REVISION OF SOILS IN THE AL^BEMARLE AREA. 7 



terrace area. Shaly limestone outcrops occur on several high places 

 to the south of Waynesboro on both sides of the river where the terrace 

 material apparently has been washed off. In such situations rela- 

 tively small areas of Hagerstown shale loam are developed. Between 

 Waynesboro and Port Republic there is very little terrace material 

 on the west side of the river. 



Origin of material. The soils of the Shenandoah terrace consist 

 of water-worked material deposited by the river when its overflow 

 waters reached higher levels. This material was derived largely 

 from the rocks of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including, possibly, some 

 little material from the Shenandoah Valley limestones. A consid- 



FIG. 3. High, flat portion of Shenandoah terrace (Holston sandy loam) at foot of the Blue Ridge 

 Mountains east of Crimora station. Land freshly prepared for small grain. 



erable proportion of the soil undoubtedly comes from the extensive 

 belt 'of the quartzite following the western side of the Blue Ridge 

 across the Albemarle area. Water-rounded quartzite stones and 

 bowlders are everywhere in evidence, being particularly abundant 

 near the outer margin, especially in the vicinity of those points where 

 the streams issue from the mountains. These quartzite bowlders are 

 locally called " river jacks," ' 'river rocks, " and "sheep heads." Many 

 of these are almost round, but the greater proportion simply have 

 well-rounded edges, some having a flat shape. 



Other rocks than quartzite are present, but in much smaller num- 

 bers, except over occasional areas. In the vicinity of Elkton, par- 



