KINDS OF SOIL 



49 



feet, but in some places it is 300 to 500 feet deep, 

 and often it is merely a skim coat of seven or eight 

 inches over the surface. 



As would be expected, the distribution of drift soils 

 is very erratic. An acre may contain several wholly 

 distinct kinds. There is a field of one acre near Lan- 

 sing, Mich., in which about one-half of the soil is 

 a stiff clay, one-fourth is gravelly loam and the 

 balance, which was formerly a swamp, is muck. 

 Who would try to advise the owner how to treat this 

 field as regards tillage, fertilising, and draining? 



All the variations in soils that affect the production 

 of crops are not apparent on the surface; the char- 

 acter of the subsoil has a very important influence 

 on the fertility of the surface soil. The subsoils of 

 drift or glacial soils are extremely varied. The diver- 

 sity of many of the soils of northeastern United 

 States may be judged from a report of James Geikie 

 on the different kinds of soils that he found in a cut 

 355 feet deep, working from the surface downward : 



Sandy clay 5 feet 



Brown clay and stones .... 17 



Mud 15 



Sandy mud 31 



Sand and gravel 28 



Sandy clay and gravel 17 



Sand 5 



Mud 6 



Gravel 30 



Brown sandy clay and stones . . 30 



Hard red gravel 4 6 inches 



Light mud and sand 1 



Light clay and stones 6 



Light clay and thin block ... 26 



Fine sandy mud 36 



Brown clay, gravel, and stones . 14 



Dark clay and stones 68 



355 feet 



