4 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



It occurs in the plateau region along the New York-Pennsylvania 

 line and in northeastern Ohio as the deeper and more fertile member 

 of the Volusia series, usually at lower elevations than the Volusia silt 

 loam. 



SURFACE FEATURES AND DRAINAGE. 



The surface features of the Volusia loam are those of a smoothed 

 and rounded plateau region. The type occupies the valley slopes, 

 the rounded shoulders of the hills, and the rolling to nearly level 

 upland. Practically all of its surface is rolling to hilly, but only a 

 small percentage of its total area is too steep to permit of the use of 

 practically all forms of modern farm machinery. In absolute eleva- 

 tion the surface of the type lies at altitudes of 600 to 1,000 feet above 

 sea level in northeastern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania, ris- 

 ing to elevations of 1,500 feet or more in the highlands along the 

 New York-Pennsylvania line. The greater portion of the type lies 

 between 1,000 and 1 } 500 feet above sea level. 



The surface is rarely level. Even the undulating portion of the 

 surface of the plateau is crossed by sharply sloping ridges of glacial 

 moraine and broken by deeply cut gorges and stream channels. The 

 natural drainage features of the type vary considerably within local 

 areas. The greater portion is fairly well drained in its natural con- 

 dition, though many small swampy areas still exist, and upon the 

 majority of farms the natural conditions would be improved by the 

 installation of tile underdrains. 



Only the steeper slopes within the type are liable to suffer in any 

 great degree from erosion, and as these are commonly maintained 

 in permanent pasture or wood lot the soil losses from such causes 

 are slight. 



LIMITATIONS IN USE. 



The Volusia loam is located in a rolling to hilly country, with 

 heavy annual precipitation, a considerable portion of which takes 

 the form of heavy winter snowfall. It lies along latitude 42 North, 

 and the growing season is consequently short at the altitudes at which 

 it occurs. The type is therefore somewhat limited in its crop adap- 

 tations, although it produces fair to good yields of those crops espe- 

 cially well suited to northern, humid climates. Corn is almost uni- 

 versally grown and practically all of the crop is fed on the farm. 

 Oats constitute the chief small-grain crop, though some winter wheat 

 and a small acreage of barley are grown. Buckwheat is an impor- 

 tant crop. Hay and pasturage grasses cover by far the greatest 

 acreage on the type, which is especially well suited to grass produc- 

 tion. A small acreage of potatoes is grown on nearly every farm. 

 Hardy northern varieties of apples are well suited to production 

 upon the better drained areas which also possess proper local eleva- 



