Soil Report - Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada

Commonly Associated Soils The soils most commonly
associated with Silver Hill soils are Vittoria (VIT) and
Walsingham (WAM) soils, found in map units SIH 3 andSIH
5 . Vittoria soils have textures similar to Silver Hill soils but
are imperfectly drained . Walsingham soils are also imperfectly
drained, but consist primarily of fine sand .
General Land Use Comments
(1) Silver Hill soils are good agricultural soils if drainage is
artificially improved . Good crops of grain corn, winter
wheat, tobacco, tomatoes and other vegetable crops are
produced where drainage has been improved .
(2) Wetness is the main limiting factor for forest productivity .
Smithville Soils (SHV)
Location and Extent Smithville soils have a fairly wide
distribution over the eastern part of the region, on the
Haldimand clay plain . There are 3763 ha of pure Smithville
map units, and 14381 ha of Smithville soils in complex map
units in which they are often associated with Haldimand or
Lincoln soils .
Landform and Topography Smithville soils occur on
dissected, sometimes hummocky, deposits of lacustrine clay
on the Haldimand clay plain . The topography ranges from
very gently to strongly sloping, with slopes frequently short
or hummocky . Slopes are usually between 3 and 6% .
Parent Materials and Textures Smithville soils have developed
on deep-water, glaciolacustrine clays. Surface textures are
usually silty clay or silty clay loam, although thin, loamy or
sandy surfaces are present in some areas. Subsoil textures
are usually heavy clay, with occasional layers of silty clay or
clay .
Soil Moisture Characteristics Smithville soils are moderately
well-drained . Surface horizons are slowly to moderately
permeable, depending on the incidence of soil cracks, but
subsoil horizons are usually slowly permeable . Groundwater
sometimes remains in the upper subsoil horizons for short
periods during ,the growing season . Smithville soils have
medium to high water-holding capacities, but are often
droughty during dry periods because of slow water release
by the clays . Surface runoff is usually rapid.
General Soil Description Most surface horizons of Smithville
soils consist of 10-20 cm of silty clay or silty clay loam. There
are also some coarse phase Smithville (SHV .C) and loamy
phase Smithville (SHV .L) soils, with 15-40 cm of surface fine
sandy loam or loam. The subsurface B horizons of Smithville
soils usually consist of heavy clay, having angular blocky or
prismatic structures, and extending to depths ranging between
'35 and 55 cm . In the areas between Hagersville and Cayuga,
there are shallow phase (SHV .S) and very shallow phase
(SHV .V) Smithville soils . The Ck horizons, which are
usually strongly calcareous, begin at the 35-55 cm depth.
They usually have heavy clay, or occasionally silty clay
textures, and weak prismatic structures . Soil reaction ranges
from strongly acidic to neutral in the surface horizons, and is
mildly or moderately alkaline in the subsoil. Soil classification
is usually Brunisolic Gray Brown Luvisol.
Commonly Associated Soils Haldimand (HIM) and Lincoln
(LIC) soils are most often associated with Smithville soils, in
map unitsSHV4andSHV 5, respectively. They have similar
parent materials but differ in drainage, because the Haldimand
soils are imperfectly drained and the Lincoln soils are poorly
drained .
General Land Use Comments
(1) Smithville soils are fairly good agricultural soils, but
somewhat limited for use by their high clay contents . Some
drainage improvement may be necessary on more level
terrain ; on slopes above 3-4%, erosion can be a problem .
Grain corn, winter wheat, soybeans, sweet corn, and labrusca
grapes are being commercially grown on Smithville soils .
(2) Mainly because of the high clay contents and associated
soil structure problems, Smithville soils are rated fairly low
for forest productivity .
St . Williams Soils (SLI)
Location and Extent St . Williams soils occupy depressional
to level areas within the Norfolk sand plain, mostly near
Lake Erie, in the Townships of Delhi and Norfolk. There are
342 ha of pure St . Williams map units, and 2220 ha of St .
Williams soils in complex map units in which they are most
often associated with Normandale and Wauseon soils .
Landform and Topography St. Williams soils are located
on lacustrine sand plains that have surface materials which
have been modified by wind action . These sand plains are
often adjacent to, and merge into, lacustrine silt deposits .
The topography is level, with slopes usually between 0.5 and
1.5% .
Parent Materials and Textures St . Williams soils have
developed on fine sandy sediments. Surface textures are
usually fine sandy loam, with subsoil textures of loamy fine
sand to very fine sandy loam .
Soil Moisture Characteristics St. Williams soils are poorly
drained, and rapidly to moderately permeable . Their surface
runoff is slow . Groundwater is usually near the surface,
except in summer when it may drop to 100 cm or lower . St.
Williams soils have low to moderate water-holding capacities .
General Soil Description The surface horizons of St.
Williams soils have a mean thickness of about 25 cm, and
textures usually consisting of fine sandy loam . In the subsoil,
loamy fine sand and very fine sandy loam textures predominate .
Gley colors and prominent, strong brown mottles also
commonly occur. The strongly calcareous Ck horizons
usually begin at depths ranging from 30-80 cm . Soil reaction
usually ranges from medium acidic to neutral in the surface
horizons, and is mildly or moderately alkaline in the subsoil .
Soil classification is usually Orthic Humic Gleysol.
Commonly Associated Soils Normandale soils (NDE) are
fairly common associates of St. Williams soils, and are a
component of map unit SLI 3 . They have similar textures to
St . Williams soils but are imperfectly drained. Wauseon soils
(WUS), which also occur with St . Williams soils in map unit
WUS 9, are poorly drained and contain 40-100 cm of sands
over clays .
General Land Use Comments
(1) St . Williams soils can be good agricultural soils if
artifically drained . Crops such as grain corn, sweet corn,
tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are feasible when drainage
is improved .
(2) Although wetness is a limitation for many forest species,
some species such as white pine, red pine, red oak and
basswood are quite productive on St . Williams soils .