The following is a map unit description from the "Soil Survey of Norfolk and Suffolk Counties, Massachusetts (Peragallo, 1989)"
CbC-Canton fine sandy loam, 8 to 15 percent slopes, extremely stony. This is a very deep, strongly sloping, well drained soil on the sides of upland hills and ridges near outwash plains and terraces. Areas are irregular in shape and range from 6 to 150 acres in size. Stones 10 to 24 inches in diameter cover 1 to 15 percent of the land surface. In some map units the stones are in clusters and the rest of these map units do not have stones.
Typically, the surface layer is black fine sandy loam about 1 inch thick. The subsurface layer is dark gray fine sandy loam about I inch thick. The subsoil is about 20 inches thick. It is yellowish brown fine sandy loam in the upper part and light yellowish brown fine sandy loam in the lower part. The substratum is gravelly loamy sand to a depth of 60 inches or more. It is light olive gray in the upper part and olive gray in the lower part.
Included with this soil in mapping are small areas of Charlton and extremely stony Montauk soils in positions on the landscape similar to those of the Canton soil. Also included are areas of extremely stony Chatfield soils on knobs and extremely stony Scituate soils along drainageways. Included areas make up about 20 percent of the map unit.
Soil properties:Permeability.- Moderately rapid in the surface layer
and the subsoil and rapid in the substratum.
Available water capacity: Low or moderate.
Soil reaction.- Very strongly acid to moderately acid
throughout.
Depth to bedrock: More than 60 inches.
Depth to high water table: More than 6 feet.
Hydrologic group: B.
Most areas of this soil are woodland. Some areas are used as individual homesites. A few small areas are used for pasture.
This soil is very poorly suited to cultivated crops unless the stones on the surface are removed. It is suited to use as pastureland, and as orchards. Stones and boulders, however, limit the use of conventional farm equipment.
Potential productivity for eastern white pine on this soil is high. The soil is easily managed for woodland use. If conifers are grown, plant competition at regeneration is moderate. Thinning crowded stands to accepted standard stocking levels allows more vigorous growth. Shelterwood cutting, seed-tree cutting, and clearcutting help to establish natural regeneration or to provide suitable planting sites, Removing or controlling competing vegetation allows best growth of newly established seedlings. Pruning helps to improve the quality of white pine. Large stones on the surface generally hinder the use of harvesting and planting equipment.
Designing buildings to conform to the natural slope of the land helps to overcome the slope limitation and to control erosion in disturbed areas. In some areas land shaping is needed. Large stones generally limit excavations. Constructing roads on the contour, if possible, and planting roadbanks to well adapted grasses help to control erosion. If the soil is used as sites for septic tank absorption fields, ground water pollution is a hazard. Because of rapid permeability, the soil readily absorbs but does not adequately filter the effluent. The large stones in the soil generally limit the installation of distribution lines.
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