THE MIAMI SERIES OF SOILS. 27 



The Miami fine sandy loam constitutes a fairly good general farm- 

 ing soil, giving average yields of the staple crops under normal cli- 

 matic conditions. It is well suited to the growing of beans and Irish 

 potatoes. Where the climate is favorable it is used extensively for 

 fruit production. Locally this type supports the dairy and other live- 

 stock industries. There is a general appearance of prosperity about 

 the farms located on this soil; the farm buildings are usually well 

 built and in good repair, and include, in addition to the dwelling 

 house, large barns and outhouses for the storage of hay and grains 

 and for the housing of stock. In the dairy section of southern 

 Michigan silos are found on practically every farm. 



MIAMI LOAM. 



The Miami loam has been encountered in 15 different soil surveys 

 located in southern Michigan, northeastern Illinois, and southeastern 

 Wisconsin. A total area of 714,614 acres of this type has been 

 mapped. It is probable that additional areas of considerable extent 

 will be encountered as the soil survey work is extended in this general 

 region. 



The soil of the Miami loam to an average depth of about 10 inches 

 is a soft, friable loam of a brown or grayish-brown color. When 

 dry the surface of a plowed field is light gray or ashy gray, while in 

 depressions or other locations where organic matter has accumulated 

 the color is dark gray to brown. In the more rolling areas of the 

 type the color is usually light brown or yellowish brown. When 

 moist the surface material is uniformly somewhat darker. Usually 

 small quantities of gravel and in some localities a few bowlders are 

 scattered over the surface. Some gravel is encountered in the 

 surface soil. One phase of the type, occurring in hilly areas, is 

 decidedly stony, but this constitutes only a small part of the area 

 mapped. 



The subsoil of the Miami loam to a depth of 2 feet or more is 

 characteristically a yellowish-brown heavy loam or clay loam, which 

 contains an appreciable amount of coarse sand and fine gravel and 

 is usually somewhat gritty. This grades downward into a compact 

 gritty clay which contains large quantities of gravel and bowlders 

 of various sizes. The color of the deeper subsoil varies, but is 

 usually brown or gray, or shows mottlings of these colors. 



Throughout southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois a 

 large part of the coarser sand and gravel, and many of the bowlders, 

 consist of limestone of local derivation, and the deeper subsoil is 

 consequently calcareous. In southern Michigan the limestone is not 

 so abundant, but it is estimated that approximately 25 per cent of 



