THE OBANGEBURG FINE SANDY LOAM. 5 



pose. The surface of the type is generally rolling to somewhat hilly, 

 with level areas broken by low, rounded ridges, or bounded by sharp 

 hill slopes, often badly eroded. In the southern belt of the Gulf 

 regions where this type is prevalent there are few high hills or steep 

 slopes and the surface configuration is undulating to rolling. It 

 occupies the higher elevations and is surrounded most frequently by 

 soil types of other series, particularly the Norfolk. 



In the more inland localities in the eastern Gulf region the type 

 is found at still higher altitudes and is rolling to hilly. A consider- 

 able proportion of the area of the type thus far mapped in central 

 Alabama and northeastern Mississippi may be characterized as hilly 

 to rough and broken with erosion as a marked feature on some portions 

 of each area. The Louisiana-Texas region is one of rolling to hilly 

 topography with numerous steep slopes, and a considerable propor- 

 tion of the area of the Orangeburg fine sandy loam is either threat- 

 ened by erosion or actually eroded in all of its marginal positions. 



The belt immediately along the eastern Gulf coast which is occu- 

 pied by the Qrangeburg fine sandy loam rises to altitudes of 80 to 150 

 feet and constitutes the higher land of this section. The central 

 area where the Orangeburg fine sandy loam is strongly developed 

 rises from 200 to 500 feet above sea level and is deeply dissected by 

 the larger south-flowing streams of Alabama and Mississippi. In 

 the Louisiana-Texas region the Orangeburg fine sandy loam is found 

 at elevations ranging from 100 or 125 feet to 350 feet and occa- 

 sionally 500 feet along the western margin of the region in northern 

 Texas and southern Oklahoma. 



The Orangeburg fine sandy loam is universally well drained, and 

 there are practically no swampy areas of any extent within the 

 regions of its occurrence. Its elevated position gives rise to rapid 

 gradients in the stream channels and to sharp slopes from the up- 

 lands down to the drainage levels. Erosion is everywhere active, 

 particularly along the borders of the type and is one of the greatest 

 menaces to agriculture. 



LIMITATIONS IN USE. 



The soft friaole surface soil of the Orangeburg fine sandy loam 

 is competent to absorb a large amount of moisture and to store it for 

 crop uses. The sandy clay subsoil also prevents excessive percolation 

 of soil moisture, making the type well suited to general farm crops 

 as distinguished from the market-garden or truck crops which are 

 best grown upon less retentive soils. For this reason it is considered 

 one of the best general farming soils of the Gulf Coastal Plain and 

 well adapted to upland cotton, corn, winter oats, cowpeas, and cer- 

 tain other staple crops. 



