Untitled - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

A Huron Loam Profile
ish brown clay loam Ae horizon that becomes very pale brown to light gray when
the soil is dry. This horizon is not as thick as it is in the coarser textured soils nor
is it as easily subdivided into two layers on the basis of color. The browner upper
part of this horizon is either thin or entirely lacking. A dark brown blocky Bt
horizon containing more clay than the layers above occurs below the Ae horizon.
The blocky aggregates and their natural fracture lines probably make the soil more
permeable than would be expected in clay or clay loam materials. The Huron soils
belong to the Grey-Brown Podzolic Great Group of soils. The soil profile is well
developed and has an average thickness of 20 inches.
Most of these soils have been cleared for farming. Hay, pasture and cereal
grains are the principal crops and for these the Huron soils rank among the best
in the county. They are easy to cultivate except when the upper loamy horizons
have eroded away, leaving the clayey subsoil. In general the farm economy is
based on beef cattle and hogs, with dairying being important in some areas. Corn
for silage is grown on many farms; winter wheat is often the main cash crop.
Crop yields are high except where the sticky brown clay or grayish parent material
has been exposed.
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