HOOD RIVER-WHITE SALMON RIVER AREA. 35 



rolling hills and mountain slopes covered with the Underwood loam. 

 The topography is sloping to gently rollmg, and the dramage is good. 



This is an old alluvial soil, deposited at a time when the flood plain 

 of the Columbia River stood at this level. The color and structure 

 of the soil and the nature of the embedded rocks mdicate that much 

 of the material of this type has not, however, been transported for 

 any considerable distance, and the supei'ficial soil material has doubt- 

 less been derived, at least in part, from recent alluvial wash from 

 near-by sloping areas of the Underwood loam. 



The forest on this type consists of fir, pine, and scrubby oak, but the 

 larger part of the area origmally forested has been cleared and the 

 land set in orchards. The uncleared areas are very rocky and it is 

 doubtful whether it would be profitable to clear and plant these 

 sections. With one or two exceptions, none of the orchards are in 

 bearing, and those that have reached the bearing age have not been 

 producing for a sufficient length. of time to determme the value of this 

 soil in the growing of apples. The development of the trees indicates 

 that the soil is well adapted to them, but some doubt is expressed as 

 to the ability of the type to mamtam heavily bearmg orchards with- 

 out the aid of UTigation. No water is now available and it will be 

 difficult to supply, owing to the position of the type. 



WIND RIVER GRAVELLY SANDY LOAM. 



The surface soil of the Wind River gravelly sandy loam consists 

 of from 6 to 18 inches of a light- textured, friable sandy loam, usually 

 containing a relatively high proportion of sdt and very fine sand. 

 It is light brown to reddish brown m color, and carries a large quan- 

 tity of ffiie gravel, mainly small red pellets, concretions of spherically 

 weathered basaltic particles. The subsoil is either a sandy loam 

 similar in texture to the surface soil, or a loamy sand showing more 

 or less stratification and carrymg varying quantities of ffiie, sub- 

 angular or waterworn gravel. In places the sandy loam subsoil has 

 the same color as the surface soil, but it is more commonly a lighter 

 brown or yellowish brown. The loamy sand subsoil is always gray. 

 The gravel of the subsoil is made up of small rock particles which 

 have been rounded by the action of water. 



In extent this is one of the minor types of the area. It is developed 

 in four small bodies. The area nearest Hood River has a very 

 uniform surface, except along the course of Indian Creek, where 

 there is a sharp descent to the bed of that stream. The body in the 

 Wliite Salmon River Valley also has a uniform surface, which slopes 

 sharply from the hUls toward Jewett Creek and the basaltic cliff 

 overlooking the Columbia River. 



The drainage of this type is always good, and in places where the 

 sandy subsoil lies near the surface it is excessive. The topography 



