Soil Report - Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada

Soil Moisture Characteristics Fox soils are rapidly to well
drained and rapidly permeable . They have relatively low
water-holding capacities, and almost always have droughtiness
limitations . Surface runoff is slow, except on steeper slopes .
General Soil Description The surface Ap horizons typically
consist of 20-25 cm of sand, loamy sand or loamy fine sand .
They are underlain by 20-80 cm of other A and B horizons,
composed of sands or loamy sands. There are some very
shallow phase fox soils (FOX .V), in the vicinity of Hagersville,
in which the B horizon-bedrock contacts occur at 20-50 cm .
In most Fox soils, the Bt horizon typically has a very wavy or
tongueing contact with the calcareous Ck horizon, and so
the mean depth to the top of the Ck horizon is about 70 cm,
but the range varies from 40-100 cm . The Ck horizons are
usually strongly or very strongly calcareous sand . Soil
reaction varies from very strongly acidic or neutral in the
surface horizons, to mildly alkaline in the Ck horizons . Soil
classification is usually Brunisolic Gray Brown Luvisol .
Commonly Associated Soils Fox soils are associated with
many others . Their most common associate, in map unit
Fox 4, is the imperfectly drained, but otherwise similar
Brady (BAY) soil . Other fairly common associates include
Granby (GNY) soils, similar in texture to Fox soils but
poorly drained, in map unit FOX 3 ; Plainfield (PFD) soils in
map unit FOX 14, that differ from Fox soils in texture ; and
Scotland (STD) soils in map unit FOX 9, which have 40-100
cm of sand over gravelly sandy till .
General Land Use Comments
(1) Fox soils are extensively used for growing flu-cured
tobacco . Rye and winter wheat are also widely grown on
Fox soils, usually in tobacco rotations . Increasing use is
being made of Fox soils for peanuts and horticultural crops
such as asparagus, onions, potatoes, apples and cherries .
Supplemental sprinkler irrigation is necessary for tobacco
and most other high value crops .
(2) Fox soils have only fair potential for most tree species,
except red pine or white pine which seem to do well .
Figure 29 . Harvesting potatoes on Fox sands near Round
Plains
Gobles Soils (GOB)
Location and Extent Gobles soils are found on the clay till
moraines and till plains that occupy portions of the west side
of the region . There are 55 ha of pure Gobles map units, and
4735 ha of Gobles soils in complex map units where they are
most often associated with Kelvin soils .
Landform and Topography Gobles soils are located on
relatively level areas of till moraines and till plains composed
of Port Stanley till . They are sometimes overlain by shallow
caps of lacustrine or eolian silts and sands . Gobles soils
occupy topography that ranges from nearly level to very
gently sloping .
Parent Materials and Textures Gobles soils have developed
on mainly silty clay loam till that has thin caps of loams and
sands . Textures range from fine sandy loam to loam or clay
loam in the surface horizons, grading into silty clay loam or,
occasionally, silty clay in the subsoil .
Soil Moisture Characteristics Gobles soils are imperfectly
drained . They are moderately to slowly permeable .
Groundwater occupies the surface horizons for temporary
periods each year . Gobles soils have relatively high waterholding
capacities, and moderate to rapid surface runoff .
General Soil Description Surface Ap horizons usually consist
of about 20 cm of clay loam . Loamy phase Gobles soils
(GOB .L) are mapped where 15-40 cm of loam or silt loam
overlie the clayey till . Sandy phase Gobles soils (GOB.C) are
mapped where 15-40 cm of fine sandy loam makes up the
surface horizons . The texture of the subsoil horizons is
usually silty clay loam, occasionally silty clay . Distinct to
prominent yellowish-brown mottles occur in the subsoil A
and B horizons . The strongly to very strongly calcareous Ck
horizons usually begin at 40-50 cm . Soil reaction ranges from
slightly acidic to mildly alkaline in the surface horizons to
moderately alkaline in the subsoil . Soil classification is
usually Gleyed Brunisolic Gray Brown Luvisol .
Commonly Associated Soils Gobles soils are most commonly
associated with the poorly drained Kelvin (KVN) soils in
map unit GOB 3 . Kelvin soils are composed of parent
materials that are similar to Gobles soils . Coarse phase
Gobles soils also are associated with Kelvin soils in map unit
GOB 7 .
General Land Use Comments
(1) Gobles soils are good agricultural soils that are being
used for general field crops, especially grain corn and spring
grains . They usually require some tile drainage .
(2) Gobles soils are better than average for forest productivity .
Hard maple, white cedar and European larch do particularly
well .