122 SCIENCE AND SOIL 



Chester series. Gray to brown surface soils with yellow subsoils, derived 

 principally from schists and gneisses. The most valuable soils of the province 

 for wheat and corn, and good for certain fruits. The most highly developed 

 soils of the Piedmont Plateau. 



Penn series. Dark Indian red soils with red subsoils, derived from red sand- 

 stones and shales of Triassic age. Excellent soils for general farm crops, 

 particularly wheat, corn, and hay. 



APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS AND PLATEAU 



The Appalachian Mountains are made up of a number of parallel ranges and 

 intervening valleys, which extend in a general northeast and southwest di- 

 rection from southern New York to northern Alabama. The elevation ranges 

 from about 1500 to nearly 7000 feet above sea level, the highest point being 

 attained in western North Carolina. 



Immediately east of the Appalachian Mountains, and usually separated from 

 them by a valley, is a wide stretch of country known as the Alleghany Plateau. 

 In a broad way this plateau is carved out of a great block of sedimentary rocks 

 tilted to the northwest from the mountains. It is crossed by numerous streams. 

 As they run in deep channels (all the larger ones being from 200 to 1000 feet 

 in depth), the dissection of the plateau block is often minute. 



The rocks of the eastern ranges of the Appalachian Mountains are igneous 

 or metamorphic in origin, while the western ranges, as well as the Alleghany 

 Plateau, are made up of sedimentary rocks. Different series of soils have, 

 therefore, been formed in different parts of these mountains and plateau. 

 The igneous and metamorphic rocks give rise to the soils of the Porter series, 

 while the Dekalb and Upshur series are formed from the weathering of the 

 sandstones and shales of sedimentary origin. 



The character of the topography in the mountain and much of the plateau 

 region is such that general farming is not practicable. These areas are, how- 

 ever, well suited to grazing and fruit growing, and these are very important 

 industries. 



Dekalb series. Brown to yellow soils with yellow subsoils, derived from 

 sand stones and shales. Soils of this series are used, according to texture, 

 elevation, exposure, and character of surface, either for the production of 

 hay, for pasture, or for orchard and small fruits. 



Fayetteville series. Grayish brown to brown soils with yellowish or reddish 

 brown subsoils. Adapted to apples, grapes, and small fruits, and give mod- 

 erate yields of general farm crops. 



Porter series. Gray to red soils with red clay subsoils, derived from 

 igneous and metamorphic rocks. This is the greatest mountain fruit series 

 of the eastern United States. It is also used for general farming. 



Upshur series. Brown to red soils with red subsoils, derived from sand- 

 stones and shales. Somewhat more productive than the Dekalb soils. Used 

 for cotton, corn, wheat, and forage crops. 



