Soils of eastern vtrgtnia. 11 
This soil is of small extent either in the Churchland area or in the 
general region. It occurs on slight ridges near the shore line and 
probably represents small accumulations of wind-blown sand. In 
this locality it is excessively drained. 
Loamy sand. — In certain of the tilled fields erosion has carried 
quantities of fine sand from the higher elevations down the slopes 
toward the shallow streamways. These slopes are subject to both 
the accumulation and removal of sandy material from time to time. 
They present a varied surface soil which is for the most part a yellow 
fine sand 12 to 20 inches deep. At greater depths this may be loamy 
or the fine sand may extend to a depth of 36 inches or more. 
This material occurs only in narrow bands and usually is cultivated 
in conjunction with more extensive and important upland types. 
Portsmouth loam. — The surface soil of the Portsmouth loam to a 
depth of 12 inches or more is a dark brown loam. The subsoil is 
usually a gray, loamy fine sand or a gray fine sand to a depth of more 
than 36 inches. The type occupies small depressions in the upland 
and at stream heads. Near the centers of such hollows the brown 
loam}^ surface soil sometimes has a depth of 24 inches or even more. 
The type represents accumulations of organic matter and of soil 
washed from the uplands. In its natural condition it is poorly 
drained, but some tracts in the Churchland area have been improved 
by tile under draining. The areas are so small that no distinctive 
cropping is usually adopted. 
Steeply sloping land. — Between the upland and the tidewater inlets 
the land slopes rather steeply down. Such, narrow areas have been 
left in timber to a considerable extent. The slopes are not usually 
occupied by any definite type of soil, but consist chiefly of some- 
what sandy wash from the upland, overlying the more loamy deeper 
strata of the region. 
Tidal marsh. — At the heads of the small tidal indentations there 
are some small areas of tidal marsh. These have not been drained 
and are not used agriculturally. 
It is notable that practically all of the soils of this area posess a fine 
sandy loam surface soil. The essential differences between the sev- 
eral types appear most markedly in the subsoils and consist chiefly in 
differences in the texture and coloration of the deeper subsoil. 
The dark-brown to reddish-brown color of the subsoil of the Sassa- 
fras fine sandy loam indicates good natural drainage conditions snxd 
the thorough aeration and oxidation of the material. 
The yellow color of the Norfolk fine sandy loam indicates good 
drainage and aeration, though possibly not so complete as in the case 
of the former type. 
