GROUP OF POORLY DRAINED SOILS. 
59 
CHAPTER VI. 
GROUP OF POORLY DRAINED SOILS 
GENESEE FINE SANDY LOAM 
Most of this soil is limited to the valley of the Wolf River 
where it is found at and below New London. A few other 
patches occur along the Little Wolf river near Manawa. 
The surface soil of this type consists of a brown or dark brown 
fine sandy loam about 8 to 10 inches deep. Some of the surface 
soil is more nearly a very fine sandy loam. The subsoil is a 
lighter brown fine sand, somewhat loamy with frequent thin lay¬ 
ers of red clay. In the Lower depths there is usually found fine 
sand. The type is somewhat variable in texture, ranging from 
a fine sand to a loam, but these separations could not be made 
because of the limited extend of the phases. 
The surface of the type is level, and it is all within the present 
flood plain of the streams along which it occurs. The natural 
drainage is therefore very deficient. 
The material forming the soil is all of alluvial origin and has 
come in part from sandstone and in part from crystalline rock 
material, 
The native timber growth consists of elm, ash, willows, coarse 
marsh grasses and other water loving vegetation. 
Since the type is all subject to overflow only a very small part 
of it has been brought under cultivation. Near New London 
this soil is being farmed to some extent to truck crops, and good 
returns are secured when floods do not interfere. Most of the 
soil is used for pasture and for hay, to which in its present con¬ 
dition it is doubtless best adapted. 
The danger from flooding makes farming on this land uncer¬ 
tain, so that the development of this type of soil is not encourag¬ 
ing. To prevent flooding dikes would in most cases be neces¬ 
sary, and such great expense would not be justified under pres¬ 
ent conditions. 
