LIGHT COLORED FINE SANDY LOAM SOILS 
35 
over gently rolling tracts where the soil has a depth of only 2 or 
3 feet, but such areas are not extensive. 
Extent and Distribution .—The Boone fine sandy loam is one of 
the important types in the county, though there are several 
which are more extensive. The largest area occurs in the north¬ 
eastern part of the survey in Naples and Mondovi Townships, 
lying mostly south of the Buffalo River. A number of smaller 
tracts are found in the vicinity of Gilmanton along the slopes 
on the south side of Elk Creek and its two chief branches. Other 
small tracts are scattered throughout the northwestern corner 
of the county, and to a more limited extent through the southern 
part. 
Topography and Drainage .—The surface of the Boone fine 
sandy loam, including the rolling phase, varies from undulating 
to rolling, and in places it becomes quite steep, though there are 
but few small areas where the surface is too steep to prevent the 
growing of the ordinary farm crops. Where the limestone cap 
remains with sandstone outcropping below, a rather steep, nar¬ 
row belt of fine sandy loam following the contour is produced, 
as at the base of the river bluffs at Cochrane and Fountain City. 
Where the limestone covering is thinner, and where more of the 
sandstone is exposed, as in Little Bear Creek and Spring Creek 
Valleys and a few other places, long gently rolling or undulating 
slopes are found, being rather steep or rolling only near the 
limestone ridge. In the largest area in the northeastern part of 
the county, where the limestone capping has been entirely re¬ 
moved, the topography is nearly level in places. The surface 
rises with a gentle gradient up to long, gently rolling slopes, cul¬ 
minating in low, rolling, oak-timbered knolls, which slope away 
again to the next valley. The surface of this soil becomes rolling 
also and even rough in places along the southern edge of the 
area bordering the outliers of the limestone ridges which pro¬ 
ject into this type. South of Gilmanton, bordering Elk Creek 
Valley, is an irregular area of this type covering 3 or 4 square 
miles where the topography varies from gently rolling to rough 
and broken. 
Because of the sandy nature of this type and its absorptive 
capacity it withstands erosion fairly well. On some of the steeper 
slopes, however, and over long, more gentle grades, where the 
run-off from an extensive area converges, there is some danger 
from erosion. 
