SOILS OF MASSACHUSETTS AND CONNECTICUT. 17 



is quite rolling, though the hills are not very high. Many of the hills 

 are dome-shaped and afford excellent orchard sites. Their soilfl, 

 too, are generally well suited to orcharding, often consisting of mel- 

 low, brown medium loams overlying a subsoil of friable sandy loam 

 or light loam, yellow or brown in color. 



Just west of the Blackstone Valley the land is more rough and 

 stony until the general level of the uplands is attained, where it is 

 moderately hilly westward to the French River. 



Farther north in the town 1 of Sutton, where the apple of that 

 name originated, the surface soils on a representative farm examined 

 grade from heavy fine sandy loam in the " upper orchard " to a light 

 silty loam in the " lower orchard." The subsoil grades from heavy 

 sandy loam to light loam, and in places to silty loam. The color of 

 the surface soil is brown and yellowish brown, and of the subsoil yel- 

 low, grayish-yellow, or light brown. 



In North Grafton the surface soils in another orchard examined 

 included loam, light loam, and sandy loam of brown or yellowish- 

 brown color, while the subsoils consisted of yellowish loam and sandy 

 loam. In large orchards of another farm were found the types 

 above mentioned and also a heavier silt loam underlain by clay loam. 

 In still another, a compact gravel layer was encountered at a depth 

 of 2 to 3 feet. This condition is designated as hardpan, and while 

 true hardpan undoubtedly occurs in spots, the term is often used in 

 the State to indicate subsoil conditions much less serious than actual 

 hardpan. These examples serve to show the local variability of the 

 soils. 



From the Sherborn-Hopkinton-Grafton district northward to 

 Chelmsford and Groton the soils of the Eastern Plateau belt aver- 

 age a little heavier than in the southern part, though the total range 

 in texture is just as wide. This district includes many prominent 

 farming towns, and excellent orchards are frequently to be seen. 

 Among these towns may be mentioned Shrewsbury, Northboro, 

 Berlin, Hudson, Marlboro, Sudbury, the Actons, Concord, Stowe, 

 Clinton, Lancaster, Bolton, Harvard, Littleton, Chelmsford, West- 

 ford, and Groton. 



The most representative soils are loams and fine sandy loams. Silty 

 loams are not infrequent, while now and then silt loams occur. The 

 subsoils are seldom heavier than the surface soils, but are very often 

 lighter. In some places the subsoil grades to a compact sand in its 

 lower depths, and small gravelly areas are not uncommon. The well- 

 drained and friable character of these soils has undoubtedly been a 



i " Town " in New England is synonymous with township. 

 55570° — Bull. 140—15 2 



