The following is a map unit description from the "Soil Survey of Barnstable County, Massachusetts (Fletcher, 1993)"
BIB-Belgrade silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes.
This very deep, gently sloping, moderately well drained soil is in depressions and swales in areas of glacial lake deposits. It makes up approximately 0.2 percent (628 acres) of the survey area. It is mapped mainly in the Plymouth-Eastchop-Carver-Boxford general soil map unit. Areas are irregular in shape and range from 5 to 50 acres in size.
Typically, the surface layer is dark brown, friable silt loam about 9 inches thick. The subsoil is about 32 inches thick. The upper 9 inches is yellowish brown, friable silt loam; the next 1 1 inches is light olive brown, mottled, friable silt loam; and the lower 12 inches is light olive brown, mottled, friable very fine sandy loam. The substratum extends to a depth of 65 inches or more. It is mottled. It is grayish brown, firm silt loam in the upper 13 inches and light yellowish brown, loose fine sand in the lower 11 inches.
Included with this soil in mapping are small areas of Amostown, Boxford, Scitico, and Walpole soils and areas where slopes are less than 3 percent. Also included are areas where the soil is underlain by sandy and gravelly material below a depth of 65 inches. Included areas make up about 30 percent of this unit.
Permeability is moderate in the subsoil of the Belgrade soil and slow to moderately rapid in the substratum. Available water capacity is high. The seasonal high water table is at a depth of 1.5 to 3.5 feet in late fall, in winter and early spring, and after periods of heavy precipitation.
Most areas are used as woodland. Some areas have been developed for homesites, and a few areas are farmed.
This soil is well suited to cultivated crops. Good tilth can be easily maintained. The seasonal high water table and erosion are management concerns. Wetness in early spring often delays farming activities. A drainage system is commonly needed for the best yields. Stripcropping, terracing, applying a system of conservation tillage, growing cover crops, and including grasses and legumes in the cropping system help to control erosion. Mixing crop residue and manure into the surface layer helps to maintain good tilth and increases the organic matter content.
This soil is well suited to hay and pasture. The main management objective is the prevention of overgrazing, which reduces the hardiness and density of desirable plants and exposes the soil to erosion. Proper stocking rates, timely grazing, and restricted use during wet periods help to maintain plant density and minimize surface compaction.
This soil is well suited to woodland. No major hazards or limitations restrict woodland management. Thinning dense stands to standard stocking results in more vigorous tree growth. Removal or control of competing vegetation may be necessary for the best growth of newly established seedlings. The most common trees are eastern white pine, red maple, pitch pine, wild cherry, white oak, scarlet oak, and redcedar.
The seasonal high water table is a limitation if this soil is used as a site for dwellings with or without basements or as a site for septic tank absorption fields. The slow to moderately rapid permeability in the substratum also is a limitation on sites for septic tank absorption fields. Additions of fill or a regional drainage system helps to overcome these limitations. Enlarging the absorption field helps to overcome the restricted permeability. In areas where the soil is underlain by sandy and gravelly material, excavations that extend to this material generally can overcome the restricted permeability.
