THE SOILS OF FLORIDA. 
73 
CLAY HAMMOCK LANDS. 
Another distinctive type of hammock land is that which may be 
designated as the clay hammock lands, a clay sub-soil being fre¬ 
quently present. This type is due to the topography and is found 
only in rolling, well-drained or somewhat hilly sections, where the 
slope is sufficient to permit a partial removal of surface sands, thus 
permitting the addition of new soil from the underlying clays. The 
result is a strong and well-drained soil. The native vegetation 
includes hard wood trees of several varieties, among which are oak 
and hickory; the short leaf pine is also frequently found on this 
type of soil. 
The largest areas of this type are the hammock lands of Leon. 
Jefferson, Madison and Jackson Counties. Holmes valley in Wash 
ington County, and Euchee valley in Walton County represent a 
similar hammock type due to similar causes. The Holmes valley 
hammock lies along the border line between the lowlands of Holmes 
creek and the elevated sandy plateau of the interior of the county. 
The surface wash along the foothills of this plateau is sufficient to 
remove the surface sand and to expose in places the underlying 
sandy clay, giving rise to a rolling hammock land with the usual 
hardwood and short leaf pine vegetation. Euchee valley represents 
the foothills encountered in passing from the lowlands of the Choc- 
tawhatchee River to the uplands of the interior of Walton County. 
Orange Hill and Oak Hill in Washington County represent out¬ 
liers from the plateau which now lies about three miles farther 
south. These two hills represent remnants of the plateau and illus¬ 
trate the manner in which the plateau has receded southward from 
the more distinctly limestone country farther north. 
SAND HILLS. 
This type of country is rolling and distinctly sandy. The native 
growth is a sparse scattering of pine and a dense growth of scrub 
oak. There is a limited amount of organic matter in the soil, and 
the top soil may be bleached light colored, although a few inches 
beneath the surface the soil is usually light yellow in color. 
Although there are no surface streams the drainage of the sandhill 
country is good, as the rainfall passes at once into the sand. Hard- 
pan was found in the sandhills at a depth of from twenty to twenty 
five feet, this depth representing the water level in the locality. 
