THE SOILS OF FLORIDA. 
61 
cal properties. The Portsmouth soils are poorly drained. During a 
part of the year they are more or.less flooded, and during all of the 
year the Avater table stands at or very near the surface. The moist 
condition of the soil retards oxidation of the grasses and other vege¬ 
tation, the ^cumulation of which adds organic matter to the soil, 
giving the dark color. Further chemical changes result from the 
presence of the organic matter and the undrained condition of the 
land, the mottled sub-soils being due to this cause. When drained, 
the Portsmouth soils are frequently desirable for farming purposes, 
the organic matter already stored in the soil, adding fertility. These 
soils are being extensively used, after drainage, as trucking soils. 
The following soils of the Portsmouth series have been recognized 
in Florida. Portsmouth sand, fine sand, sandy loam, and fine sandy 
loam. 
MYATT SERIES.. 
The Myatt series is established for soils which occur in seepy 
places around the heads of streams or on slopes. The soils are gray, 
the sub-soils gray and yellow mottled with white. In the soil survey 
' reports on the areas surveyed in Florida only one type of the soils 
of this series is described, the Myatt fine sandy loam, and this occurs 
only to a very limited extent. 
GADSDEN SERIES. 
The Gadsden series includes dark-gray soils found upon gentle 
slopes or undulations adjacent to streams. The soils of this series 
are regarded as colluvial, resulting from the creep or wash of mate¬ 
rials from a higher level. The series is based upon the Gadsden sand 
and the Gadsden sandy loam first described from Gadsden County. 
Florida. This series is of limited extent. 
MISCELLANEOUS SOIL TYPES. 
A number of miscellaneous soil types not yet referred to a series 
have been recognized by the Bureau of Soils, in Florida. In addi¬ 
tion to swamp, meadow, sandhill, coastal beach, marsh and muck 
lands, these are as follows: Greenville clay, Greenville sandy loam, 
and Greenville loamy sand; Gainesville sand; Leon fine sand; Ock- 
locknee clay; Plummer fine sandy loam, and Grady fine sandy loam. 
The total combined area of these miscellaneous types, however, is 
small as compared with the leading soil series already described. 
As detailed soil surveys proceed other soil types will doubtless be 
recognized and described. 
