The following is a map unit description from the "Soil Survey of Norfolk and Suffolk Counties, Massachusetts (Peragallo, 1989)"
CcB-Canton fine sandy loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes, extremely bouldery. This is a very deep, gently sloping, well drained soil on lower side slopes on uplands near outwash plains and terraces. Areas are irregular in shape and range from 6 to 50 acres. Boulders more than 2 feet in diameter cover 1 to 25 percent of the surface. In many map units the boulders are in clusters and the rest of these map units do not have boulders.
Typically, the surface layer is black fine sandy loam about 1 inch thick. The subsurface layer is dark gray fine sandy loam about 1 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, In some areas the subsoil has more gravel.
Included with this soil in mapping are small areas of Chariton and extremely stony Montauk soils in similar positions on the landscape. Also included are extremely stony Chatfield soils on knobs and extremely stony Scituate soils in low areas and depressions. Also included are small isolated areas that do not have boulders on the surface. Included areas make up about 10 percent of the map unit.
Soil properties:Permeability: Moderately rapid
in the surface layer and the subsurface layer, 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 the seasonal high water table: More than 6
feet.
Hydrologic group: B.
Most areas of this soil are woodland. A few areas are used as individual homesites.
This soil is very poorly suited to cultivated crops and pasture and to use as orchards. The boulders on the surface limit the use of farm equipment.
Potential productivity for eastern white pine on this soil is high. Management concerns are large stones and boulders on the surface and plant competition. The large surface stones and boulders generally limit the use of harvesting and planting equipment. In some areas hand-planting is needed. Thinning crowded stands to accepted standard stocking levels allows more vigorous growth of preferred trees. in thinning operations it is important to remove diseased, poorly formed, and otherwise undesirable trees. 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.
The boulders in this soil limit excavation operations for building sites and generally limit road construction. 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 boulders in this soil generally limit the installation of distribution lines. The soil is fairly well suited to lawns, landscaping, and gardens, but boulders restrict the use of machinery.
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