SOILS OF EASTERN VIRGINIA. 11 



This soil is of small extent either in the Churchland area or in the 

 general region. It occurs on slight ridges near the shore line and 

 probably represents small accumulations of wind-blown sand. In 

 this locality it is excessively drained. 



Loamy sand. — In certain of the tilled fields erosion has carried 

 quantities of fine sand from the higher elevations down the slopes 

 toward the shallow streamways. These slopes are subject to both 

 the accumulation and removal of sandy material from time to time. 

 They present a varied surface soil which is for the most part a yellow 

 fine sand 12 to 20 inches deep. At greater depths this may be loamy 

 or the fine sand may extend to a depth of 36 inches or more. 



This material occurs only in narrow bands and usually is cultivated 

 in conjunction with more extensive and important upland types. 



Portsmouth loam. — The surface soil of the Portsmouth loam to a 

 depth of 12 inches or more is a dark brown loam. The subsoil is 

 usually a gray, loamy fine sand or a gray fine sand to a depth of more 

 than 36 inches. The type occupies small depressions in the upland 

 and at stream heads. Near the centers of such hollows the brown 

 loanty surface soil sometimes has a depth of 24 inches or even more. 

 The type represents accumulations of organic matter and of soil 

 washed from the uplands. In its natural condition it is poorly 

 drained, but some tracts in the Churchland area have been improved 

 by tile underdraining. The areas are so small that no distinctive 

 cropping is usually adopted. 



Steeply sloping land. — Between the upland and the tidewater inlets 

 the land slopes rather steeply down. Such narrow areas have been 

 left in timber to a considerable extent. The slopes are not usually 

 occupied by any definite type of soil, but consist chiefly of some- 

 what sandy wash from the upland, overlying the more loamy deeper 

 strata of the region. 



Tidal marsh. — At the heads of the small tidal indentations there 

 are some small areas of tidal marsh. These have not been drained 

 and are not used agriculturally. 



It is notable that practically all of the soils of this area posess a fine 

 sandy loam surface soil. The essential differences between the sev- 

 eral types appear most markedly in the subsoils and consist chiefly in 

 differences in the texture and coloration of the deeper subsoil. 



The dark-brown to reddish-brown color of the subsoil of the Sassa- 

 fras fine sandy loam indicates good natural drainage conditions and 

 the thorough aeration and oxidation of the material. 



The yellow color of the Norfolk fine sandy loam indicates good 

 drainage and aeration, though possibly not so complete as in the case 

 of the former type. 



