4 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOIL AND SUBSOIL. 



The surface soil of the type consists of a pale-yellow or light-gray 

 fine sandy loam, which usually extends to a depth of 6 or 8 inches. 

 This is underlain by a light-yellow, fine sandy loam subsoil, which 

 grades downward into a yellow light sandy clay at an average depth of 

 about 18 inches. In local areas this yellow fine sandy loam extends to 

 a depth of 24 to 30 inches and such areas are usually less productive 

 than the average of the type. The surface soil may range in color 

 from a dark gray or almost brown where it is well filled with organic 

 matter, as in slight depressions or in carefully tilled fields, to a pale 

 yellow or light gray where there is a deficiency of organic matter at 

 the surface. In tracts where the surface vegetation has been burned 

 off or Avhere clean cultivation has been practiced for a considerable 

 time the surface soil tends to be light gray or almost ashy white. 

 Occasionally small white quartz pebbles or rusty iron concretions and 

 pebbles may be found in both the surface soil and subsoil. 



The deeper subsoil is usually a friable yellow sandy clay, which 

 extends from a depth of 18 to 36 inches or more. In locations where 

 the natural drainage is poor the color of the subsoil at greater depths 

 becomes mottled gray and yellow or mottled gray and red. In loca- 

 tions where drainage is so deficient that the production of crops is not 

 advisable under ordinary circumstances the deeper subsoil may have 

 an almost uniform gray color. 



The Norfolk fine sandy loam is marked by the gray color of the 

 surface soil and the yellow color of the subsoil. It thus differs from 

 the Portsmouth fine sandy loam, which has a dark-brown to black 

 surface soil, and from the Orangeburg fine sandy loam, which has a 

 gray surface soil and deep red subsoil. These distinctive colorations 

 are characteristic of the respective series. 



The Norfolk fine sandy loam differs in texture from the other mem- 

 bers of the Norfolk series. The Norfolk sand consists of a fellow 

 medium sand soil and subsoil ; the Norfolk fine sand, of a yellow fine 

 sand soil and a yellow loamy sand subsoil, underlain by yellow sandy 

 clay. The Norfolk sandy loam possesses a medium to fine yellow 

 sandy soil underlain by a yellow sandy clay subsoil. 



Thus the Norfolk fine sandy loam may be distinguished by its tei 

 ture from the other members of the Norfolk series and by the coloi 

 tion of soil and subsoil from types of other soil series. 



SURFACE FEATURES AND DRAINAGE. 



In general the Norfolk fine sandy loam occurs upon upland are 

 between the larger streams, and its surface varies from almost flat to 

 gently rolling or undulating, with slight rises and hillocks, which are 



