288 FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY—-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 
The results of mechanical analyses of samples of the soil and 
subsoil of this type are given in the following table: 
Mechanical analyses of Johnston fine sandy loam. 
Number 
Descrip¬ 
tion 
Fine 
gravef 
Coarse 
sand 
Med¬ 
ium 
sand 
Fine 
sand ; 
Very 1 
fine Silt 
sand 
Clay 
Per ct. 
Per ct. 
Per ct. 
Per ct. 
Per ct. Per ct. 
Per ct. 
9R1194 
Soil 
0.5 
5.2 
10.4 
52.6 
21.1 6.4 
4.1 
261125 _ 
Subsoil— 
.7 
6.1 
9.4 
48.8 
18.5 1 5.7 
10.8 
Miscellaneous Material, 
peat. 
The soil mapped as Peat consists of brown, partially decomposed 
vegetable matter having a depth of 3 feet or more. The material to 
a depth of 3 or 4 inches is usually black or nearly black in color and 
has a fine texture, the vegetable matter having largely decomposed 
beyond the fibrous stage, though some of the plant remains show the 
original structure. The material is free from grit or mineral mat¬ 
ter. 
The topography of the Peat is level, and the surface, with the 
exception of frequent tussocks of vegetation that have grown up 
around roots, stumps, and cypress knees, is inundated during the 
greater part of the year. The material is sufficiently fibrous to ab¬ 
sorb and retain large quantities of water. A larger part of the type, 
however, could be effectively drained. The Peat is deeper in some 
places than in others, and when it is drained uneven shrinkage might 
cause slight irregularities in the surface configuration. The type 
occurs in the larger cypress ponds, “bays,” and in low areas around 
the edge of lakes. 
While it is probable that the Peat is derived largely from the 
accumulation and subsequent decomposition of sphagnum moss in 
areas of poor drainage, the remains of other water-loving plants and 
trees are also* included with the material. The deposits have ac¬ 
cumulated within ponds or lakes or along the courses of sluggish 
streams. 
Much of the type supports a dense growth of cypress, bay, smilax 
or “bamboo vine,” pine and a variety of swamp huckleberry. There 
is also a growth of sphagnum moss and ferns. 
While Peat when well drained is well adapted to the production 
of special crops—such as celery, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, and 
