SOIL SURVEY OF THE OCALA AREA, FLORIDA. 
219 
fied by the presence of depressions or large basins and by sink holes. 
There is an entire lack of surface streams, the drainage being accom¬ 
plished by the water percolating downward and finding outlets into 
the sink holes or subterranean channels. The soil texture and the 
underlying rocks are porous, so that percolation is accomplished 
readily. All of this land is thoroughly—some of it excessively— 
drained, although most of the type, owing to its loamy character 
and heavy clay subsoil, holds moderate supplies of moisture. None 
of it is found wet. 
This soil material is entirely or mainly of residual origin, having 
been derived from the weathering of limestones of the Vicksburg 
group and the sandstone formations above it. Some of the sand in 
the surface portion may represent original unconsolidated sedimen¬ 
tary material, but the brownish-colored and clayey material undoubt¬ 
edly is a residual product from the underlying rock. 
The Gainesville loamy sand is known locally as “hammock land/’ 
and when the soil mass is dark brown or has a reddish cast, as it is 
in spots, it is spoken of as “chocolate hammock.” It also, in part, at 
least, with the other Gainesville soils, comes under the term “calca¬ 
reous hammock’' because of the calcareous origin of its materials. 
It is also known as “mixed hammock.” because its growth consists 
of mixed hardwood and pine, though hardwood predominates. 
A large part of this soil is cleared and under cultivation. It is 
easy to cultivate, productive, and adapted to a wide range, of crops. 
All the general farm crops are grown upon it. Corn gives 25 or 
more bushels to the acre on the average, but when it follows a highly 
fertilized trucking crop the yields run much higher. Either peanuts 
or velvet beans are grown with the corn. The velvet beans are gen¬ 
erally put in as a separate crop, and a yield of 15 to 20 bushels of 
beans to the acre is considered good. Sugar cane grown on this soil 
makes, as a rule, a dark-colored and rather strong sirup. The yield, 
however, is high. 
Winter oats are grown and are cut and cured for hay. They 
make only an ordinary growth, not doing so well as on the heavy 
clay hammock soils. The beggarweed thrives on this soil, making 
a heavy growth. Cowpeas also do well upon it, being* grown for 
hay and to some extent as a soil improver. Irish potatoes, especially 
on the deeper sandy areas of the type, have not paid as a commer¬ 
cial crop, but sweet potatoes do well. 
Trucking is done more largely on this soil than on any other. 
