22 BULLETIN 142, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



constitutes the deeper till of the region. Gravel in varying quan- 

 tities is found in both the soil and subsoil and is frequently scat- 

 tered over the surface. 



The topography of this type varies from undulating to hilly, and 

 the natural drainage is good. During dry seasons crops suffer some- 

 what from drought. 



Corn yields from 15 to 30 bushels an acre, with an average of about 

 20 bushels. Oats yield from 25 to 50 bushels, and rye averages 

 about 15 bushels per acre. Timothy and clover are grown for hay, 

 producing from 1 to 2 tons per acre. Irish potatoes are grown to 

 some extent, the yields ranging from 100 to 200 bushels per acre. 

 Small areas of beans and buckwheat are grown. 



MIAMI FINE SANDY LOAM. 



The Miami fine sandy loam is one of the more important and exten- 

 sive members of the series. It has been mapped over a total of 

 281,664 acres. The principal areas thus far encountered are in the 

 eastern and southern sections of the lower peninsula of Michigan 

 and in the southeastern part of Wisconsin. It is probable that other 

 areas of this type are developed in adjoining sections of these two 

 States and in the northern part of Indiana. 



The soil of the Miami fine sandy loam to an average depth of 

 about 8 inches is a light-brown to grayish-brown medium to fine 

 sandy loam. The color varies somewhat in different areas of the type. 

 There is usually a tendency toward a yellowish-brown color at the 

 surface on ridges or in other positions exposed to erosion, while the 

 color is darker in the more nearly level areas and on the lower slopes 

 where organic matter has accumulated to a considerable extent in 

 the surface soil. The subsoil to an average depth of about 2 feet 

 is a brown or yellowish-brown loam, usually containing a large 

 amount of fine sand. This grades through a sticky sandy loam into 

 a heavy clay loam or clay which is usually encountered at a depth 

 of 3 feet or more. A small quantity of gravel is commonly present 

 in the surface soil, and in greater amounts in the deeper subsoil, 

 which also generally contains cobblestones and bowlders. In some 

 localities bowlders are scattered over the surface of this type, 

 although the majority of these have been removed and used in the 

 construction of fences or the foundations of farm buildings. The 

 gravel and other stones of smaller size, particularly in the deeper- 

 subsoil, consist largely of local limestone rock. The larger bowlders, 

 especially those scattered over the surface, are usually crystalline 

 rocks brought to the region through the agency of glaciation. In 

 some instances, where the covering of glacial material is thin, lime- 

 stone rock is encountered at a depth of 3 to 5 feet. 



