THE SOILS OF FLORIDA. 
37 
woods region taken in any direction would be a slightly wavy or 
broadly undulating line; if the average level of the water table were 
represented by a nearly horizontal line the latter would cut the 
former at many places. The areas of drained and undrained land 
would not only be graphically shown, but the distinctive features of 
each soil would be suggested. The organic content is a very im¬ 
portant as well as conspicuous element in each type. The amount 
and form in which it appears is directly dependent upon drainage. 
“The Norfolk soils would be represented by the highest parts of 
the profile. They lie well above the plane of permanent saturation 
and the organic matter is in the form of humus. The swamp and 
marsh would coincide with the lowest portion of the cross section. 
They contain a large amount of vegetable remains, mostly in the form 
of muck mixed with fine sand. The intermediate level would repre¬ 
sent the Portsmouth and Leon soils.” 
Fig. 1.—Exposure of hardpan on Apalachicola Bay. Palmetto flat- 
woods in the background. Photograph by R. M. Harper. 
THE HARDPAN. 
The hardpan of the palmetto flatwoods of the Coastal Plains 
affords a striking illustration of the relation of the soil conditions 
to the water line. The hardpan forms at the average level of the 
water table. It consists of a stratum stained dark or chocolate color 
by organic matter. During the dry seasons when the water table 
falls below its average level the hardpan is firmly cemented, pre¬ 
sumably by the coating of organic matter. In this condition it can 
