GROUP OF FIXE SANDY SOILS. 
39 
CHAPTER TV. 
GROUP OP PINE SANDY SOILS. 
COLOMA FINE SAND. 
Extent and distribution .—This type is comparatively small in 
extent, and of minor importance from an agricultural stand¬ 
point. It is mainly confined to the northwestern part of the 
county, the chief areas occurring in the vicinity of Hortonville 
and Stephensville. Other small isolated areas are found scat¬ 
tered throughout the county, usually occurring as small hilltops 
or ridges. 
Description .—The surface soil of the Coloma fine sand to a 
depth of from eight to twelve inches is a grayish brown loose, 
open fine sand, containing but little organic matter. The sub¬ 
soil is a loose fine sand continuing to over three feet, and grading 
from a light brown to a yellowish brown or pale yellow in the 
lower depths. Gravel beds covered by a thin mantle of surface 
soil are often found throughout the type. 
The organic matter content varies over different sections of 
the type, being higher in the depressions where the moisture con T 
ditions have favored an accumulation of humus-forming mate¬ 
rial. Dunes formed by wind blown sand are occasionally found. 
There are several variations which have been included with 
this soil, but which, had they been of any important extent, 
would have been mapped as separate types. In the northwest¬ 
ern part of the county, chiefly in the town of Maine, there are 
numerous small tracts of light-colored soil which has a very fine 
sandy texture. It is loose and open in structure, and usually 
entirely free from stones and gravel. The subsoil is a yellowish 
brown or vellow verv fine sand which extends to an undetermined 
depth. This material differs from the typical Coloma fine sand 
only in being finer in texture. Because of this finer texture, it 
probably has a somewhat higher agricultural value, although 
this is not apparent from the crop yields which are now being 
secured. 
