GROUP OF LIGHT SANDS AND FINE SANDS 
45 
The second area is found on the terrace near Nelson. The 
texture of the soil here is somewhat more silty than that of the 
first mentioned area, though here also the soil varies to a coarse 
sandy loam, and in a few places a coarse loamy sand appears at 
the surface. This area is also underlain by stratified gravel. 
In a few localities this fine gravel outcrops, and there is consider¬ 
able gravel scattered over the surface in such places. The sur¬ 
face soil is in an acid condition, as indicated by the litmus-paper 
test. 
The surface of the type is level or very gently sloping. On 
account of the underlying sand and gravel beds the drainage is 
thorough, sometimes excessive, and, except where the covering 
over the gravel is deeper than usual, the type is inclined to be 
droughty during dry periods. 
The type is a terrace soil situated well above the present flood 
plain. Portions of it appear to lie in an abandoned stream chan¬ 
nel, later filled by sediment and now having the same elevation 
as the remainder of the terrace. In such places the gravel is 
as much as 4 feet below the surface. 
The Waukesha gravelly sandy loam is a prairie soil, the native 
growth consisting chiefly of grasses. 
At present the greater part of it is under cultivation, and dur¬ 
ing favorable years as much as 40 to 50 bushels of corn are grown 
per acre. Oats may yield 30 to 40 bushels and hay 1 ton to iy 2 
tons per acre. During dry seasons, however, the yields are con¬ 
siderably lower and crops frequently suffer greatly from lack 
of moisture. 
PLAINFIELD FINE SAND 
The surface soil of the Plainfield fine sand to an average depth 
of about 10 inches consists of a dark-gray to dark-brown fine 
sand having a loose structure and a comparatively low content 
of organic matter. Litmus-paper tests indicate that the soil is 
acid. The subsoil consists of a fine to medium sand, which be¬ 
comes lighter in color and grades into stratified sand in the lower 
subsoil. There is some variation in the texture and some of the 
material included with this type could be classed as a medium 
sand if the areas were of sufficient extent. 
The type is of small extent and of minor importance. The 
largest areas are found in Spring Creek and Little Bear Valleys. 
