SOILS OF EASTERN VIRGINIA. 
49 
miles. It is centrally located on the crest of the broad, low divide 
within the main upland of the county and is crossed from northeast 
to southwest by the line of the New York, Philadelphia & Norfolk 
Railroad. The altitude of the railroad station at Onley is given as 
44 feet above tide level. 
The surface of the area is but slightly relieved. The greatest dif- 
ferences of elevation are not more than 15 to 20 feet, and there are no 
steep slopes within the area except for a short distance along both 
banks of the small creek which drains the area and leaves its limits 
near the southeastern corner. 
Holding in mind that the extreme relief is but slight, the surface 
conditions may best be described as a low, broad rim of well-drained 
land, occupying the outer margins of the area, and a broad, flat, and 
slightly depressed basin which occupies the center of the survey 
immediately to the south of Onley and comprises the headwater basin 
of a small stream. It is not quite coextensive with the forested area 
shown to the south of Onley. Smaller depressions of a few acres in 
extent occur along the northeastern border of the survey. 
Drainage is well established over all of the low ridge, but is not 
complete either in the larger or smaller basins, although artificial 
means to remedy this condition have recently been undertaken. 
The distribution of the soils of the area closely follows these main 
features of drainage. The Sassafras sandy loam occupies the crest 
of the broad, low ridge; the Keyport sandy loam covers the more 
elevated level tracts; the Elkton sandy loum occupies the lower 
portions of the slopes to the basins and the greater part of those 
depressions; the Elkton loam is found in small patches in the centers 
of the basin areas; and the Portsmouth sandy loam occurs chiefly 
along the stream courses. 
SOILS. 
These five distinct soil types are developed in the area, although only 
three of them are of sufficient extent to be of agricultural importance. 
The following table shows their absolute and relative areas within the 
limits of the detailed map. 
Table X. — Areas of various soils in Onley area. 
Soil. 
Acres. 
Per cent. 
Sassafras sandy loam 
774.0 
477.6 
468.0 
20.4 
37.4 
43.6 
Keyport sandy loam . . 
26 9 
Elkton sandv loam . 
26 3 
Elkton 1 cam'. . 
1.1 
Portsmouth sandv Icam 
2 1 
Total 
1,777.4 
100.0 
61681°— 22— Bull. 1005- 
