16 BULLETIN 140, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
typically lighter than the surface soil, a characteristic which very 
often obtains in Massachusetts, especially in the eastern part. Gravel 
is not infrequently encountered, especially in the subsoils. Its quan- 
tity is sufficient in places to prevent boring very far beneath the sur- 
face, but in no place examined was it sufficiently compact to constitute 
a true hardpan, though it is often so designated in local parlance. 
The lowlands of the Bridgewater-Brockton district often consist 
of heavy loams with retentive subsoil, and on such soils much of the 
farming has been done, especially that of milk and hay. Many of 
these lowland fields should be artificially drained. In a few cases 
this has been done, but there is great opportunity for an increase of 
the areas so improved. Such drainage would unquestionably pay 
where the land is not so rocky and stony as to increase to an un- 
warranted degree the cost of ditching. These soils are good for hay 
production, and the nearness to Boston markets and the low cost of 
carrying city manure back to the fields suggest a desirable use for 
these soils. 
PLATEAU DISTRICT OF EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHEASTERN CON- 
NECTICUT. 
Topographically, this district also includes much of Rhode Island, 
but the field work of this report did not include the soils of that 
State. 
The average of the soils of this district in Massachusetts is some- 
what more gravelly, sandy, and porous in the southeastern than in the 
southwestern part. In Connecticut the fine sandy loam is probably 
the predominating texture, most of the loam areas of Pomfret and 
Woodstock being in the Highland district. As detailed descriptions 
of the soils of this district may be seen in the detailed soil surveys 
of Windham County and New London County, they are not' in- 
cluded here. 
In Massachusetts the Blackstone River rises not far west of the 
city of Worcester and flows southeasterly to the corner of Worcester 
County. The Blackstone Valley is narrow and not particularly 
pronounced locally because of the broken surface features, but it is, 
nevertheless, a definite feature of the regional topography. The 
land is often stony and some of the lower areas along the stream are 
wet, so that much of the land is not farmed. There are some high 
terraces, however, as at North Uxbridge, where the surface soil of 
one considerable tract consists of open-structured fine sandy loam and 
light loam, with a few spots of fine sand. The subsoils in the same 
order are medium sandy loam, heavy sandy loam, and sand. These 
also are open structured, but as a rule not very leachy. 
East of the Blackstone Valley in the Mendon section and extending 
thence north to Grafton, Hopkinton, and Sherborn, the land surface 
