SOILS OF SOUTHEEN NEW JERSEY AND THEIR USES. 49 



Sassafras loam. — The Sassafras loam is not typical in the Swedes- 

 boro area, comprising onl}^ two small tracts of loamy wash from the 

 upland, accumulated in slight hollows. 



Colts Neck loamy sand. — The surface soil of the Colts Neck loamy 

 sand, to a depth of about 8 inches, is a reddish-brown loamy sand. 

 The coarse and medium grades of. sand are plentiful and a small 

 admixture of fine gravel occurs in the surface soil. The subsoil, to 

 a depth of about 20 inches, is a reddish-brown to reddish-yellow 

 rather coarse loamy sand. At a depth of 20 to 28 inches this grades 

 into a sticky, mortarlike sandy loam of a decidedly reddish color. 

 A small amount of gravel is present in the subsoil and in the lower 

 part there is a tendency toward cementation by iron salts. 



The type occupies gentle slopes along the ridge which crosses the 

 area. The greater part of the tjq^e lies well for cultivation, but small 

 tracts are rather steeply sloping and inclined to become washed by 

 heavy rains. Drainage is excellent. 



This is the principal " red land " soil in the region, and it is espe- 

 cially esteemed for the growing of sweet potatoes, which are of 

 the highest quality. 



Colts Neck gravelly sandy loam.. — The Colts Neck gravelly sandy 

 loam is characterized by a dark, rusty red gravelly loam surface soil, 

 having an average depth of about 5 inches. It is underlain to a 

 depth of 18 inches by a dark-red, sticky, sandy loam, containing a 

 considerable amount of gravel and fragments of ii'on crust. It is 

 frequently hardened through the deposition of iron salts as cement. 

 Usually below 18 or 20 inches the deep subsoil is a sticky red clay, 

 filled with gravel and broken iron crust. The gravel in this type is a 

 honey-colored quartz gravel ranging in size from one-half inch to 2 

 inches in diameter. 



The Colts Neck gravelly sandy loam occupies the highest ridges 

 in the area and forms separated knolls of some elevation. It has 

 suffered to some extent from erosion and is quite generally left in 

 forest. It has been utilized to a limited extent for peach orchards. 



CoUmgfon f^ne sandy loam: — The Collington fine sandy loam does 

 not differ materiall}^ in the Swedesboro area from its occurrences in 

 the Hartford and Thorof are areas, except that there are local accu- 

 mulations of fine sand on some of the slopes which render the total 

 depth of the surface soil greater than is usual. There are within the 

 limits of the Collington fine sandy loam certain steep slopes that 

 have suffered from considerable erosion. On these slopes the surface 

 soil is only 2 or 3 inches thick and in many cases the compact subsoil 

 is exposed. This phase is of no great importance either in the 

 Swedesboro area or elsewhere in southern New Jersey. 



47659°— IS— Bull. 677 4 



