SOILS OF EASTERN VIRGINIA. 49 



miles. It is centrally located on the crest of the broad, low divide 

 within the main upland of the county and is crossed from northeast 

 to southwest by the line of the New York, Philadelphia & Norfolk 

 Railroad. The altitude of the railroad station at Onley is given as 

 44 feet above tide level. 



The surface of the area is but slightly relieved. The greatest dif- 

 ferences of elevation are not more than 15 to 20 feet, and there are no 

 steep slopes within the area except for a short distance along both 

 banks of the small creek which drains the area and leaves its limits 

 near the southeastern corner. 



Holding in mind that the extreme relief is but slight, the surface 

 conditions may best be described as a low, broad rim of well-drained 

 land, occupying the outer margins of the area, and a broad, flat, and 

 slightly depressed basin which occupies the center of the survey 

 immediately to the south of Onley and comprises the headwater basin 

 of a small stream. It is not quite coextensive with the forested area 

 shown to the south of Onley. Smaller depressions of a few acres in 

 extent occur along the northeastern border of the survey. 



Drainage is well established over all of the low ridge, but is not 

 complete either in the larger or smaller basins, although artificial 

 means to remedy this condition have recently been undertaken. 



The distribution of the soils of the area closely follows these main 

 features of drainage. The Sassafras sandy loam occupies the crest 

 of the broad, low ridge; the Keyport sandy loam covers the more 

 elevated level tracts; the Elkton sandy loam occupies the lower 

 portions of the slopes to the basins and the greater part of those 

 depressions; the Elkton loam is found in small patches in the centers 

 of the basin areas; and the Portsmouth sandy loam occurs chiefly 

 along the stream courses. 



SOILS. 



These five distinct soil types are developed in the area, although only 

 three of them are of sufficient extent to be of agricultural importance. 

 The following table shows their absolute and relative areas within the 

 limits of the detailed map. 



Table X. — Areas of various soils in Onleij area. 





Soil! 



Acres. 



Per cent. 





774.0 

 477.6 

 468. 

 20.4 

 37.4 



43.6 





26.9 





26.3 





1.1 





2.1 









Total 



1,777.4 



100.0 







61681°— 22— Bull. 1005- 



