SOIL SURVEY OF PORTER COUNTY, INDIANA. 35 



MAUMEE FINE SANDY LOAM. 



The soil of the Maumee fine sandy loam is a black, mellow fine 

 sandy loam to loamy fine sand, ranging in depth from 12 to 20 inches. 

 This is underlain by a dark-gray, slightly mottled with yellow, fine 

 sandy loam, grading within a few inches into a light-gray fine sandy 

 loam. In places rusty-brown mottlings are present in the subsoil. 

 The substratum usually consists of light-gray, loose sand, more or 

 less mottled with yellow. The principal variations of this type are 

 areas having a slightly mucky surface or areas approaching the 

 Maumee loamy fine sand in texture. 



Most of the Maumee fine sandy loam is comprised in one area lying 

 south of Clanricarde and Kouts. Other small areas occur along 

 Crooked Creek and Sandy Hook Ditch. 



This type has the characteristic level topography of the other 

 Maumee soils. Fifteen to twenty-five years ago this land was in the 

 midst of the Kankakee marshes; to-day it is good farm land, having 

 been reclaimed by dredged ditches. All the type is used for agricul- 

 ture, and corn, oats, hay, and wheat have displaced marsh hay, 

 which was formerly the only crop produced. 



This soil is practically virgin, and the yields are stiU good. Corn 

 and oats produce from 25 to 55 bushels per acre. Wheat averages 

 nearly 20 bushels per acre, with yields as high as 40 bushels in excep- 

 tionally favorable years. Yields of timothy and clover hay range 

 from 1 to 2 tons per acre. 



Farmers on this soil make little use of fertilizer, except potash, 

 applications of which are made on slightly mucky land and in fields 

 where corn is damaged by insects. 



The Maumee fine sandy loam usually is valued at $100 to $150 

 an acre. 



The large dredged ditches traversing this type afford good outlets, 

 but some parts of it would be benefited by tile drainage. 



MAUMEE LOAM. 



The Maumee loam consists of a black loam to a depth of about 10 

 inches, underlain by a dark-drab, mottled with brown, heavy loam 

 to clay loam, passing at about 20 inches into light-gray, more or less 

 mottled with yellow and brown, plastic clay. Textural variations 

 occur where the surface consists of fine sandy loam to a depth of 2 or 

 3 inches, and also where the surface is slightly mucky. The sub- 

 stratiun usually consists of water-laid sand and gravel interstratified 

 with layers of heavier material. 



Most of the Maumee loam is mapped near Crooked Creek and other 

 shallow drainage channels of the Kankakee basin. A few small 

 areas occur within or north of the morainic belt. Although originally 

 marshy, this type has been reclaimed by dredged ditches, and is now 

 fairly well drained. 



