12 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 385 



Table 7. Natural Land Types of Essex County, Massachusetts 



A. Uplands derivrrl from glacial till; topograiihy undulating to liill\'. 



1. Soils of niediuiii texture, good drainage, and few stones; licst soils of A group. 

 Suitable mainly for general farming, dairying and orcharding; selected small areas 

 good for market gardening and small fruits. Sloi>es average abotit 6 per cent; 

 erosion control measures generally necessar.y; simjde measures such as striji cro]i- 

 ping and contour planting usually siiffioicnt ; some land too steep for successful 

 cultivation. 



Gloucester loam 



Gloucester fine sandy loam 



Gloucester fine sandy loam, gravelly phase 



Coloma loam 



Coloma fine sandy loam 



Charlton loam 



Charlton loam, gravelly phase 



Brookfield fine sandy loam 



Hollis fine sandy loam 



Woodbridge fine sandy loam 



2. Same as A 1, except subsoils or substratum more compact; best suited to general 

 and dairy farming; in favorable cases also orcharding, small fruits and market 

 gardening. Slopes average about 4 l)er ccnl ; much of the area can be cultivated 

 without special erosion controls. 



Woodbridge loam 



Esse.x fine sandy loam 



Esse.x fine .sandy loam, gravelly phase 



Sutton loam 



3. Same as A 1 or A 2 except containing enough stones or ledge to interfere with 

 cultivation; best suited to pasture or woods; also good for poultry raising. Slopes 

 average about S per cent ; strip-cropping and contour planting generally suffice for 

 erosion control on cultivated land; permanent pasture or woods most common. 



Gloucester stony loam 

 Gloucester very stony loam 

 Gloucester stony fine sandy loam 

 Brookfield fine sandy loam, stony phase 

 Hollis fine sandy loam, stony |ihase 

 Woodbridge loam, stony phase 

 Woodbridge fine sandy loam, stony phase 

 Hinsdale stony fine sandy loam 

 Essex fine sandy loam, stony phase 

 Coloma fine sandy loam, stony phase 



B. Land at intermediate levels, derived from terraces, glacial outwash material; topography 

 level to hummocky; drainage generally good to excessive. 



1. Soils of medium texture; level to undulating; free from large stones; organic 

 matter and natm-al fertility low, slightly to somewhat subject to drouth; best 

 soils of B group; best suited to intensive farming, especially market gardening; 

 also good for poultry raising. Slopes of Merrimac soils average about 2 per cent; 

 mtich of this type Requires no special erosion control methods; slopes above 2 

 per cent require contour planting, strij) cropping, or terracing. Slopes of Wenham 

 soils average about 6 iier rent; terraces are generally necessary under intensive 

 cultivation. Winter cover crops are especially necessary on this type to check 

 losses by leaching. 



Merrimac fine sandy loam 



Merrimac loam 



Wenham fine sandy loam 



2. Same as B 1 except of coarser texture and more subject to drouth ; uses similar to 

 B 1. Slopes average about 2 per cent; no special erosion control methods neces- 

 sary on much of this type; cover crops especially necessary to check leaching 

 and supply organic matter. 



