14 CIRCULAR 303, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



the formation of false or suspended water tables. On soils of this 

 kind, however, many high-producing orchards have been grown. 

 Greater care to provide good surface drainage is necessary, and on 

 such soils orchards deteriorate, when neglected, more rapidly than 

 on naturally better drained soils. 



HILTOX SOILS 



In the northern part of Monroe County, but most extensively 

 developed midway between the ridge and the lake, are many Ions- 

 low ridges of reddish-brown gravelly fine sandy loam and gravelly 

 loam soils of the Hilton series. The deep subsoil is reddish-brown 

 very compact till. In some places this deep subsoil has been reworked 

 by water and is more or less stratified. When the moist soil is bored 

 into with a soil auger the compact subsoil seems loose and friable, 

 but when examined with pick and shovel it is found to be so hard that 

 it cannot be broken easily. When dry this subsoil is so hard that it 

 seems to be cemented, although such is not the case. At a depth of 

 about 30 inches it contains, in most places, enough lime to effervesce 

 freely with acid. Its imperviousness is owing to compaction of soil 

 particles rather than to cementation. 



Where this layer of compact till is exposed in roadside cuts, mois- 

 ture after rainfaU may be seen to follow along its surface after pene- 

 trating the upper subsoil layer. Since the surface relief is very uneven, 

 it causes the formation of wet and imperfectly drained areas on till 

 slopes, shallow basins with impervious subsoil around the source of 

 small drainage ways, and in many places poorly drained flats on the 

 tops of till ridges. 



In the Hilton soils the gray and mottled layer is moderately 

 developed. These soils were originally classed with the Ontario soils 

 but have recently been separated. In a few areas of fine sandy soil 

 the gray layer is not developed and the subsoil is more friable than 

 typical, but on account of their small extent these soils have been 

 included with Hilton fine sandy loam. 



There are in the lake-shore district, principally south of the ridge, 

 important areas of till soils, the subsoils of which are not compact. 

 In such areas trees root deeper than on the Hilton soils, but climatic 

 conditions here are less favorable than on the soils nearer the shore of 

 the lake. 



Compactness of a subsoil can best be determined by digging into 

 it when dry or when only slightly moist. If it is so hard that it can 

 be loosened only by the use of a pick or crowbar, it may be regarded 

 as compact, and tree roots will penetrate it but slightly. Soils on which 

 orchards are to be planted should be thoroughly examined by digging- 

 several pits, to a depth of at least 6 feet, and the character of the 

 subsoil thus determined. If the soil is found to be 30 inches deep 

 before a compact layer is reached, an orchard may be grown on it, 

 but good surface drainage will be necessary. Yields will be less cer- 

 tain, however, and production lower, over a period of years, than 

 where the soil has a deep open subsoil of twice that depth or more. 



The Hilton soils have been used extensively for apple orchards 

 since the early plantings were made, probably because it was believed 

 that these soils were well drained. On these till ridges some good 

 orchards are to be found, but production in many is below the average 

 for this district. 



