4 BULLETIN 29, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The two types of soil considered most favorable for peach orchard- 
ing in the mountainous section of the basin of the Potomac are the 
‘‘chert”’ soils (fig. 1), derived from a limestone which in the process 
of disintegration has left hard, flinty, loose rocks lying on top of a 
rich, dark loamy, sometimes sandy, soil, and the red soils (fig. 2) 
derived from a red and pink shale and sandstone. 
The chert land usually drains well and does not wash, except in 
particular cases where the land is very steep and is underlain by a 
hard, impervious clay. It is usually found on the sides and tops of 
Fic. 1.—Typical chertland, showing the rock on the surface. 
long steep ranges, such as Romney Mountain, just west of Romney, 
or on the tops and sides of the knoblike mountains near Keyser, 
W.Va. Besides being very fertile, the loose rock lying on the surface 
holds the moisture, a condition found to be very important in peach 
growing. 
The red soils are found principally on the east slopes of mountain 
ranges and high valleylike areas between the hills, known locally as 
“levels.” These lands as a rule have a more level topography and 
are usually free from large, loose stones. On the hillsides, however, 
these soils are shallow, sometimes being only a few inches deep over 
the sandrock or shalelying beneath. Two and four horse implements 
