SOIL SUKVEY OF ANOKA COUNTY, MINN. 15 



The peat or marsh lands occur throughout the various upland soil 

 divisions. They are most extensive in the eastern half of the county, 

 within the deep sandy areas. The size of the individual areas ranges 

 from a few acres to several thousand acres. In the aggregate they 

 cover about 34 per cent of the area of the county. 



The Miami series is characterized by gray to light-brown surface 

 soils underlain by pale-brown to gray subsoils which are quite 

 uniformly clayey and almost invariably calcareous. Normally there 

 are more or less small gravel, cobblestones, and medium-sized 

 bowlders on the surface and throughout the 3-foot section. In the 

 lower subsoil and substratum some of the stones are limestone, 

 but in the upper soil section they are of noncalcareous material, the 

 limestone bowlders probably having been dissolved. The subsoils 

 are rather compact, being hard when dry and plastic when wet, and 

 the moisture movement is somewhat retarded. In general the sur- 

 face is rather level or gently rolling, but in places it is hilly and 

 rolling, showing some evidence of morainic accumulation. In the 

 lower areas the till plain seems to have been modified to a greater or 

 less degree by a thin deposit of sediment from the adjacent out- 

 wash-plain section of the county. 



The surface soils of the Gloucester series vary from dark gray to 

 grayish brown, and the subsoil from buff to light brown. The lighter 

 colors are more prominent in the lower subsoil and substratum. The 

 subsoils are noncalcareous, and range in texture from a rather heavy 

 clay to an open sandy clay. In most places .there occur on the surface 

 and throughout the subsoil and substratum small gravel, cobblestones, 

 and medium-sized bowlders, of crj^stalline and other noncalcareous 

 rocks. In some places calcareous material occurs at a depth of several 

 feet below the surface. The subsoil is everywhere fairly retentive 

 of moisture and moderately open to moisture movement. The surface 

 of the Gloucester soils is mainly that of a rather level to gently 

 rolling glacial-till plain, but it becomes hilly in places. 



The Hinckley series is characterized by gray to brown surface soiJs 

 underlain by buff-brown to light-brown, noncalcareous subsoils. The 

 subsoil and substratum show a wide variation in texture. The sub- 

 stratum remains noncalcareous to considerable depths. In most 

 places small gravel, cobblestones, and medium-sized bowlders of non- 

 calcareous rocks occur on the surface and throughout the 3-foot sec- 

 tion. The surface is rather rough and hilly, a feature characteristic 

 of morainic material. 



The surface soils of the Merrimac series range in color from brown 

 to dark brown and black. The subsoil in places is slightly dark 

 brown, but for the most part it is brown to light brown. The entire 

 3-foot section and the substratum to great depths are of a sandy 



