244 



THE SOILS OF CECIL COUNTY 



iron rust, while in adjoining localities they may be bleached perfectly 

 white. The thickness of these gravel beds varies considerably in 

 different parts of the formation, frequently exceeding 10 feet in 

 depth. Along the northern border of the formation the gravels are 

 mere superficial deposits scattered over the residual soils of the Pied- 

 mont Plateau. These gravels were probably once much thicker, but 

 erosion since their deposition has carried them away until now they 

 are thickly scattered over the surface of the rounded hills and slopes 

 of the upland. 



The texture of typical samples of the Susquehanna gravel soils can 

 be seen in the following table: 



MECHANICAL ANALYSES OF SUSQUEHANNA GRAVEL. 



[Fine earth.] 









c 



o3 



a 



O0.5 



.5 to 

 oO.l 

 0.1 to 



a 

 a 



o 



o 



o 









u 



5 



4^ 



o — 





o 











«-■ 





s 



o 



No. 



Locality. 



Description. 



rganic ma 

 loss. 



ravel, 2 to 



•a 



c 



03 



w 



© . 



sa 

 sa 



edium sac 

 0.25 mm. 



ine sand, 

 mm. 



ery fine sa 

 0.05 mm. 



o 



m 

 o 

 o 



s 



o 

 o 



cs a 









O 



O 



o 



S 



to 



> 



CO 



O 









P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



P. ct. 



4242 



Woodlawn, 1 mile W. 



Gravelly loam, 

 to 14 inches. 



5.16 



7.58 



11.58 



15.99 



9.70 



11.99 



30.32 



7.37 



4241 



Principio, 3 miles S. . 



Gravelly loam, 10 

 to 26 inches. 



2.53 



5.07 



8.88 



15.68 



24.28 



11.89 



14.68 



16.92 



4243 



Subsoil of 4242 



Red gravelly 

 loam, 14 to 36 



, 81 



422 



4.32 



8 63 i 8.12 



11.85 



41.95 



17.27 







inches. 



















The productiveness of this soil formation also varies greatly, de- 

 pending on the materials mixed with gravel. On Elk Neck and on 

 the larger hills in the northeast district the gravel is mixed with 

 coarse sands and is well-nigh worthless for farming purposes. These 

 lands have always been held in low esteem, and but few if any at- 

 tempts have been made to cultivate them. They are covered with 

 a thick but small growth of oaks and chestnuts. In many places a 

 small part of the timber is burned for charcoal and, when the iron- 

 ore mines were in operation many years ago, the charcoal industry 

 was of considerable importance. These gravels compact into excel- 

 lent roads. One may ride for miles in the poorer sections of this for- 



