 5 feet of soil and subsoil material carry- 

 ing a few scattered bowlders of foreign rock. 



The Volusia silt loam is easily distinguished from the soils of any 

 other series by the universal presence of the flat shale and sandstone. 

 It differs from the Volusia loam in occurring at higher elevations 

 and in the generally lighter color of soil and subsoil. In general, it 

 does not possess the considerable depth to underlying rock of that 

 type. 



SURFACE FEATURES AND DRAINAGE. 



The Volusia silt loam covers the rolling surfaces of the high hills 

 which have been carved from the plateau region of southern New 

 York, northern Pennsylvania, and northeastern Ohio. At the highest 



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