SOIL SURVEY OF THE OCALA AREA, FLORIDA. 
207 
subirrigation systems have been put in and organic matter incor¬ 
porated with the soil it has been successfully used for trucking. A 
type of open flatwoods occurs in association with the foregoing. It 
lies a little lower, is more or less wet, and instead of scrub saw pal¬ 
metto the gallberry is found. The term “gallberry flat” is some¬ 
times applied. This soil is dark colored, owing to the humus pres¬ 
ent, and in places is somewhat mucky. When drained it is con¬ 
sidered excellent for trucking, such crops as celery, cucumbers, and 
lettuce doing especially well. 
The term “hammock” has a rather broad meaning, but as gener¬ 
ally used refers to the growth of hardwood. However, it often 
goes further, in that there must be leaf mold, and the soil darkened 
by the content of humus. The tree growth consists mostly of live 
oak, water oak, white oak, hickory, magnolia, and in the more moist 
places bay, gum, black ash, and cabbage palmetto, and there is a 
rather thick undergrowth of other vegetation.* “Light” and 
“heavy hammock'’ are terms that refer to the stand of vegetation 
present and to the texture o-f the soil. The “heavy hammock” is 
either almost impenetrable jungle, or heavy clay land. The term 
“light hammock” indicates saixhyhamm'ock land, or hammock land 
with a light growth. The predominance of any particular tree 
suggests such terms as “hickory and oak” hammock, “cedar ham¬ 
mock.” etc. There are a number of terms used in connection with 
hammock land which refer to some characteristic feature. With 
reference to position, hammock land is either “low” or “high ham¬ 
mock.” The “low hammock” is found in low positions in this area 
in association with swamps, being slightly above the latter, and 
•quite often of a semiswampy character. The “high hammock” is 
rolling land, in which clay is found near the surface. Portions of 
this variety of hammock are now covered with pine, although it is 
said the original growth consisted of hardwood. 
A geological or mineralogical designation is also applied to 
certain varieties of hammock. The terms “calcareous” or “non- 
calcareous” are also used, according to the origin of its material. In 
this area hammock underlain by marl is called “marl hammock.” 
*It may be said that fires have played an important part in determining the 
tree growth. Young hardwood growth will not stand being burned over very 
well, while pinejs ordinarily injured but little. In the early days the Indians fired 
the woods, in order to hunt game more easily. 
