SOIL SURVEY OF THE RED BLUFF AREA, CALIFORNIA. 



47 



has taken place. It is too valuable a soil for grain growing, although 

 heavy crops are secured from such parts as are not otherwise utilized. 

 Alfalfa is admirably adapted to produce maximum yields and is 

 receiving much attention. Numerous old peach orchards give evi- 

 dence, by the superior quality and yield of fruit, that this is a stable 

 industry. The orchards are generally rather poorly cared for and 

 maximum profits are not made. The Stanford Ranch has demon- 

 strated the production of wine grapes to be profitable. The type 

 has as wide a crop range as any other in northern California, and 

 more intensive agriculture upon it is fully warranted. Truck crops 

 melons, and all the stone fruits will be profitable. Under intensive 

 methods such a soil under the local climatic conditions is capable of 

 supporting a family upon an average tract of 20 acres. 



Vina fine sandy loam, gravelly phase. — The soil of the gravelly 

 phase of the Vina fine sandy loam is subject to considerable varia- 

 tion in texture, structure, and depth, but consists usually of a brown 

 loam of fine sandy texture and of rather loose character, carrying a 

 large content of gravel from_ volcanic rocks. At a depth varying 

 from 20 to 36 inches it is underlain by cobbles derived from erosion 

 of the material of the Tuscan series or of the indurated volcanic 

 gravel commonly underlying the soils of the Vina and Tuscan series. 

 The surface is usually more or less strewn with angular volcanic cob- 

 bles and bowlders. The surface is sloping and is excessively drained. 



The type is largely a reworked product of the Tuscan series, in 

 many instances grading into it. Intermittent stream wash largely 

 forms the material and accounts for its variability. It is treeless and 

 of limited extent. 



This limited area of soil, indicated in the soil map by gravel symbol, 

 is typically better in agricultural possibilities than the Tuscan series, 

 but poorer than any other of the Vina series. Parts of one or two 

 fields of grain-farmed land appear upon this phase, but at present it 

 is not used to any appreciable extent for agriculture, grazing being 

 practically its use. Parts of it can be intensively developed with 

 water for irrigation. 



The following table gives the average results of mechanical analy- 

 ses of samples of the soil of the Vina fine sandy loam and of a single 

 analysis of the soil of the gravelly phase : 



Mechanical analyses of Vina fine sandy loam. 



