SOILS OF EASTERN VIRGINIA. 19 



Along the southern boundary of this plain the land rises gently to 

 an elevation of 25 to 30 feet along the crest of a low ridge, extending 

 in an east and west direction across the area. The surface of this 

 ridge is somewhat uneven, being marked by slight depressions with- 

 out outlets. Its crest is near its northern border whence it slopes 

 gently toward the south and southeast. The elevations along the 

 southern border of the area mapped range from about 15 to 20 feet 

 above tide level. 



The distribution of the soils of the area is closely related to the 

 topographic features. The lower plain is chiefly occupied by the 

 Norfolk loam and the Sassafras fine sandy loam. The higher por- 

 tion of the ridge is occupied by the Sassafras and the Norfolk coarse 

 sandy loam, with small isolated areas of the Norfolk loam in the 

 depressions. The gentle southern slope of the ridge is occupied by 

 the Sassafras loam and the Norfolk loam and gravelly loam; the 

 lower land along the southern border of the area consists of areas of 

 the Suffolk loam and gravelly loam. Certain of the steeper slopes 

 around the border of the area consist of discontinuous areas of the 

 Norfolk gravelly sandy loam. 



There are few slopes within the area so steep as to interfere with 

 cultivation. Drainage is somewhat defective in the southern part 

 of the area, but is well established over the surface of the low ridge 

 and fairly well established in the lower plain to the north. 



Truck-crop production has been conducted within the section for a 

 considerable period of time, and the Virginia Truck Experiment 

 Station is situated within the limits of the area mapped. The 

 Diamond Springs area represents the soil conditions which prevail 

 over a considerable proportion of Princess Anne County, particularly 

 in the northern part along Chesapeake Bay. 



Ten different types of soil are mapped in the Diamond Springs 

 area, exclusive of small areas of Swamp. 



Sassafras coarse sandy loam.— The surface soil of the Sassafras 

 coarse sandy loam, to an average depth of about 6 inches, is a grayish- 

 brown medium to coarse sandy loam carrying small quantities of 

 fine gravel. From 6 inches to 14 or 18 inches in depth the subsoil is 

 a yellow to golden-yellow coarse sandy loam. This is underlain to 

 a depth of about 36 inches by a crumbly but decidedly coherent 

 sandy loam, containing a large proportion of coarse sand mixed with 

 silt and clay. In many places the material changes below 36 inches 

 to a coarse loamy sand of an orange color. Fine gravel is found at 

 all depths. 



