DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE SOILS OF VIRGINIA. 9 
best adapted to forestry. On the more level and less elevated areas 
wheat, corn, rye, barley, and fruits, especially apples, are produced. 
The soils are particularly adapted to fruit culture, and this industry 
is rapidly extending. At a medium elevation and under suitable 
conditions of slope and exposure fruit is the principal crop. Cattle 
raising is one of the most important industries. 
The sand, which occupies a large area, possesses a high agricul- 
tural value aside from forestry. It is best adapted to the production 
of peaches, grapes, berries, and to light farming, including garden 
vegetables. The black loam is a productive soil, but its isolated 
situation and steep surface do not admit of extensive cultivation. 
It is especially adapted to apples, the Albemarle pippin in particular, 
which finds its best development in the coves on the east side of the 
mountains. The clay is best adapted, aside from forestry, to wheat, 
corn, clover, and timothy. Bluegrass and timothy make a good 
pasture. This type is one of the most important apple soils of the 
mountains", particularly for the Winesap and similar varieties. Much 
of the type is too rough and steep for farming purposes and must be 
used for forestry and grazing. The sandy loam is the best general- 
purpose soil in the Porters series. It is well adapted to corn, Irish 
potatoes, rye, apples, peaches, berries, and garden vegetables. Wheat, 
oats, and clover are suitable crops for the heavier phases of the type. 
Talladega series. — The soils of the Talladega series are grayish 
brown to light brown. The subsoils are red and have a greasy feel. 
The series is typically developed in the southern Appalachian Moun- 
tains, generally occupying strongly rolling to mountainous country. 
The soils are derived from metamorphic rocks, principally micaceous 
schists. Large areas of the' Talladega soils are best suited to forestry 
and pasturage. The smoother areas give moderate results with corn, 
forage crops, and in the South with cotton. The soils are probably 
stronger than those of the Chandler series, from which they differ 
physically chiefly in the red color of their subsoils. 
The loam occupies a small area and is best suited to corn and 
wheat, although fair yields of oats and grasses may be obtained. The 
gravelly loam is of very small extent. It is too gravelly in some 
places to be cultivated and possesses no special adaptations. 
Upshur series. — In the Upshur series both soils and subsoils are 
Indian red. Some types have a grayish to grayish-red color in the 
surface soils. These soils are closely associated in occurrence with 
the Dekalb. They are derived from Indian-red sandstone and shales, 
frequently of a calcareous nature. They occupy strongly rolling to 
mountainous country, and drainage is well established. The soils of 
this series are generally more productive than the corresponding 
members of the Dekalb series. The silt loam is the only type which 
14272°— Bull. 46—13 2 
