238 



THE SOILS OF CECIL COUNTY 



that they contain very minute quantities of lime and phosphoric acid. 

 Where sufficiently deep to retain moisture for the growing plants, 

 if supplied with manures they are found to be as productive as many 

 soils which have never been called barren. 



The following table gives the mechanical analyses of a typical soil 

 and subsoil of the Conowingo barrens: 



MECHANICAL ANALYSES OE CONOWINGO BARRENS. 









d 





ia 







rH 



s 



B 











a 



B 







"= 



O 







B 



i—i 









u 





+j 









- 



kC 













 +3 



1—1 



-d" 



3 



T3 



d 



8 





 



4^ 



m 

 

 

 . 



%B 



No. 



Locality. 



Description. 



rganic ma 

 loss. 



O 

 > 



c 



c3 



09 

 CD • 



ZB 



c 



•Hid 

 ©O 



-d 

 a 



CO 



o> a 

 SB 



09 



©0 



3 

 









O 



3 







» 



fe 



> 



m 













P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. Ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



4244 



Mount Pleasant, ^2 

 mile W. 



Yellow loam, to 

 12 inches. 



3.18 



1.10 



1.64 



1.66 



8.10 



16.24 



53.06 



15.52 



4245 



Subsoil of 4244 



Brown loam, 12 to 

 40 inches. 



4.51 



1.10 



1.72 



1.22 



6.34 



15.34 



55.30 



14.29 



CONOWINGO CLAY. 



There are four small areas of Conowingo clay in the northwestern 

 part of Cecil county. These areas partially surround the Conowingo 

 barrens, and also come in contact with the Cecil clay formation. The 

 surface of the country occupied by these small areas is as rough and 

 broken as in the formation just described, but it consists of large, 

 rounded hills or long, gentle slopes. The greater part of the forma- 

 tion is situated from 200 to 540 feet above sea-level. The highest 

 point in Cecil county is found in the area of Conowingo clay, just 

 southwest of Rock Springs, 



These soils are derived from the decomposition of greenish, ser- 

 pentine rock, and are usually of sufficient depth to make good lands. 

 A considerable part of the areas is cleared and cultivated the same 

 as are the other productive soils of the uplands. The soils are 

 brownish and yellowish loams, which are underlain by yellow and 

 red stiff clay loams to a depth of 3 or 4 feet. There is a small amount 

 of broken rock and quartz on the surface, but the percentage is not 



