Untitled - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

A hay crop on London loam
LONDON SERIES
The London soils occur in association with the Guelph Series. They are imperfectly
drained soils on gently undulating upland areas where surface runoff is
slow and internal drainage is moderate. The material from which these soils have
been derived is the same as that of the Guelph series and they therefore have the
same potential for agricultural production if they are artificially drained.
The dark colored loam surface horizon is commonly one or two inches thicker
than the same horizon in Guelph soils, and one or two per cent higher in organic
matter content. The average organic matter content for cultivated surface soils is
over five per cent. The layers below the surface are duller in color than those of the
Guelph soils and are not as easy to differentiate. Mottles or blotches of orange and
yellow colours appear in the subsoil and in the parent material, indicating that the
water table is high at certain periods of the year. The accumulation of clay in the
subsoil (Bt) horizon is not as great as it is in that of the Guelph soils.
The London soils are capable of producing arable crops and good pastures in
support of mixed farming, livestock raising or dairying. The high water table delays
seeding operations in the spring, may adversely affect the growth of alfalfa, or
reduce the yield of winter wheat by winter-killing. However, when artificially
drained the London soils have a higher potential than the Guelph soils, mainly
because of their smoother topography; a factor contributing to easier management.
PARKHILL SERIES
These poorly drained soils cover 18,500 acres in the county and occur in
depressions in association with the Guelph, London, Harriston, Listowel, Hark-
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