20 FIELD OPEEATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1907. 



The Rough stony land is derived from the ancient alluvial deposits 

 of the older valley and from the underlying volcanic muds and 

 breccias. 



Owing to the shallow nature of the soil, the presence of hardpan, 

 and the rough, unirrigable, and stony character of the country, it is 

 devoted only to grazing and is generally unadapted to fruits or farm 

 crops. 



ANDERSON GRAVELLY LOAM. 



The Anderson gravelly loam typically consists of a moderately 

 heavy, sticky loam of light-red color, extending to a depth of 8 to 

 12 inches and carrying a moderate quantity of small flattened or 

 rounded pebbles, or cobbles, and considerable fine subangular or 

 rounded gravel. It is somewhat compact in structure but friable 

 when cultivated. It is sometimes, however, very gravelly and of 

 lighter color, and in such cases usually grades into the Sacramento 

 gravelly sandy loam. In other locations it is of a fine, silty, compact 

 character, of deeper red color, and grades into the adjacent more 

 elevated soils of the dissected plains and lower foothills. 



It is sometimes underlain by rounded cobbles and stream gravels 

 or by heavy, compact clay loam partially indurated and cemented 

 by lime and iron salts, and forming a relatively soft hardpan. Usu- 

 ally, however, it extends to the depth of 6 feet or more, the lower 

 portion of the section being somewhat finer in texture, of more 

 compact structure, and of a deeper red color. Occasionally it is 

 underlain by a compact, deep-red clay loam. The subsoil is often 

 relatively free from gravel and occasional layers or lenses of par- 

 tially indurated clay or sandy clay material form a soft hardpan 

 quite readily penetrable by roots. 



This type occurs in numerous bodies of irregular or elongated out- 

 line of moderate size occupying the more elevated valley plains 

 adjacent to the upland soils, or the narrow valleys of small inter- 

 mittent streams dissecting the uplands. The more extensive and 

 typical bodies occur in the vicinity of Anderson and in the north- 

 western part of the area extending southward from Redding to 

 Clear Creek. Other bodies of more gravelly character and of con- 

 siderable extent are found in the valley of Stillwater Creek north of 

 Loomis Corners. 



The surface is nearly level or gently sloping, with minor irregu- 

 larities. It is usually well drained and is sometimes scored by 

 erosion or cut by intermittent stream channels. 



The Anderson gravelly loam usually supports a more or less vigor- 

 ous growth of timber and chaparral brush. Except where shal- 

 low or of porous, leachy character it is fairly well adapted to irriga- 

 tion and to crop production. 



