SOIL SURVEY OF ANOKA COUNTY, MINN. 25 



large bodies of peat land. The type has good natural surface drain- 

 age. In some of the higher lying areas where the subsoil is somewhat 

 open and leachy the type is droughty, but in general the type is 

 fairly retentive of moisture. Areas lying but little above the level of 

 peat land have a relatively high water table, and the supply of mois- 

 ture for crop use in such places is invariably good. 



The Merrimac loamy fine sand next to Peat is the most extensive 

 soil in the county. It covers at least one-third of the total area. 

 Owing to its resistance to drought it is somewhat more productive 

 than the loamy sand. About 65 per cent of the type is in cultivation. 

 The remainder supports a forest consisting mainly of large oak, with 

 a scattering growth of scrub oak and poplar. Sand cherry, choke 

 cherry, and wild plum are found in places, and there is generally an 

 undergrowth of brush and grasses in the forested areas. The for- 

 ested land is not only of considerable value as a source of firewood, 

 but also affords some pasturage. 



Corn, oats, potatoes, and tame grasses, principally clover, are the 

 most important crops on this soil. Dairying is an important in- 

 dustry, although the soils of heavier texture make more ideal dairy 

 farms. Hogs and some beef cattle are raised. Poultry products are 

 a source of considerable income. The yield of corn in good years is 

 as high as on the Gloucester and Miami soils. In extremely dry years 

 it is somewhat lower. The average is about 35 bushels per acre, but 

 with normal rainfall a yield of more than 50 bushels is often ob- 

 tained. Potatoes yield from 75 to 150 bushels per acre. There is a 

 somewhat wider variation in yields than on types having clay sub- 

 soils. 



Land values on this type range from $40 to more than $70 an acre, 

 depending on the state of improvement, the transportation and 

 market facilities, and the location. The roads over most of the type 

 are in poor condition, many of them being of loose sand. 



The Merrimac loamy fine sand is somewhat subject to drifting, 

 which can be prevented to some extent by keeping the land in grass 

 sod or in some catch crop, such as rape or millet, as much of the 

 time as possible. 



BUCKNEE LOAMY FINE SAND. 



The Buckner loamy fine sand consists of a rather dark brown 

 to black, loamy fine sand, 12 to 18 inches deep, underlain by a sub- 

 soil of brown loamy fine sand. The change from surface soil to 

 subsoil is very gradual. In several included areas the texture ranges 

 to a very fine sandy loam or loam. In some places the soil and 

 subsoil contain gravel. Apparently there is no calcareous material 

 within the 3-foot section, but the substratum is probably more or 

 less calcareous. 



