LAND TYPES OF MASSACHUSETTS 5 



This figure combined with that of the survey gives 13.1 percent of crop- 

 land in the area, and combined with that of the census gives 12.8 percent. 



Effect of Stoniness on Land Use. (Table 2). — Stoniness increased with all 

 slopes. The lowest degree of stoniness was found on more than half of 

 the A slopes; moderate stoniness was most abundant on the intermediate 

 slopes, although slight and moderate stoniness were approximately equal 

 on B slopes; and the fourth degree of stoniness was found on almost half 

 the D slopes. 



The significance of stoniness as a factor in land use is shown by the dis- 

 tribution of the different classes of stoniness in cropland. According to 

 these figures, 92.2 percent of all the cropland fell in the first two classes, 

 which are none or very slight and slight. A similar relationship is shown 

 by a study of the situation on the Gloucester soils considered alone: 53.9 

 percent of the fine sandy loam and 85.9 percent of the loam were classed 

 as cropland; whereas the corresponding figures for the stony phases of 

 these types were 13.2 and 15.0. All these figures indicate that stoniness 

 is a more important factor than slope in determining land use within the 

 limits studied. 



Table 2. Distribution of Stoniness Classes in Each Slope Class. 

 (Acres and percentage given.) 



Slope Class 

 and Range 

 in Percent 



None* 



A (0-3) Acres 1929.4 



Percent 54.5 



B (3-8) Acres 1051.6 



Percent 22.2 



BB (8-15) Acres 720.7 



Percent 20.6 



C (15-25) Acres 161.G 



Percent 16.1 



D (25+) Acres 32.1 



Percent 7.4 



Total area Acres 3895.4 



Percent 29.5 



Cropland Acres 2320.3 



Percent 63.2 



*IS'one, or very slight. 



Slight Moderate 



Severe 



Total 



Erosion, Erodibility, and Land Use. — The significance of soil erosion, and 

 by implication, erodibility, is shown in tables 3, 4, and 5. First, it may be 

 noted that second degree, or slight erosion predominated (84.0 percent, 

 tables 3 and 4) and that moderate erosion was found on 12.1 percent of 

 the total area surveyed. However, only 3.8 percent of the area showed 

 no erosion, and only 0.1 percent showed severe erosion. 



