MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

TALBOT COUNTY

MARYLAND
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

TALBOT COUNTY

BALTIMORE
JOHNS HOPKINS PRESS
19 2 6

Sao-

QE

122
T3AS-

PRESS OF MEYER 4 TMAIHEIMER
BALTIMORE. MO.

ADVISORY COUNCIL

RAYMOND A. PEARSON Executive Officer

PRESIDENT UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND

FRANK J. GOODNOW Ex-officio Member

PRESIDENT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

ROBERT W. WILLIAMS Baltimore

JOHN B. FERGUSON - - - Hagerstown

SCIENTIFIC STAFF

Edward Bennett Mathews State Geologist

StPEKINTENDENT OF THE SI ItVEV

Edward W. Berry Assistant State Geologist

Benjamin L. Miller Geologist

Joseph T. Singewald, Jr. Geologist

Also with the cooperation of several members of the scientific
bureaus of the National Government and Carnegie Institution.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

To His Excellency Albert C. Ritchie, Governor of Maryland,

Sir: — I have the honor to present herewith a report on The
Physical Features of Talbot County. This volume is the tenth of a
series of reports on the county resources, and is accompanied by
large scale topographical, geological, and agricultural soil maps.
The information contained in this volume will prove of both eco-
nomic and educational value to the residents of Talbot County as
well as to those who may desire information regarding this section
of the State. I am,

Very respectfully,

Edward Bennett Mathews,

State Geologist.

Johns Hopkins University.

Baltimore, September, 1926.

CONTENTS

PAGE

PREFACE 17

THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY 21

Introduction 21

DEVELOPMENT OF KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE PHYSICAL
FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY, WITH BIBLIOG-
RAPHY. By Benjamin L. Miller 23

Historical Review 23

The History of Geographic Research 23

The History of Geologic Research 25

General 25

The Tertiary Formations 26

The Quaternary Formations 28

Bibliography 28

THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY. .By Benjamin L. Miller 41

Boundaries and Limits 41

Divisions 42

Relief 43

Drainage 43

Structure 44

Character of Materials 44

Topographic Description of Talbot County 44

Tide Marshes 45

Talbot Plain 46

Wicomico Plain 47

Drainage 48

Tidewater Estuaries 48

Minor Streams 49

Water Power 49

Topographic History 49

Sunderland Stage 50

Wicomico Stage 51

Talbot Stage 52

Recent Stage 52

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY. By Benjamin L. Miller 55

Introductory 55

CONTENTS

PAGE

The Miocene Formations 56

The Chesapeake Group 56

The Calvert Formation 57

Name 57

Areal Distribution 57

Character of Materials 58

Paleontologic Character 59

Strike, Dip, and Thickness 61

Stratigraphic Relations 61

Correlation 62

Subdivisions 62

The Choptank Formation 62

Name 62

Areal Distribution 62

Character of Materials 63

Paleontologic Character 64

Strike, Dip, and Thickness 65

Stratigraphic Relations 65

Correlation 66

Subdivisions 66

The Pleistocene Formations 66

The Columbia Group 66

The Wicomico Formation 69

Name 69

Areal Distribution 69

Character of Materials 70

Paleontologic Character 70

Strike, Dip, and Thickness 71

Stratigraphic Relations 71

Correlation 71

The Talbot Formation 72

Name 72

Areal Distribution 72

Character of Materials 72

Paleontologic Character 74

Strike, Dip, and Thickness 75

Stratigraphic Relations 75

Correlation 76

The Recent Deposits 76

Interpretation of the Geologic Record 76

Sedimentary Record of the pre-Miocene Rocks 77

Sedimentary Record of the Miocene Formations 78

Sedimentary Record of the Pleistocene Formations 79

Sedimentary Record of the Recent Formations 81

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

PAGE

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF TALBOT COUNTY. By Benjamin L.

Miller 83

Introductory 83

The Natural Deposits 83

The Clays 83

The Sands 84

The Gravels 85

The Building Stone 85

The Marls 86

The Diatomaceous Earth 86

The Water Resources 87

Springs 87

Shallow Wells 88

Artesian Wells 88

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY. By Hugh W. Bennett, W. E. Tharp,

W. S. Lyman, and H. L. Westover 97

Introductory 97

Agriculture 100

The Soil Types Ill

Sassafras Sand 116

Elktori Silt Loam 118

Sassafras Silt Loam 123

Sassafras Loamy Sand 125

Sassafras Sandy Loam 128

Sassafras Fine Sandy Loam 131

Sassafras Loam 133

Elkton Sandy Loam 136

Elkton Loam 137

Portsmouth Sandy Loam 138

Meadow 140

Tidal Marsh 140

THE CLIMATE OF TALBOT COUNTY. By Roscoe Nunn 143

Introductory 143

Climatic Records Available 144

Discussion of Data 145

Temperature 145

The Growing Season 147

Precipitation 147

Other Features of the Climate 148

CONTEXTS

PAGE

THE HYDROGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY. By B. D. Wood 155

THE MAGNETIC DECLINATION OF TALBOT COUNTY. By Louis

A. Bauee 159

Introductory 159

Meridian Line 160

Descriptions of Stations 161

True Bearings 162

THE FORESTS OF TALBOT COUNTY. By F. W. Besley 163

Introductory 163

The Distribution of Forest Land 163

Forest Types 164

Native and Introduced Trees 166

Important Timber Trees 168

Lumber and Timber Cut 169

Destructive Agencies 170

Insect Damage 171

The Future of the Forests 172

Forest Planting 173

The Starr Arboretum 173

INDEX 175

ILLUSTRATIONS

PLATE . FACING PAGE

I. Fig. 1. — View of bluffs near Dover Bridge on Choptank River. ... 24

Fig. 2. — View showing farm lands on the Talbot Plain in Talbot

County 24

II. Fig. 1. — View of Wye House, a Colonial mansion in Talbot County 48

Fig. 2. — Delivering corn at cannery at Baston 48

III. Fig. 1— View of the Wye Oak at Wye Mills 56

Fig. 2— View showing the butt of the Wye Oak at Wye Mills 56

IV. Characteristic Miocene fossil shells of Maryland 64

V. Restoration of Mammoth, bones and teeth of which were

found in the Talbot formation on Oxford Neck 72

VI. Fig. 1. — View of an abandoned field coming back to Loblolly Pine 104

Fig. 2. — Loblolly Pine seedlings in opening in forest near St.

Michaels 104

VII. Fig. 1. — Loblolly Pine windbreak near Wye 164

Fig. 2. — View of a good stand of Loblolly Pine near Tunis Mills. . . 164

VIII. Fig. 1. — View in 13-year old Catalpa plantation at Hope House... 172

Fig. 2. — A 20-year old pine forest near St. Michaels completely

destroyed by fire 172

FIGUEE PAGE

1. Thirty-three average maximum and minimum temperatures

through the year at Easton 146

2. Monthly mean and extremes of precipitation at Easton 148

PREFACE

This volume is the tenth of a series of reports dealing with tin-
physical features of the several counties of Maryland.

The Introduction contains a brief statement regarding the loca-
tion and boundaries of Talbot County together with its chief
physical characteristics.

The Physiography of Talbot County, by Benjamin L. Miller, com-
prises a discussion of the surface characteristics of the county,
together with a description both of the topographic forms and of
the agencies which have produced them.

The Geology of Talbot County, by Benjamin L. Miller, deals with
the stratigraphy and structure of the county. Many stratigraphical
details are presented, accompanied by local sections.

The Mineral Resources of Talbot County, by Benjamin L. Miller,
deals with the economic possibilities of the various geological
deposits of the county. Those which have been hitherto employed
are fully discussed, and suggestions are made regarding the employ-
ment of others not yet utilized.

The Soils of Talbot County, by Hugh W. Bennett, W. E. Tharp,
W. S. Lyman, and H. L. Westover, contains a discussion of the
leading soil types of the county and their relation to the several
geological formations. This investigation was conducted under the
direct supervision of Professor Milton Whitney, Director of the
Bureau of Soils of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

The Climate of Talbot County, by Roscoe Nunn, is an important
contribution to the study of the climatic features of the county. Mr.
Nunn is Section Director in Baltimore of the U. S. Weather
Bureau, and also Meteorologist of the Maryland State Weather
Service.

The Hydrography of Talbot County, by B. D. Wood, gives a brief
account of the water supply of the county, which, as in the case of

18

PREFACE

the other Coastal Plain counties, affords but little power for com-
mercial purposes.

The Magnetic Declination in Talbot County, by L. A. Bauer,
contains much important information for the local surveyors of the
county. Dr. Bauer has been in charge of the magnetic investiga-
tions since the organization of the Survey and has already published
two important general reports upon this subject. He is the Director
of the Department of International Research in Terrestrial Mag
netism of the Carnegie Institution.

The Forests of Talbot County, by F. W. Besley, is an important
contribution and should prove of value in the further development
of the forestry interests of the county. Mr. Besley is State Forester
of Maryland.

The State Geological Survey desires to extend its thanks to the
several national organizations which have liberally aided it in the
preparation of several of the papers contained in this volume. The
Director of the U. S. Geological Survey, the Chief of the U. S.
Weather Bureau, the Chief of the U. S. Bureau of Soils of the U. S.
Department of Agriculture have granted many facilities for the
conduct of the several investigations and the value of the report has
been much enhanced thereby.

THE

PHYSICAL FEATURES

OF

TALBOT COUNTY

THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF
TALBOT COUNTY

INTRODUCTION

Talbot County lies to the east of Chesapeake Bay and forms a
part of what is known as the "Eastern Shore" of Maryland. It is
included between the parallels of 38° 34' and 38° 57' north latitude
and between the meridians of 75° 54' and 76° 25' west longitude.
It has an area of 290.83 square miles, making it one of the smaller
counties of the state in geographic extent. In population and
wealth, however, it far exceeds several of the larger counties.

Next to Kent, Talbot County is the oldest of the Eastern Shore
counties of the State having been founded about 1661. It was named
for Grace Talbot, daughter of George, first Lord Baltimore. Origi-
nally the county embraced much more territory but it was gradually
restricted by the erection of the adjoining counties of Queen Anne's.
Dorchester, and Caroline.

Talbot County lies entirely within the Atlantic Coastal Plain
and its physical features are characteristic of that physiographic
province. It is almost entirely surrounded by tide-water estuaries
and bays, many of which extend into the county for many miles.
The greatest elevations in the county are little more than 70 feet
above sea level while almost one-half the county is less than 25 feet
above sea level.

The county is well provided with transportation facilities as two
lines of railroad, the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore, Chesapeake,
and Atlantic, extend entirely across the- county while two steamboat
lines from Baltimore make regular trips to various wharves on the
Choptank and Tred Avon rivers and to Claiborne on the Bay shore.
Besides, sailing vessels pass up many of the other tidewater streams

22

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

during the seasons when fruit, vegetables, and grain are being
shipped to market and a portion of the produce of the country is
transported in such vessels.

Farming is the chief occupation of the county and almost all of
the land is under cultivation. The many well-kept farms and at-
tractive farm buildings that are to be seen in all parts of the county
indicate the prosperity of the inhabitants. The waters which wash
the shores of the county abound in oysters, fish, and crabs ; and the
capture and care of these furnish occupation to many of the people.
Within recent years the attractions of Talbot County have drawn
many people to its borders during the summer season and many
summer homes and hotels have been erected along the shores to
accommodate those who delight in boating, bathing, and fishing.

Easton, the county seat and the largest town in the county, is a
prosperous enterprising town with a population of about 4,000. It
is centrally located and easily accessible to all parts of the county
as two railroads pass through it while a steamboat line running
between Baltimore and points on the Choptank Kiver comes within
one mile of the town. Oxford, St. Michaels, Trappe, and Tilghman
are the other important towns, and small villages are plentifully
distributed throughout the county.

DEVELOPMENT OF KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING
THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF
TALBOT COUNTY

BY

BENJAMIN L. MILLER

The location of Talbot County on navigable waters and its early
settlement are together responsible for it being mentioned in many
publications extending over a period of about 300 years. Naturally
the first references are somewhat vague and consist merely of geo-
graphic notes or of maps on which the geographic features of the
region are portrayed. For this reason it is considered advisable to
divide the discussion of the literature references into two classes:
those which are primarily of geographic interest and those which
pertain to the description of the geologic features of the region.

The History of Geographic Kesearch.

Chesapeake Bay was probably entered and explored by Ayllon,
a Spaniard, in 1526 and perhaps by Gomez, another Spaniard, a few
years later. The maps prepared as the result of these voyages are
vague and general but there are some who believe that an indenta-
tion in the ocean shore is supposed to represent Chesapeake Bay.
Until the English settlement at Jamestown these maps were ac-
cepted as authoritative and were reproduced in the works of several
different writers.

In the summer of 1608, one year after the establishment of the
English colony at Jamestown, Captain John Smith with fourteen
companions started out to explore Chesapeake Bay. They went up
the Bay as far as the Patapsco River and then returned to James-
town, having been away less than three weeks. Later in the summer
Smith again headed another party for the same purpose and that
time went to the head of the Bay. His map and also his notes indi-

24

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

cate that be made no close-range observations along the Eastern
Shore between the Xanticoke and Sassafras rivers as be kept close
to the western shore in that portion of the Bay. However, he at-
tempted to delineate the characteristics of the entire Bay on his
map. He made the mistake, that one might naturally make in
taking observations at that great distance, of supposing that three
large islands occurred in that portion of the Bay. These he
named the "AYinstone Islands." They evidently represent Kent
Island, the peninsula of Talbot County lying between the Miles
and Chop tank rivers, and the western portion of Dorchester County.

Smith's map was published in England in 1012 and served as the
source of information for almost all the maps of this region which
were published during the next fifty years. The Lord Baltimore
map, published in 1035, reproduces the same errors made by Smith
in delineating the outlines of the shores. The map is interesting
in that conical-shaped hills, or mountains, are represented in the
area now included in Queen Anne's, Talbot, and Caroline counties.

A map drawn by Virginia Farrer and published in 1651 is
greatly distorted and is altogether less reliable than some of the
earlier maps, yet it crudely represents the Choptank and Chester
rivers.

In 1CG0 a fifth map of Maryland, by George Alsop. was published.
This is interesting in that it represents the Eastern Shore to be cut
into a number of peninsulas of approximately the same size and
shape by the Choptank. Wye, Chester, "Sassafrix." "Elke," and two
other unnamed rivers that all flow almost due west, are of equal

size and empty in " piacke Bay" along a straight north and

south line.

In 16G0 Augustine Herman offered to make a map of Maryland
in return for a manor along Bohemia River and on the acceptance
of the offer by Lord Baltimore moved his family to Maryland and
began the work. He was engaged in the work for ten years and it
was not until 1673 that the map was finally published. The map is

GEOLOGICAL

Fig. 2. — VIEW SHOWING FARM I.amis ON THE TALBOT

PLAIN IN TALBOT COUNTY.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SI ltVKV

25

remarkably good and for the first time the configuration of the
Eastern Shore counties was correctly shown. Most of the names
which appear on the map are those still in use. "Talbot" is written
on that portion of territory lying between the Chester and "Chop-
tanck" rivers and extending from "The Great Bay of Cheseapeake"
to "Delawar Bay." Just as Smith's map served as the basis for
later maps for many years so did Herman's map appear in many
volumes and in many forms during the next century.

In 1735 Walter Haxton in a "Mapp of the Bay of Chesepeacke"
added many details that were lacking from Herman's map. On this
map nearly all the points and inlets along the Bay shore were cor-
rectly shown and many observations on the depths of the water are
given as the map was intended for the use of mariners.

After Haxton's map appeared there was little to be added so
far as the Eastern Shore was concerned and the only other maps
worthy of mention here are the maps by Dennis Griffith in 1794,
by J. H. Alexander 1834-1840, and by S. J. Martinet in 1865. These
contained much new information on the political boundaries, towns,
and roads but in the representation of natural features were prac-
tically copies of the earlier maps.

The last map to be mentioned is the one accompanying this
report and which has been prepared by the United States Geological
Survey in cooperation with the Maryland Geological Survey. The
details shown on this map, when compared with Smith's map, fur-
nish decisive evidence of the continual progressive development
that the Eastern Shore has undergone during the past 300 years,
as well as showing the great improvements which have been made in
the art of map making and map publishing.

THE HISTORY OF GEOLOGIC RESEARCH

General.

The first paper on the Geology of North America worthy of es-
pecial consideration was published by William Maclure in 1809 and

26

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

republished in more complete form in 1817, 1818, and 1826. In this
report and on the accompanying map all the Atlantic Coastal Plain
was supposed to be composed of a single geologic unit w hich was
called the "Alluvial Formation." It received the name from the un-
consolidated condition of the materials which suggested to him an
alluvial origin. The boundary between the Coastal Plain and the
Piedmont Plateau or between what he called the "Alluvial" and
"Primitive" formations, was drawn with a high degree of accuracy.
This first contribution by Maclure, although extremely general,
nevertheless possesses great value as it was the impetus needed to
stimulate systematic geologic investigation.

In 1820 Harden objected to Maclure's explanation of the origin
of the Coastal Plain materials and stated that they were not
alluvial in character but marine and were brought to their present
position by an ocean current that swept over the eastern part of
the country.

The Tertiary Formations.

The first attempt to differentiate the various formations of which
we now know the Coastal Plain to be composed were made in 1824
by John Finch, an Englishman, who traveled in this country during
the preceding year. He recognized the presence of Secondary
(Cretaceous) and Tertiary formations which he provisionally cor-
related with similar formations in Europe. Some of the correla-
tions which he made were incorrect yet his contribution was of
great value in that he showed that it would be possible to divide the
beds of unconsolidated materials into several formations on the
basis of the fossils which they contained.

T. A. Conrad was the first paleontologist of importance to en-
gage in the investigation of the Tertiary fossils of Maryland. He
published his first article on this subject in 1830 and two years
later, as a result of his further paleontologic data, he divided the
Coastal Plain deposits into six formations. Conrad continued to
study Coastal Plain fossils and numerous articles from his pen

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

2 7

were published from 1830 to 1867. To him much credit is due for the
accurate determination of the major groups of strata composing the
Coastal Plain and without Conrad's careful determinations and
descriptions of the contained fossils, it would have been impossible
to make much progress. He divided the Tertiary into the Eocene
and Miocene although Isaac Lea was the first person to apply the
term "Eocene" to any deposits in this country.

The first Geological Survey of Maryland, under the direction of
Ducatel, the State Geologist, and Alexander, the State Engineer,
contributed much to our understanding of the geology of the State
and their reports issued from 1834 to 1842 contain the results of
careful, systematic investigations prosecuted in all parts of the
State.

Several writers between 1830 and 1S60 emphasized the value of
the shell and greensand marls of the Coastal Plain for fertilizing
purposes and their contributions contain much information in re-
gard to the Tertiary deposits of this region. They seem to have exag-
gerated the value of the marls yet there can be no question but that
the marls do possess the requisite properties for improving many
soils. Pierce, Purvis, Puffin, Higgins, and Tyson were the men
who were most active in recommending to farmers that they make
use of the easily accessible marl deposits, while in the adjoining
stales of Delaware and Virginia, Booth and W. B. Rogers were
equally active in urging similar action on the residents of their
states.

In the further study of the Tertiary deposits the work has been
done almost entirely by Heilprin and members of the Maryland
Geological Survey and United States Geological Survey. The con-
tributions of Clark, Dall, Shattuck, and Martin are of the greatest
importance and due to these men we have the present divisions and
classification used in this report.

28

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

The Quaternary Formations.

In general, the early geologic investigation either entirely ig-
nored the surficial deposits or else merely referred to them inci-
dentally. Chester in 1884 and 1885 described the surface gravels
of the Eastern Shore and gave an explanation of their origin. Mc
Gee. however, was the first one to make systematic observations of
these materials over extended areas of the Coastal Plain and in
several papers published during the years 1886 to 1891 we have
much valuable information. He proposed the name "Columbia"
for the Quaternary deposits and divided them into fluviatile and
interfluviatile phases which he considered contemporaneous. Al-
though McGee's deductions are not all accepted now yet his observa-
tions were carefully made and served as the basis for later work.

Darton continued McGee's work and early divided the surficial
Quaternary deposits into two formations which he designated
"Earlier Columbia" and "Later Columbia." The latest important
contributions have been made by Shattuck. who in 1901 divided the
Columbia deposits into three formations which he named the "Sun-
derland," "Wicomico." and "Talbot." This is the classification that
is used in this report.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1612.

Smith, John. A Map of Virginia with a Description of the Coun-
try, the Commodities, People, Government, and Relegeon. Written
by Captaine Smith, sometime Governour of the Countrey. Oxford,
printed by Joseph Barnes, 1612. 4 to, 174 pp.

Tlie map imperfectly represents the Bay shore features of Talbot County.

1624.

Smith, John. A Generall Historie of Virginia, New England,
and the Summer Isles, etc. London, 1624. (Several editions.)

This work contains many interesting notes on the physiography of Chesapeake Bay
and its tributaries, and briefly described the clays and gravels along their shores. For
a reproduction and discussion of Smith's map see Md. Geol. Surv.. Vol. II, pp. 34" -360.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SUBVBT

29

1635.

Anon. A Relation of Maryland; Together With a Map of the
Countrey, The Conditions of Plantation, His Majestie's Charter to
the Lord Baltimore, translated into English. London, 1635.

(Repub.) Sabine's Reprints, 4 to., ser., No. 2, New York, 1865, pp. 1-65, with ap-
pendix pp. 67-73.

The map accompanying this report is similar to that made by Smith but, in addition,
conical hills or mountains are represented in the area now included in the Eastern
Shore counties of Queen Anne's, Talbot, and Caroline.

1651.

Farrer, Virginia. A mapp of Virginia discovered to ye Hills,
and in it's Latt: From 35 deg: & y2 neer Florida, to 41 deg: bounds
of New England. John Goddard sculp. Domina Farrer Collegit.
Are sold by I. Stephenson at ye Sunn below Ludgate : 1651.

Includes a greatly distorted representation of the Chesapeake Bay region.

1666.

Alsop, George. A Character of the Province of Maryland.
(Repub.) Gowan's Bibliotheca Americana, New York, 1869,
No. 5.

Contains a generalized map in which the Eastern Shore rivers and peninsulas are
represented as being very regular.

1673.

Herman, Augustine. Virginia and Maryland As it is Planted
and Inhabited this present year 1670.

This is a very good map of the two colonies and the first accurate one of the Chesa-
peake Bay region ever prepared.

1735.

Haxton, Walter. To the Merchants of London Trading to Virgi-
nia and Maryland. This mapp of the Bay of Chesapeack with the
Rivers Potomack, Patapsco, North East and part of Chester, Is
humbly dedicated & presented by Walter Haxton 1735.

The map correctly represents most of the topographic features of the Bay shores.

1817.

Maclure, Wm. Observations on the Geology of the United States
of America, with some remarks on the effect produced on the nature

30

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

and fertility of soils by the decomposition of the different classes of
rocks. 12 mo., 2 pis., Phila., 1817.

Is an elaboration of an article published in 1809 in Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc, O. S.,
Vol. VI, pp. 411-428. Repub. in Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc, N. S., Vol. I, 1818, 191 pp.

This work is classic as it was the first attempt to treat the geology of the entire
country and it contains the first published geological map of the United States. The
whole Coastal Plain constitutes the "Alluvial" formation and the Piedmont Plateau,
the "Primitive."

1818.

Mitchell. Samuel L. Essay on the Theory of the Earth by M.
Cuvier to which are now added Observations on the Geology of
North America by Samuel L. Mitchell. 8 vo., 431 pp., 8 pis. Xew
York, 1818.

He believes that the fossil remains in this region "afford proofs of a deposite

from inland floods since the oceanic strata were formed." p. 395.

1820.

Hayden, Horace H. Geological Essay ; or An Inquiry into some
of the Geological Phenomena to be found in various parts of
America, and elsewhere. 8 vo., 412 pp. Baltimore, 1820.

The writer contends that the unconsolidated deposits bordering the Atlantic Ocean
are not alluvial materials but have been brought to their present position by an ocean
current that swept over the eastern part of the country in a southwesterly direction.
The rise of the ocean is believed to have been caused by an increase of water due to
the melting of the polar ice produced by a shifting of the earth's axis.

1824.

Finch, John. Geological Essay on the Tertiary Formations in
America.

(Read before Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., July 15, 1823.) Amer. Jour.
Sci.. Vol. VII. pp. 31-43. 1824.

Objection is made to the term "Alluvial formation" of Maclure and others on the
ground that the deposits are for the most part not of alluvial origin and also as used,
the term includes a number of distinct formations that can be correlated with the
"newer secondary and tertiary formations of France, England. Spain, Germany, Italy,
Hungary, Poland, Iceland. Egypt, and Hindoostan." The writer makes some provi-
sional correlations with European formations which are now known to be Incorrect.
He admits, however, that the data at his disposal are insufficient for accurate correla-
tion.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL si KVKY

31

1826.

Pierce, James. Practical remarks on the shell marl region of
the eastern parts of Virginia and Maryland, etc; extracted from a
letter to the Editor.

Amer. Jour. Sci., Vol. XI, pp. 54-59, 1826.

Mentions the occurrence of shell marl of marine origin in the "alluvial" district of
Maryland on both sides of Chesapeake Bay and discusses its value as a fertilizer in
the renovation of exhausted soils.

1834.

Ducatel, J. T. and Alexander, J. H. Report on the Projected
Survey of the State of Maryland, pursuant to a resolution of the
General Assembly. 8 vo. 39 pp. Annapolis, 1834. Map. Several
editions.

Amer. Jour. Sci., Vol. XXVII, 1835, pp. 1-39.

"Two varieties of shell marl, one composed principally of clam shells imbedded in
clay: the other consisting of pectens (scallop shells) enveloped by an indurated fer-
ruginous clay" are reported to occur on Corsica Chreek.

1835.

Conrad, T. A. Observations on the Tertiary Strata of the United
States.

Amer. Jour. Sci., Vol. XXVIII, 1S35, pp. 104-111, 280-282.

He considers the Miocene absent in this region, the Older Pliocene resting directly
upon the Eocene. The beds containing Pcrna maxillata are referred to the Older
Pliocene and the St. Mary's river beds to the Medial Pliocene.

Ducatel, J. T. and Alexander, J. H. Report on the New Map
of Maryland, 1834. Annapolis, 1835 (?). 8 vo. 591 pp. Two
maps and one folded table. Contains Engineer's and Geologist's
Reports which were also issued separately. Md. House of Dele-
gates, Dec. Sess. 1834.

Ducatel says that he believes the shell marl deposit underlies the Eastern Shore but
is not exposed south of the Choptank River. He gives the dip as 5° to the southwest.
He also says that the surface of the marl undulates. He describes deposits of shell
marl at the head of Southeast Creek in the vicinity of Church Hill, on the northeast
side of Corsica Creek, at many places on the southwest side of Corsica Creek extending
to the head of the branch south of Centreville, at the head of Reed's Creek, on Back
Wye River, and on Chew's Island. Sixteen analyses of these marls are given. The soils
of the county are described and the value of the shell marls as fertilizers is discussed
as well as methods of working and applying the material. Bog iron ore of good quality
is reported at the head of Hamilton and South East creeks. A chalybeate spring is
said to be located on the farm of Mr. Levi Paccault near Wye Mills

32

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

1836.

Ducatel, J. T. and Alexander. J. H. Report on the new Map
of Maryland. 1835. 8 vo. 84 pp. Maps. Annapolis, 1835.

Md. Pub. Doc. Dec, Sess., 1835. Engineer s Report pp. 1-34, Geologist's Report,

pp. 35-85.

Both reports also published separately,

Purvis, M. On the Use of Lime as a Manure.

Translated for the Farmer's Register, Shellbanks, Va., 1835. Reviewed in Amer.
Jour. Sci., Vol. XXX, 1836, pp. 138 163.

Mention is made of the use of greensand as a fertilizer.

1837.

Ducatel, J. T. Outline of the Physical Geography of Maryland,
embracing its prominent Geological features.

Trans. Md. Acad. Sci. and Lit., Vol. I, Pt. I, 1837. pp. 24-55
with map.

A general description of the distribution and characteristics of the Miocene of the
with many details of local features. It is a general summary of information pre-
viously published in various places. Mention is made of the covering of boulders and
coarse gravel near the inner edge of the Secondary (Cretaceous) rocks while farther
out the sands and clays of the Secondary and Tertiary formations are uncovered. The
whole county is said to be underlain by Tertiary deposits though no reference is made
to any particular locality in the county.

1838.

Coxrad, T. A. Fossils of the Medial Tertiary of the United
States. No. 1, 1838.

[Description on cover: 1839 & "40], 32 pp., pis. I XVII. Repub. by Win. H. Dall,
Washington, 1893.

A general description of the physiography and geology of the entire state is given
Atlantic Coastal Plain is given. The Miocene is called the Medial Tertiary or Older
Pliocene and the Eccene is called Lower Tertiary.

1840.

Coxrad, T. A. Fossils of the Medial Tertiary of the United
States. No. 2, 1840.

[Description on cover: 1840-1842], pp. 33-56, pis. XVIII XXIX. Repub. by Wm. H.
Dall, Washington, 1893.

Astarte cuneiformis from Wye Mills is described and figured.

1841.

Vanuxem, Lardxer. On the Ancient Oyster Shell Deposits ob-
served near the Atlantic Coast of the United States. (Read April
7, 1841.)

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

33

Proc. Assoc. Amer. Geol. and Nat., pp. 21-23.

The writer agrees with Ducatel in the view that the deposits were made by the
Indians, though he admits that Conrad has some evidence to prove that they were
formed by natural agencies. He believes that possibly the deposit at Easton is due to
natural causes as the valves seem to be together there, while elsewhere they arc
separated.

1842.

Conrad, T. A. Observations on a portion of the Atlantic Ter-
tiary Region, with a description of new species of organic remains.
2d Bull. Proc. Nat. Inst. Prom. Sci., 1842. pp. 171-192.

The Miocene and Eocene are said to not be connected by a single fossil common
to both periods while three forms found in the Upper Secondary are found In the
Eocene. The Medial Tertiary (Miocene) is said to appear near Chestertown and Wye
Mills.

1843.

Ducatel, J. T. Physical History of Maryland.

Abstract, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, Vol. Ill, 1843, pp. 157-158.

"The Eastern Shore is shown to consist of something more than arid sand-hills
and pestilential marshes ; and the Western Shore not to depend exclusively upon the
rich valleys of Frederick and Hagerstown for its supplies."

1850.

Higgins, James. Report of James Higgins, M. D., State Agricul-
tural Chemist, to the House of Delegates. 8 vo. 92 pp. Annapolis,
1850.

Contains detailed descriptions and many analyses of the various kinds of soils
found on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The greensand and shell marl deposits of
the counties lying north of the Choptank River are discussed at length. Reference is
made to several localities in Talbot County where they occur.

1852.

Fisher, R. S. Gazateer of the State of Maryland compiled from
the returns of the Seventh Census of the United States. New York
and Baltimore, 8 vo. 1852, 122 pp.

Contains numerous descriptions of the geography and geology of the various
portions of the State.

1860.

Tyson, Philip T. First Report of Philip T. Tyson, State Agri-
cultural Chemist, to the House of Delegates of Maryland. January,

34

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

1860. 8 vo. 145 pp. Maps. Appendix. Mineral Resources of Md.
20 pp. Annapolis, 1860.

1862.

Tyson, Philip T. Second Report of Philip T. Tyson, State Agri-
cultural Chemist, to the House of Delegates of Maryland. January,
1862. 8 vo. 92 pp., Annapolis, 1862.

1867.

Higgins, James. A Succinct Exposition of the Industrial Re-
sources and Agricultural Advantages of the State of Maryland.
8 vo., 109+III pp.

Md. House of Delegates, Jan. Sess., 1867, (DD).

Md. Sen. Doc, Jan. Sess., 1867, (U).

Contains descriptions of the soils and physiographic features of each of the
counties of the State.

1880.

Heilprin, Angelo. On the Stratigraphical Evidence Afforded
by the Tertiary Fossils of the Peninsula of Maryland.

Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., Vol. XXXII, 1880, pp. 20-33.

After a careful examination of the fossils found along the Patuxent, Choptank.
and St. Mary's rivers and the Calvert Cliffs, the author proposes the separation of the
Miocene into the Older and Newer periods. The beds at Fair Haven are typical Older
Miocene and the St. Mary's lower Patuxent and Choptank river beds belong to the

Newer Miocene.

1882.

On the relative ages and classification of

the Post Eocene Tertiary Deposits of the Atlantic Slope.

Proc. Acad. Xat. Sci., Phila., Vol. XXXIV, 1882, pp. 150-186.
Asbtract : Amer. Jour. Sci., 3d ser.. Vol. XXIV, 1882, pp. 228-229.
Amer. Xat., Vol. XVII, 1883, p. 308.

From a comparison of faunas the Eocene deposits of Maryland are correlated with
the Eo-Lignitic of Alabama, and the Miocene beds of the State are grouped in a divi-
sion called the Marylandian which is supposed to be older than any other Miocene beds
of this country, with the possible exception of the basal Miocene beds of Virginia
which may be contemporaneous.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

35

1884.

Chester, Frederick D. The quaternary Gravels of Northern
Delaware and Eastern Maryland, with map.

Amer. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., Vol. XXVII, 1884, pp. 189-199.

The author believes that the peninsula of Eastern Maryland and Delaware was
covered with gravels, clay and sand brought down by the Delaware River during the
Ice Age and deposited in an estuary.

Heilprin, Angelo. The Tertiary Geology of the Eastern and
Southern United States.

Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., Vol. IX, pt. 1, pp. 115-154, map.
1884.

The distribution of the Tertiary strata of the State is given approximately. The
Eocene is correlated with the base of the Buhrstone or the Eo-lignitic of Alabama and
with the London Clay. The Miocene of the State is divided into two formations, the
older or Marylandian which is regarded as possibly Oligocene is age, and the newer or
Virginian. The former is exposed in Anne Arundel, Calvert, and Charles counties and
the latter at Easton, on the Choptank River and in St. Mary's County.

Contributions to the Tertiary Geology and

Paleontology of the United States. 4 to, 117 pp. 1 map. Phila.,
1884.

Contains a number of articles all but one of which was previously published in the
Proceedings or Jour, of the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences. Some of these articles
are listed on preceding pages.

1885.

Chester, Frederick D. The gravels of the Southern Delaware
Peninsula.

Amer. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., Vol. XXIX, 1885, pp. 36-44.

The gravels, sands, and clays of the entire peninsula of Eastern Maryland and
Delaware are said to have been brought down by the Delaware River and spread out
by estuaries and marine currents. In the northern part the materials were deposited
in an estuary but in the southern part in the open ocean. Boulders carried by icebergs
are found throughout the entire area, some of which are of large size.

1888.

McGee, W. J. Three Formations of the Middle Atlantic Slope.
Amer. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., Vol. XXXV, 1888, pp. 120-143, 328-331.
367-388, 448-466, plate II.

The three formations discussed are the Potomac, (now divided into four forma
tions), the Appomattox (Lafayette, later Brandywine), and the Columbia, (now divided
into three formations). These are described in far greater detail than had ever been
done before and the conclusions reached vary little from the views held at the present
time.

36

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

■ The Geology of the Head of Chesapeake

Bay.

7th An. Report U. S. Geol. Sun-., Washington, 1888, pp. 537-646.
(Abst.) Amer. Geol.. Vol. I. 1887. pp. 113-115.

Contains a general discussion of the Pleistocene deposits of the State.

The Columbia Formation.

Proc. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci.. Vol. XXXVI. 1888, pp. 221-222.

The Columbia formation overlying unconformable the Cretaceous and Tertiary
deposits of the Atlantic Coastal Plain is said to consist of series of deltas and ter-
raced littoral deposits. It is said to pass under the terminal moraine to the north-
ward. The Columbia materials are supposed to have been laid down during a period
of glaciation long preceding the glacial epoch during which time the terminal moraine
was formed.

Darton, X. H. Mesozoic and Cenozoic Formations of Eastern
Virginia and Maryland.

Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., Vol. II, 1891, pp. 431-450, map, sections.

(Abst.) Amer. Geol., Vol. VII, 1891, p. 185; Amer. Nat., Vol.
XXV, 1891, p. 658.

Contains a description of the Potomac. Severn (marine Cretaceous), Pamunkey
(Eocene), Chesapeake (Miocene), and Appomattox (Brandywine) formations as known
at that time.

McGee. W. J. The Lafayette Formation.

12th Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. I, 1890-91, Washington,
1891, pp. 347-521.

The general characteristics of the entire Coastal Plain and of each of the forma-
tions composing it are discussed at length.

1892.

Clark, Wm. Bullock. The Surface Configuration of Maryland.
Monthly Rept. Md. State Weather Service, Vol. II, 1S92, pp.
85-89.

Contains a general summary of the physical features of the State.

Dall, Wm. H. and Harris, G. D. Correlation Papers : Xeocene.
Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey Xo. 84, 1892, 349 pp., 3 maps, 43 figs.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

House Misc. Doc, 52d Congress, 1st sess., Vol. XLIII, No. 337.

Contains a full discussion of all the literature of the Miocene and Pliocene of the
United States published up to that time. Tentative correlations are made.

Scharf, J. Thomas. The Natural Resources and Advantages of
Maryland, being a complete description of all of the counties of the
State and the City of Baltimore. Annapolis, 1892.

Contains much general information concerning each county of the State.

1893.

Clark, Wm. Bullock. Physical Features (of Maryland).
Maryland, its Resources, Industries, and Institutions. Balti-
more, 1893, pp. 11-54.

Contains short descriptions of the topography, climate, water supply, and water
resources of the State.

Whitney, Milton. The Soils of Maryland.

Md. Agri. Exper. Station, Bull. No. 21, 58 pp., map. College
Park, 1893.

The principal soils of the State are described and their adaptability to different
kinds of crops are discussed. A map is given showing their general distribution.

Description of the Principal Soil Forma-
tions of the State (Maryland).

Maryland, its Resources, Industries, and Institutions. Balti-
more, 1893, pp. 181-211.

The writer describes the soils of the State, gives their distribution, and discusses
their origin and adaptability.

Williams, G. H. and Clark, Wm. Bullock. Geology of Mary-
land.

Marlyand, its Resources, Industries, and Institutions. Balti-
more, 1893, pp. 55-89.

The different geological formations of the State are briefly discussed.

1894.

Clark, Wm. Bullock. The Climatology and Physical Features
of Maryland.

38

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

First Bien. Kept. Md. State Weather Service for years 1892 and
1893. Baltimore, 1894.

Contains a general discussion of the topography, geology, soils, and climate of the
State.

Dartox, N. H. Artesian Well Prospects in Eastern Virginia,
Maryland, and Delaware.

Trans. Anier. Inst. Min. Eng., Vol. XXIV, 1891, pp. 372 396.
pis. 1 and 2.

Contains a general description of the Atlantic Coastal Plain formations with
records of some of the important artesian wells of the region and a discussion of
artesian water conditions throughout the area.

Outline of Cenozoic History of a Portion

of the Middle Atlantic Slope.

Jour Geol., Vol. II, 1891, pp. 568-587.

Contains a description of the formations of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and a resume
of the geologic history of the region.

Darton, X. H. Artesian Well Prospects in the Atlantic Coastal
Plain Region.

Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey Xo. 138, 1896, 232 pp., 19 pis.

Contains a brief description of the Coastal Plain formations of the State with a
discussion of their water-bearing properties. Records are given of many deep wells.

1897.

Clark, Wm. Bullock. Outline of the Recent Knowledge of the
Physical Features of Maryland, embracing an Account of the Physi-
ography, Geology, and Mineral Resources.

Md. Geol. Survey, Vol. I, 1897, pp. 141-228, pis. 6-13.

Contains a description of each of the geologic formations of the State recognized at
that time.

Abbe, Cleveland, Jr. General Report of the Physiography of
Maryland.

Md. Weather Service, Vol. I, pp. 41-216, pis. 3-19, figs. 1-20.
Baltimore, 1899.

Contains a full description of the physiographic features of the State.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

39

1900.

The Physiographic Features of Maryland.

Bull. Amer. Bur. Geog., Vol. I, pp. 151-157, 242-248, 342-355, 2
figs. 1900.

A concise description of the important physical features of each of the three
physiographic provinces of the State.

1901.

Clark, Wm. Bullock. Maryland and its Natural Resources.
Official publication of the Maryland Commissioners to the Pan-
American Exposition. 38 pp., map. Figs. Baltimore, 1901.

A brief account of the physical features and economic resources of the State.

Shattuck, George Burbank. The Pleistocene Problem of the
North Atlantic Coastal Plain.

Johns Hopkins Univ. Circ, Vol. XX, 1901, pp. 69-75; Amer.
Geol., Vol. 28, 1901, pp. 87-107.

The views of McGee, Darton, and Salisbury concerning the Pleistocene deposits
are summarized and compared with the writer's views. The wave-built terrace
deposits are referred to four different formations, the Talbot, Wicomico, Sunderland,
and Lafayette, the first three of which constitute the Columbia group. These forma-
tions are said to be separated by erosional unconformities.

1902.

Darton, N. H. Preliminary List of Deep Borings in the United
States. Part I, Alabama-Montana.

U. S. Geol. Survey, Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 57.
60 pp. 1902.

Ries, Heinrich. Report on the Clays of Maryland.
Md. Geol. Survey, Vol. IV, 1902, pp. 203-505, pis. 19-69.

Contains full description of the clay deposits and clay industries of the State.

1903.

The Clays of the United States East of Missis-
sippi River.

U. S. Geol. Survey, Prof. Paper No. 11, 1903, pp. 134-149.
1904.

Martin, G. C. et al Systematic Paleontology of the Miocene
Deposits of Maryland.

to

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF TALBOT COUNTY

Md. Geol. Survey, Miocene, 1904, pp. 1-508 pis. 10-135.

Contains descriptions and illustrations of all Miocene fossils recognized in Mary-
land up to that time. Many forms from Talbot County are includea.

1906.

Clark, Wm. Bullock and Mathews, E. B. with the collabora-
tion of others.

Md. Geol. Survey, Vol. VI, pp. 27-259, pis. 1-23, figs. 1-18, 1906.

Contains a full account of the physical features, geologic formations, and mineral
products of the entire State.

Mathews, Edward B. The Counties of Maryland; their Origin,
Boundaries, and Election Districts.

Md. Geol. Survey, Vol. VI, pp. 417-572, pis. 36-57, 1906.

Gives much valuable information concerning the boundaries of each of the counties
of the State.

Shattuck, George Burbank. The Pliocene and Pleistocene
Deposits of Maryland.

Md. Geol. Survey, Pliocene and Pleistocene, pp. 21-137, 1906.

Contains a full description of the surficial deposits of the State with many local
details.

1909.

Clark, Wm. Bullock and others. Report of the Conser-
vation Commission of Maryland for 1908-1909. 204 pp., 13 pis.,
13 figs.

Contains descriptions of the mineral and water resources and the agricultural soils
of the State.

1918.

Clark, Wm. Bullock. The Geography of Maryland.

Md. Geol. Survey, Vol. X, pt. 1, 1918, 127 pp.

Mathews, E. B., and Berry, E. W. The

Surface and Underground Waters of Maryland, including Delaware
and the District of Columbia.

Md. Geol. Survey, Vol. X, pt. 2, 372 pp. 1918.

THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

BY

BENJAMIN L. MILLER

Introductory.

Talbot County lies entirely within the Atlantic Coastal Plain
and it is therefore advisable to first discuss the general character-
istics of this entire physiographic province.

Boundaries and limits. — The Atlantic Coastal Plain province
borders the entire eastern part of the North American continent
and in essential particulars is strikingly different from the prov-
inces on either side. The eastern limit of this province is marked
by the well-defined edge of the continental shelf, which forms the
top of an escarpment varying in height from 5,000 to 10,000 feet or
even more. This scarp edge lies at a general depth of 450 to 500
feet below sea level, but commonly the 100-fathom line is regarded
the boundary of the continental shelf. The descent from that line
to the greater ocean depths is abrupt ; at Cape Hatteras there is an
increase in depth of 9,000 feet in 13 miles, a grade as steep as that
often found along the flanks of the greater mountain systems. In
striking contrast to this declivity is the comparatively flat ocean
bed, stretching away to the east but with slight differences in eleva-
tion. Looked at from its base the escarpment would have the ap-
pearance along the horizon of a high mountain range with a very
even sky line. Here and there notches, probably produced by the
streams which once flowed across the continental shelf, would be
seen, but there would be no peaks nor serrated ridges.

The western limit of the Atlantic Coastal Plain is defined by a
belt of crystalline rocks consisting of greatly metamorphosed igne-
ous and sedimentary materials, ranging in age from pre-Cambriau
to Silurian. These rocks form the Piedmont Plateau province.

42

THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

Most of the larger streams and many of the smaller ones as they
cross the western margin of the Coastal Plain are characterized hy
falls or rapids, and the name ''fall line" has been given to this
boundary on that account. Below the fall line the streams show a
marked decrease in the velocity of their currents. The position of
this line near the head of navigation or near the source of water
power has been a very important factor in determining the location
of many of the towns and cities of the Atlantic Coast, New York,
Trenton, Philadelphia, "Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington. Fred-
ericksburg, Richmond. Petersburg. Raleigh, Camden, Columbia,
Augusta, Macon, and Columbus being located along it. A line
drawn through these places would approximately separate the
Coastal Plain from the Piedmont Plateau.

Divisions. — The Atlantic Coastal Plain province is divided by
the present shore line into two parts — a submerged portion known
as the continental shelf or continental platform, and a subaerial
portion commonly called the Coastal Plain. In some places the
division line is marked by a sea cliff of moderate height, but usually
the two parts grade into each other with scarcely a perceptible
change and the only mark of separation is the shore line. The areas
of the respective portions have changed frequently during past geo-
logic time, owing to the shifting of the shore line eastward or west
ward caused by local and general depressions or elevations of mod-
erate extent, and even at the present time such changes are in
progress. Deep channels which are probably old river valleys, the
continuations of valleys of existing streams, have been traced en-
tirely across the continental shelf, at the margin of which they have
cut deep gorges. The channel opposite the mouth of Hudson River
is particularly well marked and has been shown to extend almost
uninterruptedly to the edge of the shelf, over 100 miles southeast of
the present mouth of the river. A similar channel lies opposite the
mouth of Chesapeake Bay. The combined width of the submerged
and subaerial portions of the Coastal Plain province is fairly uni-

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

i:;

form along the entire eastern border of the continent, being approx-
imately 250 miles. In Florida and Georgia the subaerial portion is
more than 150 miles wide, while the submerged portion is very nar-
row and along the eastern shore of the Florida peninsula is almost
wanting. To the north the submerged portion gradually increases
in width, while the subaerial portion becomes narrower. Except in
the region of Cape Hatteras, where the submerged belt becomes
narrower, with a corresponding widening of the subaerial belt, this
gradual change continues as far north as the southern part of
Massachusetts, beyond which the subaerial portion disappears alto-
gether through the submergence of the entire Coastal Plain province.
Off Newfoundland the continental shelf is about 300 miles wide.

Relief. — From the fall line the Coastal Plain has a gentle slope
to the southeast, generally not exceeding 5 feet to the mile, except
in the vicinity of the Piedmont Plateau, where the slope is in places
as great as 10 to 15 feet to the mile or even more. The submerged
portion is monotonously flat, as deposition has destroyed most of the
irregularities produced by erosion when this portion formed a part
of the land area. The moderate elevation of the subaerial portion,
which in few cases reaches 400 feet and is for the most part less
than half that amount, has prevented the streams from cutting
valleys of more than moderate depth. Throughout the greater por-
tion of the area the relief is inconsiderable, the streams flowing in
open valleys at a level only slightly lower than that of the broad,
flat divides. The country, however, shows considerable relief in
certain regions along the stream courses, though the variations in
altitude cover only a few hundred feet.

Drainage. — The land portion of the Coastal Plain province — the
subaerial division — is marked by the presence of many bays and
estuaries representing submerged valleys of streams carved out
during a time when the belt stood at a higher level than at present.
Chesapeake Bay, which is the old valley of Susquehanna River; and
Delaware Bay, the extended valley of Delaware River, together with

THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

such tributary streams as Patuxent, Potomac, York, and James
rivers, are examples of such bays and estuaries, and there are many
others of less importance. The streams which have their sources in
regions to the west are almost invariably turned in a direction
roughly parallel to the strike of the formations as they pass out
upon the Coastal Plain. With this exception the structure of the
formations and the character of the materials have had little effect
on stream development except locally.

Structure. — The structure of the Coastal Plain is extremely
simple, the overlapping beds having almost universally a south-
easterly dip of a few feet to the mile.

Character of materials. — The materials of which the Coastal
Plain is composed are boulders, pebbles, sand, clay, and marl,
mostly loose, but locally indurated. In age the formations range
from Cretaceous to Recent. Since the oldest formations of the prov-
ince were laid down there have been many periods of deposition al-
ternating with intervals of erosion. The sea advanced and retreated
to different points in different parts of the region, so that few of the
formations can now be traced by outcropping beds throughout the
Coastal Plain. Differing conditions thus prevailed during each
period, producing great variety in the deposits.

Topographic Description of Talbot County.
The most prominent features of the topography of Talbot County
are the numerous tide-water bays, creeks, and rivers that indent its
shores and extend in some cases many miles inland. Ignoring them
the limiting borders of Talbot County are more than 100 miles in
length and of that distance tidal streams or bays extend for more
than 90 miles. In other words the country is nine-tenths surrounded
by tide water. If all the inlets were to be measured it would prob-
ably be found that the county has as much as 400 or 500 miles of
shore line where the land is washed by tide water. Except along the
Choptank River the land bordering the bodies of tide water is low

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

45

and flat for many miles, consequently a great portion of the county
lies only a few feet above tide. Almost one-half of the county has an
elevation of less than 25 feet while the highest elevations found in
the vicinity of Easton and Woodland are slightly more than 70 feet.
Hills are practically absent except along the head waters of the
estuaries where in a few places one can get almost the entire range
of elevation in a comparatively short distance. In the lower-lying
portions of the county one can scarcely observe any irregularities
and even in the higher portions of the county the land is level and
featureless over large areas.

TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES.

Talbot County exhibits three general topographic features which
are usually distinct. These vary greatly in the amount of the
surface which they occupy and in their physical characteristics
but the principal distinction is that they are found at different
elevations.

Tide Marshes.

The first of these topographic features to be described consists
of the tide marshes that are commonly present at the heads of the
estuaries or at the mouths of tributary streams. Along the Chop-
tank River these marshes are especially prominent and the river
pursues a meandering course through them. They are sometimes
present, however, even along the Bay shore. Such examples may be
seen on Tilghman's Island and near Sherwood. In the region lying
to the south of Talbot County there are numerous islands, some of
considerable size that are completely submerged at high tide. The
only island of this character represented on the map of Talbot
County is a small one in Dickinson Bay on the Choptank River.

These tide marshes contain an abundant growth of sedges and
other marsh plants which aid in filling up the depressions by serv-
ing as obstructions to retain the mud which the streams carry in
and by furnishing a perennial accumulation of vegetable debris.

40

TIIK PHYSIOGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

Talbot Plain.

The term plain is used in a special sense throughout this dis-
cussion to describe the flat surfaces of subaqueous origin which fre-
quently cover extensive areas over the stream divides and whose
continuations are represented in the valleys of the larger streams
as terraces. The Talbot plain borders the tide marshes and extends
from sea level to an altitude of about 45 feet. It is found through-
out the county along the larger streams and also along the Bay
shore. It is most extensively developed in the western part of the
county and extends in the form of a continuous plain as far east as
Easton. It also is present as a narrowed band along the Choptank
River and Tuckahoe Creek as far north as Queen Anne although it is
interrupted at several points where the river has cut back to the
higher-lying plain.

Originally the Talbot plain everywhere sloped down gently to
the water but wave erosion in exposed places has worn away most
of the lowest-lying portions so that the bodies of tide-water are
now almost everywhere bordered by low wave-cut cliffs from 4 to 15
feet in height. This wearing action of the waves is almost continu-
ally in operation and with only a moderate breeze the water near
the shore becomes murky due to the many fine particles washed
from the land and held in suspension.

Thus the shores are being continuously worn back and the trans-
ported materials dropped in the wide estuaries. The northwest
winds of the winter season seem to be most effective in this destruc-
tive work and under the usual conditions the headlands exposed on
that side wear away most rapidly. Except along the shores of the
bays and estuaries the Talbot plain has been only slightly affected
by stream action. This is due to the low elevation of the plain and
also to the comparatively short period of time that has elapsed
since it emerged from beneath the waters of Chesapeake Bay.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SI KVKY

17

Wicomico Plain.

The Wicomico plain lies at a higher level than the Talbot, from
which it is in many places separated by an escarpment varying in
height from a few feet to 20 or 25 feet. This escarpment is locally
wanting, so that there seems to be a gradual transition from the
Talbot plain to the Wicomico. The escarpment is found, however,
in so many different places, not only in this but in adjacent le-
gions, that there is little difficulty in determining where the
separation between the two plains should be made. Facing Chesa-
peake Bay the escarpment is well defined on the Eastern Shore
throughout Talbot, Queen Anne's, and Kent counties. In Talbot
County it has an almost due north and south course extending from
near Wye Mills to a short distance south of Trappe. The escarp-
ment is most pronounced a short distance southwest of Longwoods,
between Longwoods and Easton, and near Hambleton. In the Chop-
tank River valley it is less pronounced yet can be readily recognized
at many points. The escarpment is an old wave-cut cliff, worn by
the waves of Chesapeake Bay and the Choptank River when they
were larger than at present and naturally the larger body of water
would favor greater erosive action along its shores.

The Wicomico plain slopes gently to the south. South of Trappe
it is little more than 30 feet above tide but rises gently to the north
and near Woodland and Cordova has an elevation of slightly more
than 70 feet. Elsewhere in the State the Wicomico rises to an
elevation of about 90 feet where it is likewise separated from a
higher-lying plain, the Sunderland, by a wave-cut escarpment.

The Wicomico plain is older than the Talbot plain and has con-
sequently suffered more from erosion. The streams have cut deeper
valleys than those in the Talbot plain and have also widened their
basins to such an extent as to destroy in a great measure the con-
tinuity of its level surface. Enough remains, however, to indicate
the presence of this plain and to permit its identification wherever
found.

48

THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

In Talbot County the Wicomico plain is widest in the northern
part of the county where it covers almost the entire area between
Wye River and Tuckahoe Creek and gradually narrows southward.
It is seen in its best development along the Pennsylvania Railroad
between Easton and Cordova.

Drainage.

The drainage of Talbot County is comparatively simple, owing
to the simple structure of the formations and the location of the
region adjacent to Chesapeake Bay. The land areas are with few
exceptions naturally drained and there are no swamps of any im-
portance other than the tide marshes. In some places the land has
no visible drainage, as in the low land bordering the bays and estu-
aries, and there the water falling on the surface escapes by under-
ground drainage. The large proportion of sand in the geological
formations of the county especially favor such drainage.

Tide- water Estuaries. — The lower courses of almost all the
larger streams emptying into Chesapeake Bay have been converted
into estuaries through a submergence which has permitted tide-
water to pass up the former valleys of the streams. In the early
development of the county these estuaries were of great value since
they are navigable several miles from their mouths and thus afford
means of rapid and cheap transportation of the products of the
region to market. Because of them the Chesapeake Bay region was
settled long before the other portions of the state. Even the advent
of railroads has not rendered them valueless, and much grain and
fruit is now shipped to market on steamboats and sailing vessels
which pass up these estuaries.

The water in the main channel of Chesapeake Bay along Talbot
County varies in depth from 60 to 120 feet. In the Choptank River
as far up as Kingston Landing the water is from 10 to 50 feet in
depth. On the Tred Avon River the channel to Easton Point was
dredged in 1881 to 8 feet depth at mean low water. The water in

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

TALBOT COUNTY. PLATE II

Fig. 1. — view of wye house, a colonj

Fig. 2. — delivehing COBN at cannkky at ea-ston.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

1!)

Miles River is also deep enough for large sailing vessels to pass up
nearly to the head of tide. In some of the other estuaries the silt
derived from the land has made shoals in so many places that they
are now navigable only by light-draft vessels.

The water in the estuaries is decidedly brackish in the lower
portions but almost fresh near the head of tide water in all cases
where there are incoming fresh-water streams. There is seldom
any distinct current in the estuaries except such as is due to the
incoming and outgoing tides, and this appears to be nearly as strong
when moving upstream as when moving in the opposite direction.

Minor Streams. — Besides the estuaries which form so prominent
a feature in this county, there are numerous minor streams which
drain into them. At the head of each of the longer estuaries there
is a small stream which in almost every case is much shorter than
the estuary itself. Some of the estuaries, particularly those in the
western portion of the county, continue as such almost to the
sources of the tributary streams. Irish, Broad, Harris, Leeds, and
Lloyd creeks are examples of this type.

Water Power. — The fall of the streams is so slight that little
water power can be utilized in the county yet in a few places the
minor streams have been dammed and the power used to run small
mills. Miles Creek near Trappe has been dammed in two places,
while Mill Creek near Wye Mills, and another smaller creek near
Cordova also have small dams along their courses. There are a
lew other streams heading in the Wicomico plain that would like-
wise furnish sufficient power to run small mills. None of the
Streams lying entirely or mainly in the Talbot plain have sufficient
fall to warrant the construction of dams.

Topographic History.

The history of the development of the topography as it exists
today is not complicated and covers several different periods, during
all of which the conditions must have been very similar. It is

50

THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

merely the history of the development of the plains already de-
scribed as occupying different levels, and of the present drainage
channels. The plains of Talbot County are all plains of plana-
tion and deposition which have been more or less modified by the
agencies of erosion. Their deposition and subsequent elevation to
the height at which they are now found indicate merely successive
periods of depression and uplift. The drainage channels have
throughout most of their courses undergone many changes; periods
of cutting have been followed by periods of filling and the present
valleys and basins are the results of these opposing forces.

SUNDERLAND STAGE.

As the Coastal Plain was depressed in the early Pleistocene the
ocean waters gradually extended up the river valleys and then over
the lower-lying portions of the stream divides, where the waves re-
moved the older Brandywine mantle of loose materials and either
deposited the debris farther out in the ocean or dropped it in the
estuaries produced by the drowning of the lower courses of the
streams. Sea cliffs on points exposed to wave action were gradu-
ally pushed back as long as the waters continued to advance. These
now represent the escarpment separating the Sunderland from the
Brandywine. The materials which the waves gathered from the
shore, together with other materials brought in by the streams, were
spread out in the estuaries and form the Sunderland formation.
The tendency was to destroy all irregularities produced during the
post-Brandywine erosion interval. In many places undoubtedly old
stream courses were obliterated, but the channels of the larger
streams, while probably in some places entirely filled, were in the
main left lower than the surrounding regions. Thus in the uplift
following the Sunderland deposition the larger streams reoccupied
practically the same channels they had carved out in the preceding
erosion period. They at once began to clear their channels and to
widen their valleys, so that when the next submergence occurred the

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

51

streams were eroding, as before, Tertiary and Cretaceous materials.
On the divides also the Sunderland was gradually undermined and
worn back.

Although the Sunderland and Brandywine plains are both
wanting in Talbot County at the present time it is probable that
both of them did exist there at one time but have subsequently been
removed. On the Western Shore of Chesapeake Bay they are well
developed and in certain places form as pronounced plains as do the
Wicomico and Talbot on the Eastern Shore.

WICOMICO STAGE.

When the Coastal Plain had been above water for a considerable
interval a gradual submergence again occurred, so that the ocean
waters encroached on the land. This submergence seems to have
been about equal in amount throughout a large portion of the dis-
trict, showing that the downward movement was without tilting.
The sea did not advance on the land so far as during the previous
submergence. The waves beat against the shore and in many places
* cut cliffs into the Sunderland deposits. Throughout many portions
of the Coastal Plain these old sea cliffs are still preserved as escarp-
ments, some of them 10 to 15 feet in height. Where the waves were
not sufficiently strong to cut cliffs it is somewhat difficult to locate
the old shore line. During this time nearly all of the Eastern Shore
and a considerable part of the Western Shore were submerged. The
Sunderland deposits were largely destroyed by the advancing waves
and redeposited over the floor of the Wicomico sea, though those
portions lying above 90 to 100 feet were for the most part preserved.
Deposition of materials brought down by streams from the adjoin-
ing land also took place.

While the Wicomico submergence permitted the silting up of the
drowned stream channels, yet the deposits were not thick enough
to fill them entirely. Accordingly in the uplift following the Wicom-
ico deposition the large streams again reoccupied their former

52

THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

channels, with perhaps only slight changes. New streams were also
developed and the Wicomico plain was more or less dissected along
the water courses, the divides being at the same time gradually
narrowed. This erosion period was interrupted by the Talbot sub-
mergence, which carried part of the land beneath the sea and again
drowned the lower courses of the streams.

TALBOT STAGE.

The Talbot deposition did not take place over so extensive an
area as had that of the Wicomico. It was confined to the old valleys
and to the low stream divides where the advancing waves destroyed
the Wicomico deposits. The sea cliffs were pushed back as long as
the waves advanced and now stand as escarpments to mark the
boundaries of the Talbot sea and estuaries, forming the Talbot-
Wicomico scarp line so well developed between Trappe and Long-
woods as previously described.

In some places the deposits were so thick in the old stream
channels that the streams in the succeeding period of elevation and
erosion found it easier to excavate new courses. Generally, how-
ever, the streams once more reoccupied their former channels and
renewed the corrasive work which had been interrupted by the Tal-
bot submergence. The Talbot plain has now in many places been
rendered somewhat uneven by this erosion, yet it is less irregular
than the remnants of the Brandywine, Sunderland, and Wicomico
plains, which have been subjected to denudation for a much longer
period of time.

RECENT STAGE.

The land probably did not long remain stationary' with respect to
sea level before another downward movement was inaugurated.
This last subsidence is probably still in progress. Before it began
the Choptank, Tred Avon, Miles, and Wye rivers, instead of being
estuaries, were undoubtedly streams of varying importance lying
above tide and emptying into the diminished Chesapeake Bay west

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

53

of their present mouths. Whether this downward movement will
continue much longer or not cannot of course be determined, but
there is sufficient evidence with respect to Delaware River to show
that this movement has been in progress within very recent time
and undoubtedly is still going on. Many square miles that had
been land before this subsidence commenced are now beneath the
waters of Chesapeake Bay and its estuaries and are receiving de-
posits of mud and sand from the adjoining land.

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

BY

BENJAMIN L. MILLER

Introductory.

The geologic formations represented in Talbot Comity range in
age from Miocene to Recent. Deposition has not been continuous,
yet neither of the larger geologic divisions since Eocene time is
entirely unrepresented. Periods of deposition over part or the
whole of the region are separated by other periods of greater or less
duration in which the entire region was above water and erosion was
active. Aside from the Pleistocene formations the deposits arc
similar in many respects. With a general northeast-southwest
strike and a southeasterly dip, each formation disappears by pass-
ing under the next later one. In general, also, the shore line in
each successive submergence evidently lay a short distance to the
southeast of its position during the previous submergence. Thus,
in passing from northwest to southeast one crosses the outcrops of
the successive formations in the order of their time of deposition.
There are a few exceptions to this, however, that will be noted in
the descriptions which follow.

GEOLOGIC FORMATION OF TALBOT COUNTY.
System Series Group Formation

[ Recent Beach sand and marsh deposits

Quaternary J r Talbot

( Pleistocene. .. .Columbia J

I Wicomico

f Choptank

Tertiary Miocene Chesapeake J

[ Calvert

TERTIARY SYSTEM
In Maryland the Tertiary includes strata of both Eocene and
Miocene age both of which extend in broad bands entirely across the

56

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

state. The former, although well developed in Kent, northern Queen
Anne's, Anne Arundel, Prince George's, and Charles counties, does
not outcrop in Talbot County. This is due to its southeasterly dip
carrying it below tide in this section. It has been penetrated, how-
ever, by several artesian well borings as will be shown in the dis-
cussion of the water resources.

The Miocene Formations.

The Ght *<i/i< ake Group.

The Miocene deposits of the northern portion of the Atlantic-
Coastal Plain were at one time believed to constitute a single unit
or formation to which Darton applied the term Chesapeake because
of the good exposures and typical occurrences in the Chesapeake
Bay region. Later, however, when additional facts concerning the
fossils and stratigraphy were collected, it was found that a three-
fold classification would more accurately represent the lithologic
and biologic character of the deposits. Shattuck therefore in 1902
proposed that the Chesapeake formation of Darton should be divided
into the St. Mary's, Choptank, and Calvert formations, and that
the name formerly used should be retained as a group name. The
reasons for this subdivision are fully given in the general volume on
the Miocene of Maryland published by this Survey.

Of the three formations named only two outcrop on the Eastern
Shore. The other one, the St. Mary's, has been reached in a deep-
well boring at Crisfield and should outcrop some distance to the
north were it not for the deep covering of Pleistocene materials.
It certainly is not present in Talbot County however. All of the
formations of the Miocene are in general similar lithologically and
consist of unconsolidated sands, shell marls, and sandy clay. While
in most sections there is much more diatomaceous earth in the Cal-
vert than in the other two. yet this criterion is not everywhere suf-
ficiently diagnostic to enable one to definitely differentiate the
formations. The fossils of each division possess certain individual

Fig. 2. — view showing the hutt of the wye oak at wye mills.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

57

characteristics and by this means the formational lines have been
mainly drawn.

In the description of the individual formations we begin with
the oldest one that appears at the surface which is the Calvert.

THE CALVERT FORMATION.

Name.

The formation receives its name from Calvert County where in
the well-known Calvert Cliffs bordering Chesapeake Bay its typical
characters are well shown. The name was proposed in 1902 * by
George B. Shattuck.

Areal Distribution.

The Calvert formation extends from New Jersey in a southwest-
erly direction to southern Virginia where it disappears through an
overlapping of later formations. It is best developed in Maryland
and northern Virginia. In the latter state it presents excellent ex-
posures in the prominent Nomini Cliffs along the Potomac River.

In Talbot County the Calvert formation is exposed only in those
places where erosion has removed the overlying Pleistocene strata.
Naturally these places are in the valleys of those streams that have
greatest fall and consequently the greatest cutting power and along
the estuaries where wave action has been strong and the overlying
cover of surficial materials of less thickness than the height of the
cliff. The best exposures are along Tuckahoe Creek where there
are many bluffs 20 to 30 feet in height that are almost entirely com-
posed of Calvert materials. Other good exposures where less thick-
ness can be observed occur along Wye Rive, Skipton, Lloyd, Golds-
boro, Peachblossom, and Trappe creeks. Along these estuaries the
Calvert beds can be seen outcropping at almost every point where
the wave action was strong enough to remove the talus that would
tend to obscure and conceal the outcrops. Along the creeks named
and some others the overlying formation is very thin, seldom more

* Shattuck, George B. Science, n. s., vol. xv, 1902, p. 906.

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNT*

than 5 or 6 feet thick, hence all bluffs of greater height show Calvert
materials at the base. West of these places there are many cliffs
much higher but there the Calvert seems to have been eroded below
the present level of tide water before the deposition of the Talbot
sands and gravels.

Character of the Materials.

The materials constituting the Calvert formation consist of blue,
drab, and yellow clay, yellow to gray sand, gray to white diatoma-
ceous earth, and calcareous shell marl. Between these all grada-
tions exist. The diatomaceous earth gradually passes into fine
sand by the increase of arenaceous matter, or into a clay by the ad-
dition of argillaceous material. In a similar way a sand deposit
with little or no clay grades over into a deposit of clay in which the
presence of sand cannot be detected. Notwithstanding this variety
of materials a certain sequence of deposits is commonly observed;
the basal portions of the formation consist largely of diatoinaninis
earth, while the upper portions are composed chiefly of sand, clays,
and marls. This difference in materials is much more marked on
the Western Shore where the formation has been divided into the
Fairhaven diatomaceous earth and the Plum Point marls. In Tal-
bot County it seems inadvisable to subdivide the formation as im-
pure diatomaceous earth is found at almost all horizons, though
predominating in the basal portions.

The exposures of Calvert strata along the shores of Lloyd Creek
and Wye River show impure diatomaceous earth or fine mealy buff
to gray sand. Along Trappe Creek there are outcrops of impure
diatomaceous earth or drab clay containing shell impressions and
fine buff sand while a shell bed seems to be present just below tide
level as fragments of shells are occasionally seen which have prob-
ably been washed up during storms. Likewise the exposures of
Calvert beds along Peachblossom Creek show a drab diatomaceous
clay. Along the Tuckahoe Creek there are many good exposures
and the following sections are characteristic.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

59

SECTION ON Tl'CKAHOE CREEK 1 MILE SOUTH OF STONY POINT.

Pleistocene. Feet
Talbot. Upper part of bank concealed by vegetation.

Gravel band composed of small quartz pebbles and numer-
ous white clay pellets 4

Miocene.

Calvert. Shell marl composed of rotten shells in matrix of buff
sand. Numerous specimens of Venus, Melina, Pecten,

Astarte, Balanus, Corbula, Crassatellites, Polynices, Tur-

ritella, etc 3%

Fine drab to buff sand exposed to water's edge 8

Total 15Ms

SECTION ON TUCKAHOE CREEK 1V2 MILES SOUTH OF STONY POINT.

Miocene. Feet.

Calvert. Drab to gray fine sand IV2

Compact light-drab diatomaceous clay containing numer-
ous shell impressions and small clear quartz pebbles;
clay breaks into angular fragments when dry 8

Fine buff to gray mealy sand containing few small pebbles,
many shell impressions, and some fragments of shells.
This evidently represents the shell layer of preceding
section but most of the shells have been removed by solu-
tion. The calcareous material from the shells has ce-
mented the sand in some places. Exposed to water's edge 4y2

Total 14

SECTION ON TUCKAHOE CREEK 1 MILE EAST OF LEWISTOWN.

Pleistocene. Feet

Talbot. Loose coarse gray to buff sand containing many pebbles. . . 15
Miocene.

Calvert. Pure diatomaceous earth drab when wet, white when dry,
containing casts of small shells and in certain layers
impressions of leaf fragments. Exposed to water's edge. 12

Total 27

Paleontologic Character.

The Calvert formation of Maryland has yielded an abundance of
fossils which have been described in two volumes on the Miocene

60

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

published by this Survey. In those volumes the following forms
have been described and figured :

Mammals 22 species

Reptiles 7

Fishes 24

Crab 1

Barnacle 1

Ostracods 31

Cephalopod 1

Gastropods 110

Amphineura 1

Scaphopods 4

Pelecypods 119

Brachipods 1

Bryozoa 8

Vermes 1

Hydrozoa 3

Coral 1

Radiolaria 21

Foraminifera 18

Diatoms 28

Altogether 402 species are included and the list is not by any means
complete. The diatom list is far from complete while many other
forms of mollusca have been recognized since the volumes were pub-
lished. Except in the diatomaceous earth beds where diatoms and
radiolaria are very numerous, existing in countless millions, their
exceedingly tiny shells composing the mass of the material, the
pelecypods and gastropods are the most abundant fossils and nu-
merous specimens of both of these groups are found wherever fossil-
iferous strata occur. The most common Calvert fossils of the
Eastern Shore are the following which have been found in many
places in Queen Anne's and Talbot counties :

Turritella plebia

Turritella aequistriata

Caecum patuxentum

Polynices duplicatus

Polynices heros

Ecphora quadricostata

Crucibulum costatum

Cadulus thallus

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

61

Area (Scapharca) staminea

Astarte obruta

Astarte thisphila

Venus plena

Venus campechiensis

Dosinia acetabulum

Corbula idonea

Corbula inaequalis

Strike, Dip, and Thickness.

The strike of the Calvert formation is in general from northeast
to southwest though it varies in some places to an almost north and
south direction. In flat regions such as prevail on the Eastern
Shore the line of outcrop is approximately parallel to the strike but
naturally this is not the case in a region of irregular topography.

The dip of the Calvert formation is from 9 to 11 feet to the mile
toward the southeast. This varies a few degrees, however, depend-
ing upon local irregularities of deposition. Since few single beds
can be traced any considerable distance the exact determination of
the dip is difficult.

In the region of outcrop on the Eastern Shore the thickness of
the Calvert formation is about 75 feet. The full thickness does not
outcrop, however, due to the overlapping strata of the Choptank
formation concealing the upper beds. In a deep well at Crisfield the
Calvert seems to be about 300 feet thick.

Stratiffraphic Relations.

The Calvert formation rests unconformably upon the Aquia
formation of the Eocene which, however, does not appear at the
surface in Talbot County. Along the Chester Kiver in Queen Anne's
County and in Anne Arundel County the Calvert is seen in contact
with the green sand of the Aquia. The Calvert formation is overlain
by the Choptank or by Pleistocene strata belonging to the Talbot
and Wicomico formations. As the Calvert dips to the southeast it
passes under the Choptank but in the vicinity of its outcrop where
the later Miocene deposits are absent, it has been buried beneath the

62

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

Talbot and Wicomico beds that are much younger. The only ex-
posures to be seen now are in places where recent erosion has re-
moved the cover of the heterogeneous materials constituting these
Pleistocene strata.

Correlation.

The Calvert formation is correlated with the Petersburg horizon
in Virginia but cannot be definitely correlated with any beds lying
farther south. The Carolina and Gulf Miocene beds seem to be
more recent, none of them apparently being equivalent to the
Calvert.

Subdivisions.

The Calvert formation has been divided into two members,
known as the Fairhaven diatomaceous earth and the Plum Point
marls. These are fully described in the report on the Miocene of
Maryland issued by this Survey. On the western side of Chesapeake
Bay, particularly in Calvert County, these members can readily be
distinguished but are much less distinct on the Eastern Shore and
no attempt has been made to differentiate them in Talbot County.

THE CHOPTANK FORMATION*.

Name.

The formation has been so named because of its exposures along
the Choptank River in this county. The name was applied to these
strata in 1906 * by G. B. Shattuck.

Areal Distribution.
The Choptank formation is exposed in many places along the
Choptank River and its tributaries in the southern portion of the
county. The best exposures are about 2 miles south of Dover Bridge
where there is an excellent section that shows the typical features
of the formation. Other good exposures occur at Dover Bridge,
Windyhill. Kirby Wharf, and along the banks and in the vicinity of

* Shattuck, G. B. Science, n. s., vol. xv, 1906, p. 906.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

63

Dividing Creek. Formerly the Choptank formation was supposed
to extend farther north and nearly all the Miocene of Talbot County
was referred to this member. Recent studies, however, have shown
the Miocene strata of the central and northern parts of the county
to belong to the Calvert formation. In its wider distribution the
Choptank formation extends from New Jersey southwestward to
the Potomac River where it disappears, due to an overlap of the St.
Mary's formation.

Character of Materials.
The materials composing the Choptank formation are variable.
They consist of fine yellow quartz sand, bluish-green sandy clay,
slate-colored clay, impure diatomaceous earth, and, at some places,
ledges of slightly indurated rock. In addition to these materials,
abundant fossil remains are disseminated throughout the formation.
The sandy phase is most characteristic of the formation, yet in this
county the Choptank strata contain about as much diatomaceous
clay as they do sand. The following sections illustrate the lithology
of the formation in this county.

SECTION ON CHOPTANK RIVER NEAR DOVER BRIDGE.

Feet Inches

Pleistocene.

Talbot. Surficial clay loam 2

Compact yellowish-brown sand with many darker

bands of sand 3

Dark-gray to drab argillaceous sand 2

Pebble band; pebbles mainly about 1M> inches in
diameter with some large flattened angular frag-
ments 6 inches in diameter; pebbles contained in

matrix of drab argillaceous sand 3-4

Brown sandy clay 1 6

Miocene.

Choptank. Yellowish-brown to buff fine sand considerably

stained by iron 5 6

White sand 4

Fossil band, abundant fossils in matrix of loose fine
quartz sand ranging in color from yellow, buff,
gray to white. Shells are mainly entire. Abundant

64

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

species are Hacrocallista marylandica, Venus
plena, V. campechiensis, Crassatellites maryland-
icus, Pecten madisonius, Astarte obruta. Dosinia
acetabulum. Area staminea. while there are oc-
casional specimens of following species to be ob-
served: Eephora quadricostata, Cardium laguea-
tum, Turritclla plebia, T. variabilis. Polynices

duj)licatus, P. heros, Corbula idonea, etc 4 6

Fine buff to gray sand containing numerous shell

fragments but few perfect shells 2 10

Fossil layer, fossils mainly fragmentary contained
in matrix of sandy clay. Ostrea carolinensis

abundant 1

Shell fragments in matrix of ferruginous Tirown

sand; few perfect specimens of Ostrea carolinensis

and Balanus concavus 3 6

Layer of shell fragments not sharply separated from

above member; composed mainly of shells of

Ostrea carolinensis and Balanus concavus; layer

is firmly indurated in places. Exposed to water's'

edge 1

Total 27 6

SECTION ON CHOPTANK RIVER ONE-FOURTH MILE SOUTHEAST
OF MOUTH OF DIVIDING CREEK.

Pleistocene. Feet

Talbot. Buff sandy loam grading into next member 1

Chocolate-colored sandy clay with pebble layer at
base 2

Miocene.

Choptank. Buff to gray fine argillaceous sand with limonite dis-

colorations in places 4

Impure diatomaceous earth varying in color from
gray to light-olive green. Contains numerous im-
pressions of small pelecypods and gastropods while
one echinoid was found. Contains many vertical
joints which are filled with crusts of limonite.
Exposed to water's edge 6

Total 13

PaJeontologic Character.
The Choptank formation is extremely fossiliferous throughout
the state and a great number of fossils have been described from it.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

TALBOT COUNTY, PLATE IV

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

65

These are fully described and figured in the Miocene report of this
Survey. The fauna is doininantly molluscan, pelecypods being most
abundant, although there are many gastropods. In Talbot County
the following species are most common :

Pecten madisonius
Macrocallista marylandica
Ostrea carolinensis
Area staminea
Crassatcllites marylandicus
Astarte obruta
Melina maxillata
Venus plena
Venus campechiensis
Cardium laqueatum
Dosinia acetabulum
Ensis ensiformis
Corbula inaequalis
Corbula idonea
Ecphora quadricostata
Polynices duplicatus
Polyniees heros
Turrit ella variabilis
Turritella plebeia
Balanus concavus

Strike, Dip, and Thickness.

The strike of the Choptank formation is in general from north-
east to southwest. The dip is toward the southeast. The amount of
dip varies but in the main is about 10 feet to the mile though in
some places the formation is practically horizontal. The thickness
of the Choptank strata in the vicinity of outcrop is about 50 feet
but it appears to thicken to the southeast after it has passed below
tide as does the Calvert formation. The deep well at Crisfield seems
to show about 100 feet of Choptank materials.

Stratigraphdc Relations.

The Choptank formation lies unconformably upon the Calvert
formation. The unconformity is in the nature of an overlap which
is observable in the Calvert Cliffs of Calvert County. Above the

66

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

Choptank is the St. Mary's formation which, however, is not repre-
sented in this county. In this section the formation is overlain
unconformably by the Wicomico and Talbot formations which con-
ceal it over the divides. The exposures occur only along the streams
where erosion has removed the surficial deposits.

Correlation.

The Choptank formation cannot be correlated with any deposits
lying south of the Potomac River and there is some uncertainty
regarding its northward continuation in New Jersey. It seems to
have a much more local development than the other Miocene forma-
tions of the state.

Subdivisions.

The Choptank formation is subdivided into Ave zones which are
distinguished from one another by the fossils they contain. These
zones are most clearly differentiated in Calvert and St. Mary's
counties where the formation has its greatest development. These
zones, together with their fossil contents, have been fully described
in the above-mentioned report on the Miocene of Maryland.

The Pleistocene Formations.
The Columbia Group.

The Pleistocene formations of the Atlantic Coastal Plain were
at one time supposed to constitute a stratigraphic unit and were
described under the name of Columbia formation. Later, however,
it was found that the Pleistocene deposits were divisible into several
formations and the name Columbia was retained as a group name
while the names Sunderland, Wicomico, and Talbot were applied
to the separate formations. They possess many characteristics in
common, due to their origin and consist of gravels, sand, and loam.

The Columbia group in Talbot County is represented by the
Wicomico and Talbot formations, the older, higher-lying Sunder-
land strata having been worn away, or concealed beneath the later

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

67

deposits. These form different plains or terraces, possessing very
definite physiographic relations, as already described under "Topo-
graphic features."

On purely lithologic grounds it is impossible to separate the two
formations composing the Columbia group in this region. The
materials of each have been derived mainly from older formations in
the immediate vicinity, but include more or less foreign matter
brought in by streams from the Piedmont Plateau or from the Appa-
lachian region beyond. The deposits are extremely varied, the gen-
eral character changing with that of the underlying formations.
Thus, materials belonging to the same formation may in different
regions differ far more lithologically than the materials of two dif-
ferent formations lying in proximity to each other and to the com-
mon source of their material. Cartographic distinction based on
lithologic differences could not fail to result in hopeless confusion.
It is true that the older Pleistocene deposits are in some places
more indurated and the pebbles more deccomposed than those of the
younger formations ; but these differences cannot be used as criteria
for separating the formations, since loose and indurated, fresh and
decomposed materials occur in each of them.

The fossils found in the Pleistocene deposits are far too meager
to be of much service in separating the formations, even though
essential differences may be shown to exist. It is the exceptional
and not the normal development of the formations which has rend-
ered the preservation of fossils possible. They consist principally
of fossil plants preserved in bogs, although deposits containing
great numbers of marine and estuarine mollusks have been found at
a few places about Chesapeake Bay.

Physiographically the Columbia group is readily seen to consist
of more than a single element. The formations occupy wave-built
terraces or plains separated by wave-cut escarpments and thus indi-
cate different periods of deposition. At the base of the escarpments
the underlying Cretaceous and Tertiary formations are frequently
exposed. The lowest-lying terrace is covered with Talbot materials.

68

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

In almost every place where good sections of Pleistocene mate-
rials are exposed the deposit from base to top seems to be a unit.
In some places, however, certain layers or beds are sharply sepa-
rated by irregular lines similar to those of a cross-bedded deposit.
Some of these breaks disappear within short distances, showing
clearly that they are only local phenomena in a single formation
and have been produced by contemporaneous erosion or shifting
shallow-water currents. Since the Pleistocene formations occupy
a nearly horizontal position it would be possible to connect these
separation lines if they were subaerial unconformities due to ero-
sion, but in adjoining regions they seem to have no relation to one
another. In the absence of any definite evidence showing that these
lines are stratigraphic breaks separating two formations they have
been disregarded. Yet it is not improbable that in Sunderland,
Wicomico, and Talbot times the beds of each preceding period of
deposition were in some places not entirely removed from the area
covered by the advancing sea in its next transgression. Especially
would materials laid down in depressions be likely to persist as iso-
lated remnants which later were covered by the next mantle of Pleis-
tocene deposits. If this is the case each formation from the Sunder-
land to the Wicomico is probably represented by fragmentary
deposits beneath the later Pleistocene formations. Thus, in certain
sections the lower portions may represent an earlier period of depo-
sition than that of the overlying beds. In those regions where older
materials are not exposed in the base of the escarpments each Pleis-
tocene formation near its inner margin probably rests upon the
attenuated edges of the immediately preceding formation. Since
lithologic differences furnish insufficient criteria for separating these
deposits and sections are not numerous enough to make a distinction
to be made between local intraformational unconformities and wide
spread unconformities resulting from an erosion interval, the whole
mantle of Pleistocene materials at any one point is referred to one
formation. The Sunderland is described as overlying the Cretaceous

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

69

or Tertiary deposits and extending from the base of the Brandy-
wine-Sunderland escarpment to the base of the Sunderland-Wicom-
ico escarpment, and any possible underlying Brandy wine deposits
are disregarded because they are unrecognizable. Similarly the
Wicomico is described as including all the gravels, sands, and clays
overlying the pre-Brandywine deposits and extending from the base
of the Sunderland-Wicomico escarpment to the base of the Wicom-
ico-Talbot escarpment. Perhaps, however, materials of Talbot and
Wicomico age may locally rest upon deposits of the Brandywine,
Sunderland, or Wicomico formations.

THE WICOMICO FORMATION.

Name.

This formation was named from Wicomico County where it is
characteristically developed.

Areal Distribution.
The Wicomico formation is co-extensive with the Wicomico Plain
previously described and forms a broad band extending from the
northern boundary almost to the Choptank River. With the excep-
tion of one small detached area a short distance southeast of Easton
the formation is continuous and covers the main stream divide
between Tuckahoe Creek and the Choptank River on the east and
Chesapeake Bay and its tributary streams on the west. At one time
it covered a still greater area but erosion has removed much of it
and, at the present time, many streams are actively engaged in
pushing their headwaters farther into the plain and removing the
Wicomico materials that conceal the Tertiary formations. Many
notches have been cut in this way and in several places the streams
have almost succeeded in cutting through the plain, detaching por-
tions of it. Eventually the formation will be represented by merely
isolated areas of small extend lying between the streams. This
already happened in many places on the western side of the Bay
where erosion has been more active.

7(1

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

Character of the Materials.

The materials which compose the Wicomico formation consist of
clay, peat, sand, gravel, and ice-borne blocks. As explained above,
these, as a rule, do not lie in well-defined beds, but grade into one
another both vertically and horizontally. The coarser materials,
with the exception of the ice-borne boulders, have usually a cross-
bedded structure, while the clays and finer materials are either
developed in lenses or horizontally stratified. The erratic ice-borne
blocks are scattered through the formation and may occur in the
gravel beneath or the loam above. The coarser material tends to
occupy the lower portions and the finer material the upper portions
of the beds, but the transition from one to the other is not marked
by an abrupt change and at many places coarse materials are found
above in the loam and fine materials below in the gravel. The
coarser materials are also frequently much decayed.

The amount of loam present in the Wicomico varies exceedingly
from place to place. Wherever the loam cap is well developed the
roads are firm and the land is suitable for the production of grass
and grain; but where the loam is present in small quantities or
absent altogether the roads are apt to be very sandy. Because of
the variations in the character of the materials it is difficult to select
a section that could be called typical. The following, however, is
characteristic of the formation over large areas in the northern
part of the county.

SECTION ALONG KOAD 1 V2 MILES NORTHEAST OF LONGWOODS.

Pleistocene. Feet

Wicomico. Yellowish-brown clay loam containing a few pebbles 2

Buff to drab clay stained with limonite in places and con-
taining many smaller clear somewhat angular quartz
pebbles. Exposed 1

Total 3

Paleontologic Character.
The fossils of the Wicomico formation are limited to some plant
remains and a few vertebrate bones preserved in old bogs. In Tal-

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71

bot County, however, no fossils have yet been found in deposits of
this age.

Strike, Dip, and Thickness.

As a whole the formation occupies approximately a horizontal
position with very slight dip toward the main drainage channels.
In Talbot County the dip is toward the southwest but so small in
amount that it is difficult to determine it on account of local irregu-
larities. The strata were laid down in many cases in old stream
valleys cut in the underlying Miocene materials and consequently
they appear to dip in the valleys and to rise in the divides. The
thickness of the formation is not at all uniform owing to the irregu-
lar surface upon which it is was deposited. It ranges from a few
feet to 50 feet or more. In Talbot County the average thickness is
from 18 to 20 feet.

Stratigraphic Rrla Hons.

In this region the Wicomico rests unconformably upon portions
of the Calvert and Choptank formations. It is in contact with the
Talbot in many places and the two formations are usually separated
by a distinct escarpment. As previously stated, in all probability
in certain places there are small portions of the Wicomico under-
lying the Talbot strata but it is difficult to prove that such is the
case. Wherever the Wicomico has been definitely recognized it is
exposed at the surface and has never been overlain by later deposits.

Correlation.

It represents the upper part of the later Columbia of McGee and
Darton and a part of the Pensauken of Salisbury. The presence of
glacial boulders furnishes evidence of its contemporaneity with the
ice invasion, though the particular drift sheet Avith which the forma-
tion should be correlated has not yet been determined.

72

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

THE TALBOT FORMATION.

Name.

This formation receives its name from Talbot County where it is
characteristically developed. The name was first given by G. B.
Shattuck in May, 1901 (Johns Hopkins Univ. Circular No. 152).

Areal Distribution.
The Talbot formation is the surface formation over the greater
portion of the county. It is co-extensive with the Talbot plain
already described and covers practically all the western half of the
county and extends as a discontinuous terrace up the valleys of
Choptank River and Tuckahoe Creek. It is dissected by numerous
estuaries and in many places along the streams erosion has worn
away the thin cover of Talbot materials, exposing the underlying
Miocene strata. It appears as a terrace of varying width which
wraps around the margin of the Wicomico formation.

Character of Materials.
The materials which compose this formation consist of clay,
peat, marl, sand, gravel, and ice-borne boulders. As in the "Wicomico
formation these materials grade into each other both vertically and
horizontally, and exhibit a tendency toward a predominance of the
coarser materials in the lower part and of the finer materials near
the top. There is, on the whole, a much smaller proportion of de-
caped materials than in the formation just mentioned and as a
result the Talbot has a much younger appearance than the Wicom-
ico. In this county the most abundant material in the Talbot
formation is drab compact clay that is stained in many places by
limonite. This is especially noticeable in most of the bluffs along
the shores of Chesapeake Bay and near the mouths of the larger
estuaries.

Iron oxide is a common constituent of the Talbot and locally it
is abundant enough to constitute a firm cementing material. The

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

73

best example of this occurs near the head of Bolinbroke Creek, lefl
bank, where there is an exposure of 18 feet of firmly indurated
ferruginous sand and pebble conglomerate. Elsewhere thin bands
of pebbles are cemented locally to form rocks suitable for founda-
tions and walls. Old peat bogs are found in many places about
Chesapeake Bay in the Talbot formation. In this county there arc
no good ones exposed yet one that shows the typical characteristics
and mode of formation does outcrop near Wade's Point, 2 miles
southwest of Claiborne at the base of a low bluff. The deposit is
only about 6-8 inches thick and consists of twigs and stems par-
tially lignitized.

The following sections are typical of the Talbot formation of
this county:

SECTION AT TILGHMAN POINT, EASTERN BAY.

Pleistocene. Feet

Talbot. Brown sandy loam 4

Drab argillaceous sand 3

Alternating drab, gray, and brown sand, some layers decid-
edly argillaceous. Exposed to water's edge 9

Total 16

SECTION ON CHOPTANK RIVER, 1% MILES ABOVE KINGSTON LANDING.

Pleistocene. Feet

Talbot. Yellowish-brown loamy sand 7

Pebble band; small quartz pebbles in matrix of drab to

gray clay 4

Laminated coarse brown sand with many pebbles arranged

in layers and lenses 6

Yellow sand with few pebbles 1%

Compact drab clay, very hard when dry, stained with

limonite in places, few pebbles 5y2

Pebble band, large and small pebbles in coarse gray

sand % to 1

Unconformity

Miocene.

Calvert. Light-buff fine loose sand greatly stained with limonite in

places. Exposed to water's edge 5

Total

74

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

SECTION OXE-EIGHTH MILE SOUTH OF BRUFFS ISLAND, MOUTH OF WYE RIVEK.

Pleistocene. Feet

Talbot. Brown sandy loam containing a few pebbles 1

Brown sand 2

Drab to light-brown sandy clay, very hard when dry 3

Loose brown to gray sand containing thin lenses of small

pebbles 4

Orange-colored sand filled with pebbles and at base many

cobbles and large boulders of quartzite, granite gneiss,
gabbro, and siliceous pebble conglomerates. Some
boulders on beach evidently derived from this layer are
4 feet in diameter. Pebbles cemented with iron in places 3
Irregular line of contact

Wicomico (?) Fine gray to greenish-gray sand containing a few small

quartz pebbles. Exposed 2

Total 15

In the above section the lower member is thought to represent a
fragment of the Wicomico that was not destroyed by the Talbot
waves but it may belong to the Talbot in which case the apparent
unconformity has been produced by contemporaneous erosion.

Palcontologic Characters.

The Talbot formation in Maryland has yielded plant remains
from the old peat bogs, marine invertebrates from a few localities
in St. Mary's, Baltimore, and Caroline counties, and vertebrate
bones from many places. So far as known no plant or invertebrate
remains of this age have ever been determined from Talbot County
although some early writers seemed to think that a deposit of oyster
shells at Easton had been deposited by natural means. It is believed,
however, that the deposit in question was made by Indians and is an
example of a kitchen midden such as occur in many places about the
shores of Chesapeake Bay and its estuaries.

Vertebrate remains have been found in this county and Cope 1
reported mammoth, elk, deer and turtle from Talbot County. The

Cope, E. D., Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, vol. xi, 1869 (1871), pp. 171-192.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

75

following forms from Oxford Neck are described in the Maryland
Survey Report on the Pleistocene :2

Elephas columbi The southern Mammoth

Elephas primigeneus The northern Mammoth

Tcrrapene eurypygia Turtle

Chelydra serpentina Snapping Turtle

strike, Dip, and Thickness,
The Talbot formation is similar to the Wicomico in being prac-
tically horizontal with a slight dip toward the major drainage
channels. The strike accordingly changes a great deal. In Talbot
County the dip is in general toward Chesapeake Bay and the strike
is approximately north and south but in the southeastern portion
of the county the dip is toward the south and the strike is east and
west. The thickness of the Talbot varies from a few feet to 40 feet
or more. The unevenness of the surface upon which it was deposited
has in part caused this variability. The proximity of certain
regions to the mouths of streams during the Talbot submergence
also accounts for the increased thickness of the formation in such
areas. In a broad band extending from north to south through the
county the Talbot seems to be only a few feet thick as practically
every bluff 10 feet in height along the Wye and Tred Avon rivers
and Peachblossom, Trappe, and Dividing creeks shows Miocene at
the base. It thickens to the westward so that no Miocene exposures
occur in the western portion of the county.

Strut igraphic Relations.
The Talbot rests unconformably in different portions of the
region, upon materials belonging to the Calvert and Choptank
formations. As stated on a preceding page, it may rest upon
• leposits of Wicomico age in places although no positive evidence of
this relation can be obtained. The Talbot passes beneath the waters
of Chesapeake Bay and its estuaries where it is covered by Recent
deposits now in progress of formation.

2 Maryland Geol. Survey, Pliocene and Pleistocene. Baltimore, 1906.

76

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

Correlation.

The Talbot formation represents the lower part of the Later
Columbia described by McGee and Darton and corresponds approx-
imately to the Cape May formation of Salisbury. Its Pleistocene
age is proved by the marine invertebrate fossils found in St. Mary's
County and by the numerous glacial boulders scattered through the
formation showing that it was formed contemporaneously with a
part of the ice invasion in the northern portion of the country.

THE RECENT DEPOS.ITS.

In addition to the two terraces already discussed, a third one is
now being formed by the currents of the rivers and the waves of the
estuaries. This terrace is everywhere present along the water's
edge, extending from a few feet above tide to a few feet below tide.
It is the youngest and topographically the lowest of the series.
Normally it lies beneath and wraps about the margin of the Talbot
terrace, from which it is separated by a low scarp that as a rule
does not exceed 15 to 20 feet in height. Where the Talbot formation
is absent the Kecent terrace may be found at the base of the
Wicomico terrace. In such places, however, the scarp which sepa-
rates them is higher.

Peat. clay. sand, and gravel make up the Recent deposits now
forming and these materials are deposited in deltas, flood plains,
beaches, bogs, dunes, bars, spits, and wave-built terraces.

Interpretation of the Geologic Record.

The formations which occur within Talbot County have a more
extensive development in the regions beyond its borders. Because
of this fact, investigations made elsewhere in the Atlantic Coastal
Plain throw much light on the conditions which have prevailed in
this region during past ages.

A study of the geologic history of the county shows that it has
been long and complicated. This is indicated by the many different
kinds of strata represented and by the relations which they bear to

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

77

one another. There are deposits that were formed in fresh or brack-
ish waters; others that show evidence of their deposition in marine
waters. Some were formed in waters of shallow depth where wave
and tidal action was strong while others were laid down in quiet
deep waters remote from the shore. The breaks in the conformity of
the different strata also indicate that from the time of formation
of the earliest beds down to the present the region has undergone
many elevations and subsidences by which it has been converted
into a land area or submerged beneath marine or estuarine waters.

SEDIMENTARY RECORD OF THE PRE- MIOCENE ROCKS.

In Talbot County the oldest rocks exposed at the surface belong
to the Calvert formation. From deep-well borings and from obser-
vations made elsewhere in the state we know, however, that many
rocks of older periods lie beneath the Miocene strata. These belong
to the Eocene and Cretaceous while beneath them is the floor of
crystalline rocks which appear at the surface west of a line passing
through Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington and constituting
the Piedmont Plateau. The time represented by these rocks in-
volves many millions of years during which there were many pro-
found changes by which mountains were formed, rocks were folded,
lavas were extruded, and streams cut and carved land masses as at
the present day.

The crystalline rocks are so greatly folded and crushed and have
been so greatly altered from their original condition that it is diffi-
cult to definitely determine their history. It is believed, however,
that they represent shales, sandstones, and limestones, with some
igneous rocks that have been subsequently metamorphosed to form
marbles, schists, and gneisses. The rocks lying directly upon the
crystalline rocks belong to the Cretaceous, or possibly Jurassic,
which seems to prove that the region had remained as a land area
for a very long period of time prior to the Cretaceous period or if

78

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

the region were beneath the waters at any time during that inter-
val deposits formed they were later wholly removed.

During the Cretaceous the region was elevated and depressed
many times and deposits of estuarine origin and of marine origin
were laid down. The Eocene strata were deposited under more uni-
form conditions and they consist of sands and clays in which there
is a large admixture of glauconite. They were laid down in marine
waters in proximity to land.

SEDIMENTARY RECORD OF THE MIOCENE FORMATIONS.

Eocene sedimentation was brought to a close by an uplift by
which the shore line was carried far to the east and probably all
of the present State of Maryland became land. This was followed
by a resubmergence and another cycle was commenced. The de-
posits of the Miocene were laid down upon the land surface which
had just been depressed beneath the water. Sluggish streams
brought in fine sand and mud. which the waves and ocean currents
spread over the sea bottom. Occasionally leaves from land plants
were also carried out to sea and later dropped to the bottom as they
became saturated Avith water.

Near the beginning of Miocene submergence, certain portions of
the sea bottom received little or no materials from the land, and the
water in those places was well suited as a habitat for diatoms.
These must have lived in the waters in countless millions, and as
they died their siliceous shells fell to the bottom and produced the
beds of diatomaceous or infusorial earth which are so common in the
Calvert formation. Many Protozoa as well as Mollusca lived in the
same waters and their remains are plentifully distributed through-
out the deposits. During the Miocene epoch the conditions seem
to have been favorable for animal life, as may be inferred from the
great deposits of shell marl which were then formed.

After the deposition of the Calvert formation the region was
again raised and subjected to erosion for a short period, and then

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

79

sank once more beneath the sen. The Choptank formation was laid
down contemporaneously with the advancing ocean. This formation
lies unconformably upon the Calvert, and farther north transgresses
it. In neighboring regions to the south of this region a third
Miocene formation, the St. Mary's, was deposited conformably upon
the Choptank at a later period.

SEDIMENTARY RECORD OF THE PLEISTOCENE FORMATIONS.

At the close of the Pliocene epoch the region was raised again
and extensively eroded, and was then lowered and received the
deposits which constitute the first member of the Columbia group.
The Sunderland, Wicomico, and Talbot formations, which make up
this group, are exposed over a series of terraces lying one above an-
other throughout the North Atlantic Coastal Plain from Raritan
Bay to Potomac River, as well as in Virginia and probably still
farther south.

After the close of the post-Brandywine erosion period the Coastal
Plain was gradually lowered and the Sunderland sea advanced over
the sinking region. The waves of this sea cut a scarp against the
existing headlands of Brandywine and older rocks. This scarp Avas
prominent in some places and obscure in others, but may be readily
recognized in certain localities. As fast as the waves supplied the
material, the shore and bottom currents swept it out to deeper water
and deposited it so that the basal member of the Sunderland forma-
tion, a mixture of clay, sand, and gravel, represents the work of
shore currents along the advancing margin of the Sunderland sea;
whereas the upper member, consisting of clay and loam, was de-
posited by quieter currents in deeper water after the shore line had
advanced some distance westward and only the finer material found
its way very far out. Ice-borne boulders are also scattered through
the formation at all horizons.

After the deposition of the Sunderland formation, the country
was again elevated above ocean level and erosion began to wear away

80

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNT*

the Sunderland terrace. In Talbot County it was entirely removed,
so far as known although, as stated on a previous page, there may
be remnants of it still preserved beneath the Wicomico and Talbot
sediments. This elevation, however, was not of long duration and
the country eventually sank below the waves again. At this time
the Wicomico sea repeated the work which had been done by the
Sunderland sea except that it deposited its materials at a lower
level and cut its scarp in the Sunderland formation. At this time
also there was a contribution of ice-borne boulders which were de-
posited promiscuously over the bottom of the Wicomico sea. These
are now found at many places embedded in the finer material of the
Wicomico formation.

At the close of Wicomico time the country was again elevated
and eroded, and then lowered to receive the deposits of the Talbot
sea. The geologic activities of Talbot time were a repetition of
those carried on during Sunderland and Wicomico time. The Tal-
bot sea cut its scarp in the Wicomico formation, or in some places
removed the Wicomico completely and cut into the Sunderland and
still older deposits. Deposits were made on its terrace, a flat bench
at the base of this escarpment. Ice-borne boulders are also extreme-
ly common in the Talbot formation, showing that blocks of ice
charged with detritus from the land drifted out and deposited their
load over the bottom of the Talbot sea.

Embedded in the Talbot formation at Wades Point there is a
lens of drab-colored clay bearing plant remains. The stratigraphic
relations of this and similar lenses of clay occuring elsewhere in the
Coastal Plain show that they are invariably unconformable with the
underlying formation and apparently so with the overlying sand and
loams belonging to the Talbot. This relationship was very puzzling
until it appeared that the apparent unconformity with the Talbot, al-
though in a sense real, does not, however, represent an appreciable
lapse of time and that, consequently, the clay lenses are actually a
part of that formation. In brief, the clays carrying plant remains

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

SI

are regarded as lagoon deposits made in ponded stream channels
and gradually buried beneath the advancing beach of the Talbot sea.
The clays carrying marine and brackish-water organisms are be-
lieved to have been at first off-shore deposits made in moderately
deep water, and later brackish-water deposits, formed behind a bar-
rier beach and gradually buried by the advance of that beach to-
ward the land.

SEDIMENTARY RECORD OF THE RECENT FORMATIONS.

The last event in the geologic history of the region was a down-
ward movement, which is still in progress. It is this which has pro-
duced the estuaries and tide- water marshes that form conspicuous
features of the existing topography. At the present time the waves
of the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay are at work wearing the
land along their margins and depositing it on a subaqueous plat-
form or terrace. This terrace is everywhere present in a more or
less perfect state of development, and may be observed not only
along the exposed shores, but also on passing up the estuaries to
their heads. The materials which compose it are varied, depending
both on the detritus directly surrendered by the land to the sea and
on the currents which sweep along the shore. On an unbroken coast
the material has a local character, while in the vicinity of a river
mouth the terraces are composed of debris contributed from the
entire river basin.

Besides building a terrace, the waves of the ocean and bay are
cutting a sea cliff along their coast line, the height of the cliff de-
pending not so much on the force of the breakers as on the relief
of the land against which the waves beat. A low coast line yields
a low sea cliff and a high coast line the reverse, and the one passes
into the other as often and as abruptly as the topography changes,
so that along the shore of Chesapeake Bay, high cliffs and low de-
pressions occur in succession.

82

THE GEOLOGY OF TALBOT COUNTY

In addition to these features, bars, spits, and other shore forma-
tions of this character are being produced. If the present coast
line were elevated slightly, the subaqueous platform -which is now
in process of building would appear as a well-defined terrace of
variable width, with a surface either flat or gently dipping toward
the water. This surface would everywhere fringe the shores of the
ocean and bay, as well as those of the estuaries. The sea cliff would
at first be sharp and easily distinguished, but with the lapse of
time the less conspicuous portions would gradually yield to the
leveling influences of erosion and might finally disappear altogether.
Erosion would also destroy, in large measure, the continuity of the
terrace, but as long as portions of it remained intact, the old sur-
face could be reconstructed and the history of its origin determined.

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF
TALBOT COUNTY

BY

BENJAMIN L. MILLER

Introductory.

The mineral resources of Talbot County are neither extensive
nor especially valuable, yet the county contains some deposits that
are of considerable economic importance, although they have not
hitherto been very largely worked. Among the most important are
clays, sands, gravels, shell marls, and diatomaceous earth. In addi-
tion the soils contribute much to the value of the region, which is
primarily an agricultural one, and abundant supplies of water,
readily obtainable in almost every portion of the county, form a
further part of its mineral wealth.

THE NATURAL DEPOSITS
The Clays.

Next to the soils the clay constitute the most valuable economic
deposits of Talbot County. As already stated in the discussion of
the stratigraphy of the region, several of the formations contain con-
siderable quantities of clay. These argillaceous beds are rather gen-
erally distributed throughout the county, but, so far as known,
have in recent years been worked only in the vicinity of Easton, St.
Michaels, and Tilghman. The clays are found in each series of de-
posits represented in the region.

Miocene clay. — Although argillaceous beds occur very commonly
in the Miocene strata of the county, they are generally too sandy
to be of much economic importance. Considerable lime, derived

^4

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF TALBOT COUNTY

from the numerous fossil shells which are either generally dis-
tributed throughout the sandy clay or concentrated in definite shell
beds within the formations, also renders these clays of less value.

Pleistocene clays. — As already stated the Wicomico and Talbot
formations are generally composed of coarse materials at the base
of the deposits, with a rather persistent loam cap which marks the
last stage of deposition during each particular submergence. This
surficial loam, which is very similar in both formations, has been
extensively used for the manufacture of brick at many places in
Maryland. Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It is generally not more
than 3 or 4 feet in thickness, yet, because of its position, many beds
no more than 1 or 2 feet thick can be worked with profit. This
loam is widely distributed throughout Talbot County and, though
not quite co-extensive with the formations of which it forms a part,
is present in almost every locality where the Wicomico and Talbot
formations occupy flat divides that have not suffered much erosion
since their deposition. The Talbot formation, especially, contains
much workable clay in the broad flat river divides in the western
part of the county. It has been worked at Easton almost continu-
ously for over 40 years and has also been utilized at St. Michaels
and Tilghmans Island. The clay is somewhat sandy in certain
places but elsewhere is plastic and tough. In color it varies from
drab to yellowish-brown. Because of the clay being a surficial de-
posit it is only necessary to remove the vegetation growing on the
land but in other places the vegetable loam which has accumulated
must also be removed before the clay can be dug.

In general the Pleistocene clays are adapted only to the manu-
facture of the common varieties of brick and tile, some are suitable
for the manufacture of paving brick.

The Sands.

Inasmuch as the arenaceous phase predominates in almost every
formation represented in the region, Talbot County contains an un-

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

85

limited supply of sand. The sand of the Pleistocene formations is
used locally for building purposes, but as it is so readily obtainable
in all parts of the region no large pits have been opened. The most
important are located in the vicinity of Easton and Queen Anne.
Locally the Pleistocene sands are rich in ferruginous matter, which
in some places cements the grains together, forming a ferruginous
sandstone. Sands of this character possess a distinct value for
road-making purposes, as they pack readily and make a firm road
bed. When the material can be readily obtained in large quantities,
good I'oads can be very economically constructed with it.

In some places the quartz sands of the Miocene seem to be pure
enough for glass making and suggest the Miocene glass sands so
extensively exploited in southern New Jersey. No attempt has ever
been made to utilize these sands in this way in Maryland. Careful
chemical analyses and physical tests, which have not been made,
would be required to determine their usefulness in the glass
industry.

The Gravels.

The Wicomico and Talbot formations contain numerous beds of
gravel widely distributed throughout the county. In many places
they are rich in iron, which acts as a cementing agent, thus render-
ing them of considerable value as road metal. The most important
gravel pits of this county are located near Easton and the material
has been extensively used on the roads and streets of that vicinity.

The Building Stone.

Although the Coastal Plain formations of the region are com-
posed almost entirely of unconsolidated materials, yet locally in-
durated beds are not uncommon. In the absence of any better stone
these indurated ledges furnish considerable materials for the con-
struction of foundations and walls. The gravel and coarse sand
beds of the Pleistocene are, in many places, so firmly cemented by
iron oxide as to form pebble conglomerates or sandstones of con-

86

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF TALBOT COUNTY

siderable strength. The best example of such rock occurs near the
head of Bolingbrooke Creek where there is a ledge of hard ferru-
ginous sandstone about 18 feet in thickness.

The Marls.

The Calvert and Choptank formations are rich in deposits of
shell marls, which are of value as fertilizers. From New Jersey to
Georgia such deposits have been worked spasmodically since the
early part of the last century, when their value was first determined,
yet their importance in enriching the soil has never been generally
recognized. They possess especially valuable fertilizing properties
for soils deficient in lime. In some places the shells are mixed with
so much sand that the lime forms only a small part of the deposit,
but in others the amount of lime exceeds 90 per cent. Experiments
show that better results have been obtained by the use of shell marl
than by that of burned-stone lime. The marl acts both chemically
and physically and has a beneficial effect on both clay and sandy
soil. The shell marls have been dug in many places in this county
during the past but owing to the increasing scarcity and cost of
labor they are seldom dug now. They were formerly dug in the
northeastern part of the county along Tuckahoe Creek, near Long-
woods, Easton, Stumpton, and Royal Oak.

The Diatomaceous Earth Deposits.
As previously stated, the Calvert and Choptank formations of
Talbot County contain many beds of impure diatomaceous earth.
These may be of some value though they are much less pure than
similar beds on the Patuxent River in Calvert County that have
been worked sporadically for many years. Diatomaceous earth on
account of its porosity and compactness, is used in water filters and
as an absorbent in the manufacture of dynamite. It is reduced
readily to a fine powder and makes an excellent base for polishing
compounds, while its non-conductivity of heat makes it a valuable
ingredient in packing for steam boilers and pipes and in the manu-

MARYLAND UKOLWJM'AL SI KVKV

87

facture of safes, the latter being the principal use to which it is
put. It has also been found to possess value in the manufacture
of certain kinds of pottery.

THE WATER RESOURCES

The water supply of Talbot County is found in the springs and
wells of the district. Many of the streams have been used at various
times to furnish power for small mills, but little use has been made
of them as sources of water supply. Both the private and public
water supplies of the towns of the county are derived from wells.
There are a few springs but they are of local value only.

Springs.

The moderate elevation of the region and the small amount of
dissection of the strata by streams are mainly responsible for the
few springs of Talbot County. The most favorable places for them
are where there are outcrops of the Miocene strata beneath a rather
heavy mantle of unconsolidated Pleistocene materials. The water
readily percolates through the overlying stratum and then flows
along the contact between it and the less pervious Miocene mate-
rials beneath until it emerges in the valleys of streams that have
cut through the overlying bed. From these springs some of the
inhabitants obtain their entire supply of water which is usually of
excellent quality but which are especially liable to contamination.
The spring water, as also that in wells, is in places highly charged
with mineral matter, particularly iron, sulphur, and salt, and some
such waters have been placed on the market. The most important
mineral spring of the county is a sulphur spring near St. Michaels.
Others that have been reported are located near Easton, Trappe,
Lloyds Lauding, and Wittman. Most of them are chalybeate
springs.

88

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF TALBOT COUNTY

Shallow Wells.

In Talbot County the shallow wells drawing, as they do, from
the thin cover of Pleistocene sands, have the usual range in depth of
from 8 to 20 feet, and the most common depths are about 10 to 15
feet. Locally driven wells have been sunk to depths of 40 and 45
feet, as at Skip ton, but such wells are comparatively rare, and the
majority of the inhabitants of the counties, except in the larger
towns, use water from wells less than 20 feet deep. These shallow
wells encounter water in beds of sand and gravel belonging to the
Talbot and Wicomico formations. This shallow water is quite com-
monly marshy, coming probably from beds containing a large
amount of vegetable matter, and in a few places the water tastes
strongly of iron due to the amount of that mineral contained in the
pebbles or nodules of the Pleistocene, but generally there is so little
mineral matter in solution that the water is known as "soft."

In a few places near the shore the water contains considerable
salt, enough to render it brackish. This is most noticeable on some
of the low islands, but it has also been reported on the mainland
near tide water. With increase in population these shallow wells
are increasingly liable to pollution, and care should always be
exercised in locating such wells where they will not be subject to
contamination from outhouses.

Artesian Wells.
Attemps to procure artesian water in Talbot County have been
uniformly successful, but flowing wells have been obtained only
where the surface is less than 20 feet above sea level. The deepest
artesian well in the county is the 1015-foot well at the Easton Water
Works, and the shallowest is a 20-foot well at Copperville. This
well is discussed by the author 1 who believes that "although the
well was not driven below the Pleistocene deposits the water prob-

1 Miller, B. L. Geologic Atlas of the U. S., U. S. Geol. Survey, Choptank
Folio, No. 182, 1912, p. 8.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

89

ably comes from a greater depth and finds its way to the base of
the pipe through some deep-seated fissure in the Calvert strata."
The flow of the well is very small and the water is highly charged
with iron, a feature not unusual with the Calvert waters, but which
has probably been acquired in this case through the passage of the
water through the Pleistocene gravels.

The Miocene deposits are represented in this county by the Chop-
tank formation which outcrops in some of the stream beds in the
southern part of the county, and by the Calvert formation which is
seen at the surface at a few places in the northern part along Wye
River and its tributaries. The Choptank formation is not important
as a water-bearing horizon, but the Calvert water has long been
known and utilized. The water is soft and very good. An analysis
of the water from the 135-foot wells at Easton is given on a sub-
sequent page. The Calvert water levels are incapable of as close
correlation as in the neighboring counties, due to the horizontal
gradation of the materials. The Calvert wells vary in depth from
166 to 195 feet. A well at Cordova, about 40 feet above sea level, is
116 feet deep with the water within 8 feet of the surface. At Easton
the Calvert long supplied the city with its water, the water being
reached at 104 to 135 feet. These wells all flowed originally, but
when the deep well was sunk the water in the shallower wells fell
to 10 feet and would furnish no Avater Avhile the 10 inch well was
being pumped.

Two wells at Grubin Neck, 160 feet and 186 feet deep, draw from
the Calvert horizon but do not flow, and at Windy Hill a well 180
feet deep has a small flow of water from the same stratum.

Two horizons have been recognized in the Eocene, one at the
base of the Aquia and one at or below the base of the Nanjemoy.
The basal Aquia water is in use at only three localities, while the
Nanjemoy wells are more scattered.

Aquia. — The well at "The Anchorage," 265 feet deep, which has
a small flow of hard water, and two other wells on Miles River Neck,

'.Ill

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF TALBOT COUNTY

255 and 272 feet deep, which yield hard water hut do not flow, are
the shallowest wells in the county that draw from the Aquia water.
At Oxford the basal Eocene water is 350 feet deep, hard, with no
flows, and at Barkers Landing on the Choptank River the water is
at a depth of 370 feet, is hard and rises to within 8 feet of the
surface.

Xanjemoy. — The 195-foot well on Long Point reported by Darton
(Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey No. 138, p. 133) and assigned by him to
the Calvert level is probably Nanjemoy. More information concern-
ing this well than that given by Darton could not be obtained.

About 2 miles south of the Long Point well a boring at Royal
Oak 224 feet deep found water which was in a dark sand under-
neath a sand rock. The water is hard and slightly turbid, both
qualities which are fairly constant in the Eocene water.

About 3 miles west of Easton a well was drilled on Dr. Nicker-
son's property to a depth of 297 feet in which the water in use was
encountered in a bed of sand and gravel that was 48 feet thick,
according to the following log supplied by the driller :

Recent. Feet

Soft brown clay 0 - 6

Soft green sand 6 -117

Miocene.

Soft green sand, shells 117 -160

Eocene.

Soft blue clay 160 -235

Soft blue sand 235 -249

Hard rock 249 -249%

Green sand and gravel, Water 249^-297

There are two wells at Trappe, 375 and 400 feet deep, and an-
other one about 1 mile west, 311 feet deep, reaching hard water that
stands at — 14, — 46, and — 15 feet respectively. By the character
of the water and the low head it would seem to be from the Eocene
beds, but the shoal depths at which the water is reached operates
somewhat against such a conclusion. It may be suggested here that
the upper member of the Eocene is at this point making its first

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

91

appearance on the Eastern Shore, nowhere cropping at the surface.
This suggestion finds support in a slight thickness of clay and sand
shown in the log of the Easton well, which has been referred to the
Nanjemoy. It does not seem likely that the Calvert has as great a
thickness as is demanded by the references of these wells of that
horizon. In the Ohoptank Folio (loc. cit.) the author gives contours
for the Eocene water level and states that the main stream is prob-
ably at the base of the Naujemoy formation. This does not seem
to be the position occupied by the main stream in this county since
the main stream is thought to be that which supplies St. Michaels
at 260 feet, Miles Kiver Neck at 255 to 270 feet, and Oxford at 380
feet, with a distant well at Barkers Landing 370 feet deep. The
wells at Eoyal Oak, 224 feet; west of Easton, 249 feet deep; and
near Trappe, 311, 375, and 400 feet (the latter two are at an eleva-
tion of 50 to 65 feet, the 311-foot well at 20 feet, and all the others
at less than 10 feet) are thought to be the base of the Nanjemoy.
This is the level which becomes important across the river in Dor-
chester County and is about 75 feet above the lower water level of
the Eocene. These are exactly the same relations as were observed
in Caroline County, where at Denton the first Eocene stream is
encountered at 270 feet and the second at 350 feet below sea level.

The wells drawing from Upper Cretaceous streams fall into two
( lasses: First, the numerous wells on Tilghmans Island near Sher-
wood and near McDaniel around 340 to 400 feet in depth; second,
the wells at Claiborne and Tunis, 440 and 486 feet deep respectively,
and also the 1015-foot well at the Easton "Water Works.

The wells of the first group draw from one of the best streams
in the Upper Cretaceous, barring the Magothy, and the horizon is
thoughl to be the Upper Matawan. A log of a well on Tilghman
Island, 380 feet deep, is given beloAV.*

* Fuller, M. L., and Sanford, Samuel. Record of Deep-Well Drilling for
1905, U. S. Geol. Survey, Bull. No. 298, pp. 233, 234.

92

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF TALBOT COUNTY

WLLL AT TILGHMAN.

Columbia. Feet

Hard buff clay 0- 12

Soft micaceous gray sand with a little glauconite 12- 18

Soft dark brownish-gray micaceous sand 18- 40

Calvert.

Gray sand containing shell fragments 40- 50

Hard gray sandy micaceous clay 50-130

Eocene.

Soft rock (glauconite with a little sand and gravel)

A little water 130-155

Monmouth.

Hard black earth (dark clay with much glauconite, a

little sand, some bits of shells) 155-340

Hard dark sand (glauconite with coarse sand and bits

of shells), some water 340-360

Matawan.

Hard dark sand (less glauconite and more grains of
brownish quartz than preceding, some bits of
shells), plenty of water 360-380

In the original grouping of the materials the Monmouth was
omitted, but in view of the fact that the Monmouth at its outcrops
is known to be distinctly marine in origin its absence here would be
hard to explain. The above log contains several points of interest.
The hard sandy clay at 130 feet is the same as the "sand rock'' en-
countered on Long Point at 195 feet, while the water at 155 feet is
probably the same as that found at the "Anchorage"' at 205 feet.
The main water level, besides supplying the wells at Sherwood, of
depths around 305 feet and those near McDaniels, 310 to 380 feet,
is found also in the well at Tunis Mills, 437 feet deep, where the
water Avas originally so alkaline that it foamed in the boilers. An-
other well drawing from the same level is located about iy2 miles
west, and the following materials were penetrated in the course of
drilling : Feet

Soft yellow clay 0 - 15

Soft blue clay 15 - 65

Sand rock, blue 65 - 86

Soft blue clay 86 -179

Hard blue rock 179 -181

Soft green sand 181 -190

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 93

Soft blue clay 190 -250

Soft sandy black clay 250 -298

Gravel 298 -301 7/12

Soft sandy black clay 301 7/12-425

Hard blue clay 425 -559

Green sand and gravel 559 -590

These wells all flow, although the amount is not very large, the
maximum reported being 20 gallons per minute. At Easton this
horizon was encountered at 570 to 600 feet, and at Oxford two wells
540 feet deep have flows of 25 gallons per minute from the same
stream.

The well at Claiborne 444 feet deep was referred by Darton * in
1896 to the Magothy and the author, in the recent Choptank Folio,
reassigned it to the Magothy along with the 540-foot well at Oxford.
The Claiborne well and the 486-foot well at Tunis are here thought
to be possibly Magothy, but the Oxford wells are quite certainly no
lower than the upper Matawan. To correlate the Oxford wells with
that at Claiborne would require that the dip be less than 10 feet in
the mile, which is not at all in accordance with observation at the
outcrops nor with the experience in wells. The well at Tunis is
about iy2 miles down the dip from the Claiborne well and the dif-
ference in depth after correction for elevation is 40 feet. This would
give a dip of about 25 feet in the mile, which is exactly the average
dip of the beds at their outcrop.

The Easton well, the log of which is appended, was sunk with
the object of augmenting the supply drawn from the shallow wells
in the Calvert.

WELL OF THE EASTON WATER WORKS.

Feet

Made ground 0 - 5

Marl with whole shells 5 - 35

Light-green clay 35 - 50

Dark-brown clay 50 - 80

Dark-green clay 80 - 99

Sand rock 99 -100

* Darton, N. H. Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey, No. 138, 1896, p. 133.

(14

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF TALBOT COUNTY

Green sandy clay 100 -104

Light-gray sand, water-bearing, containing shark teeth,
shells, large pieces of bone. Pumps 120 galls per min-
ute and heads up to —10 f eet t 104 -135

Soft light-green sandy clay 135 -170

Soft sandstone 170 -171

Soft green sandy clay 171 -190

Sandstone 190 -190%

Soft green clay, black specks 190% -270

Hard blue clay 270 -271

Light coarse sand 271 -280

Soft rock or hard blue clay 280 -282y2

Clean light-green clay 282% -299

Boulder 299 -300%

Black sand or marl 300y2 -306

Hard crust 306 -307

Black sandy clay or marl, no shells 307 -390

Black sandy clay or marl 390 -570

Sand and gravel, yellow, white, and black, water-bearing.

Pumps 20 gallons per minute and heads up to — 6 feet. . 570 -600

Fine black sand with boulders 600 -651

White sandy clay with boulders 651 -681 5/6

White clay 681 5/6 -688 5/12

Soft sandstone 6S8 5/12-689

White sandy clay, hard streaks and gravel (?) 689 -727 2/3

Soft sandstone 727 2/3 -728 1/6

White clay 728 1/6 -729%

Soft sandstone 729% -730 5/12

Soft green and brown clay with black sand 730 5/12-802

Yellow clayey sand, similar to that at 570-600 feet 802 -835

White clay or marl, with hard and soft streaks, containing

shells and sand 835 -870

Sandy clay, gray when dry 870 -888

Soft black sandy clay 888 -960

Soft rock 960 -960%

Black sandy clay 960% -966

Soft rock 966 -967

Black sandy clay 967 -995

White sand, water-bearing, well flows 995 -1015

t During about 1S85 when the Water Works were installed, six 4-inch
wells were put down to this same stratum, all of which flowed at that time.
When the 10-inch well was sunk it was found that the water only rose to
within 10 feet of the ground, and that the smaller wells would furnish no
water when the large one was being pumped.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

95

The well passed through the Calvert water horizon, the upper
Matawan level at 570 to 600 feet, and is drawing from the inn in
water horizon of the Magothy. It should be stated here that when
Darton spoke of the Potomac waters he included the Raritan which
he probably thought was the horizon of this well, and it has only
been recently that the Raritan has been assigned to its proper place
at the base of the Upper Cretaceous. With this in mind the refer-
ence of the Easton well to the Potomac group is not so much at
variance with the present assignment.

In the above log the 80-foot thickness of "green clay, black
specks" may be too thick to be referred to the Nanjemoy, but the
lithology is very strikingly like the clays of the Nanjemoy. There
is possibly a division in this bed that was not noticed by the driller,
which may also be true of the 180 feet of black sandy clay or marl
at 390 to 570 feet, since some slight thickness of Monmouth probably
occurs. The bed of "yellow clayey sand" at 802 to 835 feet may be
the level that supplies the wells at Claiborne and Tunis Mills. The
water from the white sand is plentiful and strongly alkaline. It is
satisfactory for use when mixed with that from the shallow wells,
but has not been tried alone.

This Magothy horizon is the largest one that has been encount-
ered in the county thus far. The Patuxent water level is probably
more than 1,000 feet below the Magothy and should yield large
flows of water which, however, would probably be highly mineral-
ized. The Magothy beds dip about 30 feet in the mile to the south-
east, so that, with the Easton well for a guide, other localities can
judge from its depth. After the Magothy, the next horizon in impor-
tance is the one in the upper Matawan, that which is shown in the
Easton well at 570 to 600 feet, and on Tilghman's Island at a little
less than 400 feet. This bed dips to the southeast at about 25 feet

THE MINERAL RESOURCES OF TALBOT COUNTY

to the mile, so that with the Tunis Mills, Oxford, and Easton wells
for guides, it too may be easily located. After these two come the
Eocene and Calvert horizons which have so far never failed to yield
water, although the quantity and quality have not always been
satisfactory.

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

BY

HUGH H. BENNETT, W. E. THARP, W. S. LYMAN, and
H. L. WESTOVER

Introductory.

Talbot County lies wholly within the physiographic division
known as the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The land surface varies in its
topographic features from the nearly flat foreland county bordering
the Chesapeake Bay and its estuaries, to the gently and moderately
rolling upland plain, including most of the county east of a line
drawn from Easton to Cambridge, Dorchester County. Generally
there is not an abrupt break between these topographic divisions;
the change is more of a gradual rise of the lower division toward the
upper plain, the two blending in gentle slopes. However, there is
in some places an escarpment of sufficient slope to give rise to con-
siderable erosion. The true lower division lies largely below the 20-
foot elevation and entirely below the 30-foot line. While its surface
is for the most part flat, some of it is undulating. The foreland
country has been indented by the streams and bays branching off
from Chesapeake Bay, which have divided the country into long,
narrow peninsulas and islands, making travel by land circuitous.
Along the shore of the Chesapeake and its larger estuaries the waves
arc gradually cutting back the shore line — in some places as much
as 20 feet a year — especially where the shore line is precipitous.
The eroded material is carried to more protected places and depos-
ited, eventually forming marsh.

From the very irregular shore line it might be inferred that the
foreland was excessively marshy and unfit for cultivation. Such is
far from true, the extent of marsh being confined to inconsiderable

98

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

marginal fringes, amounting to 2.5 per cent of the land area. There
are in protected places like bays and coves a few exceptionally large
bodies of marsh containing several acres. Bordering the upper
sources of the larger streams, like the Choptank River and Tucka-
hoe Creek, there are marginal strips subject to tidal overflow vary-
ing from a few rods to three-quarters of a mile in width. Very few
drainage waj-s reach up into the interior of the foreland plain, thus
leaving the flat lands without sufficient outlets for good surface
drainage.

The upland plain division for the most part is gently or mod-
erately rolling, and lies well for the use of modern farm machinery.
In the northern part of the county elevation of 70 feet above sea
level are attained at a few points. Inequalities in the surface con-
figuration become less bold toward the south, changing gradually
from the moderately rolling topography in the northern part to the
flat and gently rolling country in the southern part, where the
highest elevations are about GO feet. There is a tendency for this
upland country to assume more level and unbroken topography to-
ward the interior, where is found a plain more nearly as it existed
just subsequent to the emergence of the area. A larger proportion
of this interior would be much more poorly drained but for the
excellent underdrainage afforded by the porosity of the underlying
material. Streams have not worked out good channels in this sec-
tion, which fact accounts largely for the poor drainage conditions
existing in the intervening flat lands.

The channels of main upland streams increase gradually from
mere shallow drainage ways near the interior to comparatively deep
valleys toward the marginal portion of the upland plain. The sides
of some of these are sufficiently steep to have developed, through
excessive erosion, a relatively broken surface. Numerous tribu-
taries reach out from the main streams, affording a good drainage
system to most of the upland country. The fall of many of the
creeks is sufficient to develop considerable power. There are a num-

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

99

ber of water-power flour mills scattered throughout the uplands.
The smaller streams are nearly all bordered by narrow strips of low,
wet ground extending from mouth to source in the uplands, where
considerable areas of flat, poorly drained land, sometimes semi-
swampy in character, are found. The larger streams flow very
sluggishly in a general northeast-southwest direction.

The Choptank River is navigable to a point near the Delaware
line. The Tred Avon, Miles and Wye rivers are wide and navigable
nearly to the head of tidewater, where they suddenly narrow to
small streams which reach comparatively short distances into the
uplands.

Talbot County was organized under the provincial government
about 1661 and included the present domain of Queen Anne's, con-
siderable portions of Caroline and Kent counties, and nearly all its
present territory. Later the county was divided, and from it Talbot,
Queen Anne's, Kent, and Caroline counties were formed.

Active settlement began about the middle of the seventeenth
century. The settlers were mainly English, from whom the present
population is largely descended. The toleration act of 1649 at-
tracted quite a number of religious refugees, among them a consider-
able number of Quakers from Virginia and New England. Most of
these colonists settled within sight of navigable water. Transpor-
tation and travel were mainly by water.

The farm houses and outhouses are quite substantial, and the
fields are effectively fenced with wire or hedges. Churches and
schools are conveniently located. The highways are excellent.
Easton, the county seat, is the largest town, although there are sev-
eral other important towns and shipping points in the county.
From Easton, Baltimore is only forty-odd miles by water, while
Philadelphia and New York, respectively, are 108 and 198 miles
distant by rail, over the Pennsylvania Railroad. This railroad and
various bus lines furnishes the transportation facilities by land for
the entire area. Various steamboat lines are accessible from almost

100

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

any part of the county and many freight-carrying sailing vessels ply
between the various landings and Baltimore.

Throughout the county there are numerous canning factories,
well situated near railroad stations and boat landings. These
factories vary in their output from a few hundred cases of tomatoes
to about 100,000 cases a season, besides the heavy packs of garden
peas, corn, and pears.

Agriculture.

Since its earliest settlement Talbot County has been pre-em-
inently agricultural in its pursuits. In the early days little more
corn and wheat were produced than sufficed to supply the wants
of the colonists, and in unfavorable seasons there were periods of
distress from short crops.

At first tobacco was grown almost to the exclusion of other crops,
and was long the medium of exchange. There were six tobacco
warehouses in Talbot County in 1775. but with the beginning of the
nineteenth century the tobacco acreage had enormously decreased,
and warehouses were little used. The larger planters shipped their
tobacco to England, but the smaller planters traded with the local
representatives of English houses. Warehouse receipts representing
the quantity of tobacco stored, like tobacco, passed as money.

The Revolutionary war hastened a change in agriculture by cut
ting off the export trade with the mother country and creating a
demand for cereals to feed the Provincial army. Prior to this,
however, farmers had begun to realize that their lands were being
impoverished by cultivation to one crop and hence they began
increasing the acreage of wheat. Clover and timothy were
coming into favor and were rotated with cereals. It was about
this time that the present three-field system of cropping appeared.
Flax was grown for the fiber until some time before the civil war.
Sweet potatoes have been produced on a small scale since the earlier
days. Peaches began to be a crop of considerable importance about

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

101

sixty-odd years ago. Cultivation of tomatoes for canning purposes
began about 1872.

From 1859 the production of oats decreased until 1879, since
when the crop has not had an important place in general agricul-
ture. This crop too often has suffered from unfavorable weather
conditions in June and July, filling out poorly.

The production of wheat has increased steadily and on a fairly
profitable basis in spite of western competition. The total yield
for Talbot County in 1819 was 272,963 bushels, while in 1879 it was
468,316 bushels, and in 1899, 816,340 bushels. Owing to more thor-
ough preparation of the seed bed and to the freer use of manures
there has been a marked increase in the average yields of wheat
within the last twenty-live years.

Corn has also shown a steady increase. The production in 1849
for Talbot County was 621,980 bushels. By 1879 it had increased to
691,919 bushels, and in 1899 to 807,680 bushels.

The value of livestock has increased steadily. In 1899 the value
of live stock was $759,581. Fertilizer expenditure varied from
$110,001 in 1889, to $89,040 for 1899. The decreased expenditure
means rather a decrease in the quality and price of material than
any decrease in quantity. It appears that the quantity used has
steadily increased since the introduction of this class of fertilizers
following the civil war, and the indications are that in quantity, at
least, there will be no marked decrease in the near future.

There were very few large plows in the area prior to the early
seventies. Up to that time ridging for corn had been the practice.
Since the introduction of the large chilled plows the practice has
Largely disappeared and the soils have been prepared deeper and
more thoroughly. The three-field system, corn, wheat, and grass,
had been the prevailing rotation up to the time of the introduction
of this plow. The farmers are slowly growing less corn and wheat
and practicing more diversification. More stock is being raised,
more grass and forage crops grown, and more corn cut for shred-

102

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

ding. The heavier, better drained soils are so well adapted to wheat
that the crop continues to hold an important place. Farms are
gradually being reduced in size, a fact which in itself points towards
more intensive methods of farming.

At present the dominant system of agriculture practiced over a
very large proportion of the county is general farming in connection
with more or less trucking. On most farms situated within 4 or 5
miles of a cannery or boat landing, tomatoes are grown as an im-
portant crop, and often sugar corn, garden peas, and pears are
grown for canning, while peaches, pears, asparagus, strawberries,
and dewberries are grown for market. In some localities trucking
is equally as important, or even more so, than general farming.

There are no farms devoted exclusively to dairying, although a
number of farmers sell milk at the local markets or at the few
creameries. A small number of the farmers are using separators,
selling the cream to the creameries or shipping it and feeding the
skimmed milk to hogs.

Hogs are raised to supply the home and local market demands.
Poultry and sheep are considered important additions to general
farming in certain localities. Most of the draft animals are raised
on the farm.

Of the total acreage of land cutivated to crops in Talbot County
about 60 per cent is seeded to wheat, about 25 per cent to corn,
and the remainder to grass and miscellaneous vegetables, princi-
pally tomatoes. About 65 per cent of the total acreage cultivated
to miscellaneous vegetables is used for tomatoes. The bulk of this
crop is sold to local canneries, although a considerable quantity is
shipped by boat to outside canneries. The variety most generally
grown is the Stone — a medium large, uniformly ripening, prolific
form, possessing the red color and fleshiness desired for canning
purposes.

Considerable quantities of garden peas, sugar corn, and Kieffer
pears are handled at the canneries. The Kieffer, the most successful

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

103

pear grown, and a wonderful producer, is better suited to canning
than marketing. Strawberries, raspberries, and dewberries of excel
lent quality do well on the lighter soils. The strawberries grown
have a good reputation in the northern markets. The crop proves
immensely profitable in years of short crops of strawberries else-
where, and on the average a good margin of profit is realized. The
Lucretia dewberry proves very successful. Wild huckleberries
thrive on the light soils and considerable quantities are gathered
for market. Good sweet and Irish potatoes are obtained on the
light types.

For many years the peach crop was very profitable throughout
the area, but owing to ravages of disease, particularly the "yellows,"
the industry has declined. The trees, unless diseased, make a rapid
growth and produce abundantly in favorable years. Some orchards
have not been injured — those near the water front seem especially
resistant to disease. The crop is still of considerable importance.
The Elberta appears to be the favorite variety at present, although
numerous varieties are grown. Farmers should watch their
orchards closely and burn root and branch, every tree as soon as the
first indications of the "yellows" are noticed. Some good varieties
of summer apples are grown for home use. Of the late varieties the
Winesap, Ben Davis, and York Imperial have proved well suited to
the soils and climate. It is believed that the Stayman Winesap,
which is being successfully grown on similar soils in Delaware,
would prove a profitable variety on the Sassafras loam and sandy
loam. Scarlet clover is grown as a soil renovator and occasionally
for seed. More cowpeas should be grown for seed, especially on the
lighter Sassafras soils.

Notwithstanding that the better crop adaptations of soils are
pretty clearly understood, there is too little specialization to accord
with soil variation. Farmers everywhere recognize that the Elkton
silt loam is a poor corn and tomato soil, though a fair soil for wheat
and grass, yet all these crops are indiscriminately grown on it.

104

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

Although average yields of corn on this type are poor, in favorable
seasons the crop does well, and it is with the expectation of such a
season that farmers put in a considerahle acreage every year instead
of increasing the acreage of wheat and grass and keeping more stock.

The Sassafras loam and silt loam are admirably suited to wheat,
corn, and grass, while the Sassafras sandy loam averages excellent
yields of these crops. An inferior quality of wheat — small kernels —
is expected on some of the poorer drained phases of these types. It
is claimed, however, that the quality of that grown on the Elkton
and Portsmouth soils is generally very good. Tomatoes do best on
the Sassafras sandy loam, although the Sassafras loam makes good
average yields, while the Sassafras silt loam makes a fairly good late
crop. In growing tomatoes for canning there is no particular pur-
pose in getting an early crop, except to head off frost. The canneries
begin in August and run until the crop is canned. Strawberries and
dewberries do best on the Sassafras sandy loam. Portsmouth sandy
loam, and Portsmouth loam, and these types when available are
generally selected for these crops. The Sassafras sand and loamy
sand are particularly suited to garden peas, asparagus, turnips,
early tomatoes, and Irish and sweet potatoes. Cultivated chestnuts
do well on these soils.

The clovers do best on the better drained heavy soils. Red clover
frequently dies out and is being replaced by crimson or scarlet clover
and alsike. Timothy does well on the heavier soils, but should be
grown in rotation with other crops. The well-drained, heavier Sassa-
fras soils produce good crops of alfalfa. The subject of crop adapta-
tion is taken up more in detail under the heads of the different soil
types.

While most farmers practice some system of rotation, there are
others who grow corn or wheat on the same land several years in suc-
cession. Under this treatment some of the fields have decreased in
yield, but only a small proportion of the county lias been subjected
to such injudicious treatment.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

TALBOT COUNTY. PLATE VI

Fl(.. 1. — VIEW OF ABANDONED FIELD COMING BACK TO LOBLOLLY PINE.

Fig. 2. — loblolly pine seedlings in opening in forest near st. michaels.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SUEVBTC

105

The prevailing schemes of crop succession — the <>1<! three and five
Held systems — are very well suited to the Sassafras loam, sandy loam,
and silt loam. These systems include the following rotations: Corn,
wheat, and grass for the three-field system, and corn, wheat, grass,
wheat, and grass for the five-field system. The grass consists of tim-
othy and red clover or timothy alone, and is usually cut once and
then left for grazing. Tomatoes fit in well after corn and are fol-
lowed by exceptionally good yields of wheat on account of the excel-
lent physical and moisture conditions induced in the soil by the
shading of the vines and the good mannral properties of the vines
and refuse fruit. It is estimated that wheat following tomatoes or a
timothy-clover sod will yield an average of one-third more than if it
follows corn. Tomatoes do not do so well after tomatoes. Rotations
on all the types except, perhaps, the Portsmouth soil, should include
crops of cowpeas or clover to be turned down green in conjunction
with applications of 25 to 50 bushels of lime per acre once every
three to six years, according to the condition of the soil and its
power to retain organic matter. On account of the more thorough
aeration of the lighter types, like Sassafras sand and loamy sand,
the organic matter is likely to be depleted rapidly owing to rapid
oxidation, and it is therefore necessary to grow frequent crops of
cowpeas, but not so much lime is required as on the heavier soils.
Good results are secured by liming grass in the fall preceding break-
ing for corn or wheat. Direct applications of lime to grass should
be light (20 bushels to the acre), for the reason that too rapid decom-
position of the tnrned-nnder vegetation results from large applica-
tions. In case large amounts of lime are used, the applications
should be made to the broken soil so as to keep the lime from direct
contact with the vegetable matter. A good many farmers are begin-
ning to sow cowpeas or crimson clover in corn or crimson clover in
tomatoes at the last cultivation, turning these under before planting
wheat. The practice of turning under green crops has proved in

106

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

valuable in building up the soils, both in connection with general
farming and trucking.

Much trouble in getting good crops by employing the old method
of seeding red clover on wheat in late winter is experienced. The
young, tender plants, suddenly exposed to hot sunshine by cutting
off the wheat close to the ground, seem to be unable to withstand the
change and gradually die out. In seasons with plenty of moisture
and no protracted hot spells succeeding harvesting, good crops are
secured. Contrasting the clover yields obtained in the earlier days
by sowing with wheat, and the good crops now obtained on the newly
cleared peach orchards, with the crops obtained on other soils, it
appears that the latter may have come into an unhealthy condition
with respect to this crop. However, with an increased yield of
wheat and consequent heavier growth and denser shading, the young
plants are crowded nearer together and probably are less strong
upon removal of the grain than formerly was the case. Some attrib-
ute the failures to toxic effects coming from continued use of acid-
phosphate fertilizers. On the other hand there are many instances
where good crops have been secured by seeding alone in the fall on
thoroughly prepared limed ground. Many farmers claim they have
no trouble in getting good crops by liming after breaking sod land,
sowing wheat, topdressing with good barnyard manure, and then
sowing the clover on the wheat in late winter or early spring. Scarlet
clover can be grown with ease on most of the types, but the hay is
not considered as good as red clover hay. Cowpeas can be grown
on all soils, even those too light for crimson clover, and always im-
prove the land, whether cut, grazed off, plowed under, or left as a
winter cover crop. Alsike clover, which is rapidly coming into favor,
will prove a valuable crop for this region. By growing cowpeas
land too light for clover can be brought up to good condition for
that crop.

Large quantities of commercial fertilizers are used. As a general
rule, readily soluble, "quick-acting*' fertilizers which produce an

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

107

early growth and early ripening of the crop are most desirable. If
nitrogen is needed, nitrate of soda is perhaps the best form in which
it can be applied. It acts quickly but not through a long period,
and for that reason is very desirable where short-season crops are
concerned. In many cases it is found an advantage to apply the
nitrate at two periods rather than all at once. It is well to make
one application when the plants are set in the field and a second
about the time the fruits begin to color. Fertilizers containing
nitrogen in a slowly available form, such as cotton-seed meal or
coarse, undecomposed stable manure, which do not stimulate an
active growth until late in the season, are not desirable for this crop.
Such fertilizers are too slow for a short-season crop like the tomato,
which needs something to stimulate it at the very time it is trans-
planted to the field. Such fertilizers also tend to stimulate late
growth of vine at the expense of the maturity of the fruit. Potash
and phosphoric acid are more conducive to the development of fruits
than is nitrogen, except in the form of nitrate of soda.

Heavy dressings of stable manure tend to produce too much vine,
and are seldom or never employed. If stable manure is used it is at
a moderate rate, usually not more than one or two shovelfuls to a
plant. This, if well decomposed and thoroughly incorporated with
the soil, is very stimulating to the young pant and consequently
very beneficial.

Any fertilizer used should be applied, in part at least, at the time
the plants are transplanted to the field.*

Very little sodium nitrate is used for wheat and grass. Kainit is
used frequently on the Elkton soils to prevent "frencking." About
twenty years ago considerable "black residuum" was used to prevent
"frenching," and it is claimed with good results. This material,
composed of charred leather, undecomposed scrap iron, and traces
of muriate of potash, the residuum left in the manufacture of potas-

* Farmers' Bulletin No. 220, p. 12.

108

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

sium prussiate, probably improved The structure of the soil and acted
as an absorbent. It is said that phosphates help ripen crops and
even force out a large number of "underlings'' or stool stalks.

Fertilizers are applied at the average rate of about 300 pounds
an acre for wheat, 200 pounds for corn, and 400 pounds for toma-
toes. Heavier applications are made for crops like asparagus,
garden peas, etc. Although commercial fertilizers are not as gen-
erally used for corn as for wheat, the bulk of barnyard manure is
used for corn.

Experience of the most successful farmers shows that fertilizers
are more lasting and beneficial when applied in conjunction with
vegetable manure. Nitrogen, the most expensive ingredient of fer-
tilizers, should be secured by growing cowpeas and clover, which
crops gather atmospheric nitrogen through the action of bacteria
living in the root nodules of these legumes. Alfalfa also stores up
nitrogen in the soil. Too little home mixing of the fertilizer ingre-
dients is done. Farmers generally buy from agents for future
delivery.

Barnyard manure is the best fertilizer for general use on the
soils of this section. Moderate amounts are made by using wheat
straw as bedding material, though generally not enough to cover the
land intended for corn. Considering the excellent quality of this
form of manure and the ease with which heavy yields of forage
crops can be produced, it seems strange that stock raising has not
been carried on on a more important scale. A large extension of
the stock industry undoubtedly would prove profitable. It should
be the object to feed the bulk of corn and increased quantities of hay
and forage crops to stock, carefully preserving the manure and
returning it to the land. By establishing more co-operative cream-
eries at convenient points throughout the county, butter making
could be introduced on a profitable and permanent basis.

Farmers frequently claim that the soils are not well enough
adapted to grass for profitable dairying. The yields of hay from

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

109

the heavier types — from 1 to 2i/£> tons per acre — compare favorably
with those of some of the most prosperous butter-making sections,
and further, there could not be found anywhere soils better adapted
to forage crops. It is not necessary to have a large acreage of pas-
ture land where such yields of these can be secured. Silos, a com-
paratively small acreage of mixed grasses for pasturage, and a large
acreage in eowpeas, clover, sorghum, timothy, etc., would solve the
problem of feeding.

For wheat, breaking begins on stubble and sod land in Late July
and in August, and "corn land" is broken as soon as the crop can be
removed. After breaking to a depth of 4 to 6 inches with a walking
moldboard plow drawn by two or three horses, according to soil con-
ditions, the ground is rolled with heavy iron rollers, then run over
several times in opposite directions with spike-tooth and spring-
tooth harrows and occasionally with a smoothing, an acme, or a
disk harrow, then rolled again and seeded. It is a good idea to get
the soil sufficiently pulverized for a hoe-drill to do good work,
although it is not necessary to use this kind of a drill. Sometimes
farmers get behind to such an extent that there is not sufficient
time for giving corn land thorough preparation. Fairly good results
are obtained by simply disking and seeding. Such land, however, is
more inclined to run together and harden the following spring.

Most of the wheat crop is put in during the first half of October,
although seeding sometimes begins as early as the middle of Septem-
ber and continues up to about the first of November.

Land for corn is plowed to an average depth of about 5 inches,
rolled and prepared about as for wheat, then planted in checks, gen-
erally between April 20 and the middle of May. The heavier soils
could be put in better condition by breaking in the fall, so as to
expose the soil to the action of freezes and thaws. Especially is
this beneficial for sod that has been packed by grazing or is in an
unfavorable structural condition through depletion of its organic
matter. However, such fall preparation for corn sometimes con-

110

THE SOILS OF TALIiOT COUNTY

flicts with the seeding of wheat and care of the late crops of toma-
toes. Corn is cultivated comparatively deep the first two or three
times with a "buggy cultivator" or walking cultivator, then shal-
lower with a walking cultivator. This frequent flat cultivation is
sufficient for all needs of the crop. There is a custom of cultivating
every other middle in going over a field after surface roots begin to
form. The object is to avoid retarding growth by leaving one-half
the surface roots uninterfered Avith until those in the cultivated
middle have time to recuperate. Corn is either cut and shocked in
the field or stripped of the lower blades and topped, leaving the ears
to be pulled. The wide corn-shock rows are sometimes seeded to
oats in late winter or early spring. Very little wheat is stacked,
thrashing being done from the shock.

Tomato land is prepared and the crop cultivated about the same
way as corn. The general plan is to set the plants close enough to
allow them to mat and completely shade the land, thus protecting
the soil and fruit from the hot sun. Fall plowing would be the
better plan, except on the Sassafras sand and loamy sand. Straw-
berries are cultivated in matted rows. The middles are cultivated
shallow in July or August, while weeds and grass are removed by
hoeing and by hand.

Whenever possible fall plowing should be practiced for all crops
on all soils, except the Sassafras sand and sandy loam, which would
not be particularly benefited except by turning under vegetable
matter. The depth of plowing should vary and should be generally
increased to 7 to 10 inches, care being taken not to increase the depth
more than an inch or two in one season. When more than this
amount of the under soil is turned to the surface injury is sometimes
done succeeding crops, owing to the fact that the lower soil or sub-
soil does not have time to weather out and get in good condition
during winter. This is especially true with the Elkton soils and
the poorer drained phases of the heavy Sassafras types. There are
instances where suddenly turning up a large quantity of the subsoil

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

111

has injured land for years. The depth of plowing should not be
increased materially in the spring with the intention of growing a
crop that season. Applications of lime immediately following deep
plowing hasten improvement in the exposed subsoil material.

About 50 per cent of the farms of Talbot County are operated by
owners, the remainder being cultivated largely by share tenants.
The share tenant pays one-half the fertilizer and seed bill and re-
ceives one-half of the crops. Land is rented for one year. Land-
lords generally have a voice as to the acreage that shall be planted
to different crops. Wheat and corn are by agreement more ex-
clusively planted. Too often the grass area is restricted and the
number of stock kept too limited for the production of a reasonable
quantity of manure. A considerable number of rented farms could
be managed more providently with respect to soil improvement
This is sometimes neglected, owing to the lack of interest on the part
of the tenant or because the landlord is too interested in immediate
returns in wheat or corn. The average size of farms in 1899 was
137 acres for Talbot County. The price of land has increased
considerably in the last fifteen years. Acreage valuation varies
widely — according to the character of the soil, state of improve-
ments, and locality. Land can be bought at lower figures on some
of the poorer drained or deep sandy soils not within easy reach of
shipping points.

THE SOIL TYPES

The superficial geology of the region is comparatively simple.
The two main topographic divisions previously described as the
lower foreland and the upland country comprise, respectively, the
Talbot and the Wicomico plains, geologic terms applied to the
younger and older series of beds of unindurated materials from
which all the soils of the area have been derived. These divisions
belong to the Columbia group of Pleistocene deposits, and their ele-

112

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

ration to the present altitude above sea level is comparatively recent
in a geological sense.

The chief soil-forming materials of both the Wicomico and Talbot
formations are sand and silt, the latter being made up of soil grains
ranging in sizes between very fine sand and clay. The former is the
dominant constituent of all the soils of the northeastern part of Tal-
bot County. Silt is the most prominent constituent in the soils of the
"necks" and foreland country and of many areas, especially the flat
stretches, in the uplands west of the Choptank River.

The underlying or substratum materials usually consist of sand
or sand and gravel much coarser than the constituents of the over-
lying mass. Below a depth of about 3 or 4 feet such beds of coarse
material frequently alternate or are interstratified with beds of
silty clay, fine sand, coarse gravel, etc. In some sectional exposures
there are exhibited alternating strata of various thicknesses — from
thin seams to 2 or more feet — presenting great variety in texture
and color. At Downes Landing, in Tuckahoe Neck, just outside of
the county to the east, in a vertical exposure of about 15 feet, there
can be seen some twenty distinct strata, which separately include
silty clay, clay loam, silt loam, coarse, medium, and fine gravel,
coarse, medium, and fine sands, sandy loams, fine sandy loams, and
gravel and sand mixtures, covering nearly the whole range of soil
classes. Cross bedding and interstratification is common in those
substrata where sand is the chief constituent. The character of
these lower materials does not. as a rule, affect the character of the
soil, except as regards drainage conditions.

The source of most of the superficial material undoubtedly is the
glaciated region and the region of crystalline rocks to the north.
The sand does not have the appearance of being an old sand ; it has
not suffered an extreme degree of weathering. The quartz grains
are subangular or much less rounded, generally, than the worn
grains of some of the older Norfolk sand of the Coastal Plain region

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL XI KYKY

113

to the south, and minute mica flakes, grains of feldspar, magnetite,
and fragments of dark-colored rocks are fairly abundant.

The silt deposits have a marked resemblance to some of the loess
of the Mississippi Valley, particularly in structure, texture, and
color. This material is of common occurrence at all elevations, but
east of the Choptank Kiver it loses its identity as a stratigraphic
unit, being simply a component of the more abundant coarser soil
material. There is very little silt in the deep sand deposits that
occur along the east banks of the river and larger creeks, but as
the distance from the streams increases the silt content of the soils
increases.

Erosion, weathering, and drainage have been the most potent
factors in the modification of the original material. The rate of
erosion has been restricted in a large degree by the general slope of
the surface and the original heavy forest growth. Erosion has been
limited to a comparatively slow movement or gentle shifting of the
superficial materials in the direction of the surface slope. The finer
materials are moved faster than the coarser ones, and therefore a
tolerably definite relationship exists between the soils and the
topography. The lighter soils are found on the slopes, while the
heavier soils occur in the more nearly level areas; but the transi-
tion from one type to another is always a gradual one. On broad
areas of comparatively level land, where little or no surface wash
has taken place, the texture has been determined by the character
of the originally deposited material.

The various types are quite regular in profile, uniformity of tex-
ture, and structure, irrespective of topography or geological rela-
tionship. Generally, the surface foot carries more coarse material
and is not as compact as the portion between 12 and 30 inches, and
the section below 30 inches is much coarser and more open than the
overlying mass. The brown color of the soil and the reddish-brown
or reddish-yellow colors of the subsoil tend to give way to grayish
in the soil and more nearly yellow in the subsoil toward the south.

114

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COt'NTY

Wherever topography and texture have combined to insure good
natural surface and underdrainage, the iron content has reached a
higher degree of oxidation and the soil grains have been stained
brown, reddish yellow, or reddish brown. These colors in the soil
and subsoil invariably indicate that condition of mineral and or-
ganic constituents which may be considered the normal state of a
good, productive soil in this region. Such thoroughly aerated and
oxidized soils have very few if any undesirable chemical or physical
properties and are well suited to general farming. All the soils of
this character have been grouped in the Sassafras series. They are
the most productive and easiest managed soils of the county.

TVhere more or less swampy conditions have prevailed, decaying
vegetable matter has accumulated, usually in sufficient quantity To
form an appreciable part of the soil mass. As is common in such
wet, boggy places, the accumulated vegetable matter is very black
and occurs in varying stages of decomposition, from slightly changed
to well decayed, mingled with earthy material, so as to make a
sponge-like mass. Under natural wet conditions such soil is un-
suited to most cultivated crops, but owing to the fact that the
organic-matter content is otherwise in good condition, drainage only
is required to bring these areas into a productive condition. Owing
to the saturation of the subsoil, air has been excluded and naturally
this lower material is in an unoxidized condition not very unlike
that obtaining in the deeper portion of the Elkton soils. This black
soil has been assigned to the Portsmouth series.

In those wet and depressed areas where the surface drainage, and
generally the underdrainage, has been imperfect, the original mate-
rial, subjected to intermittent wet and dry stages, has undergone
unfavorable structural and chemical changes; the organic matter,
though considerable in amount, is in an unfavorable condition, and
the soils have turned almost white in color. Through lack of aera-
tion the finer particles have combined rather than granulated, form-
ing a compact, clammy mass. The absence of brown and red colors

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

115

shows the iron to be in a low state of oxidation. These abnormal
processes of weathering have combined to veil the properties of the
original material and to bring about changes unfavorable to the
development of a good agricultural soil, giving rise to the distinct
series of Elkton soils. These Elkton soils stand between the Sassa-
fras and Portsmouth soils as a transitional series that has been
derived from the same material but subjected to different processes,
or rather abnormal processes, of weathering.

In this grouping of the soils in series according to their most
prominent characteristics of color, drainage condition, organic-
matter content, productiveness, structure, etc., no account has been
taken of the textural differences due to the various sizes or grades
of the constituent soil grains. However, to assist in a more specific
and clearer treatment, the several series have been divided into
classes — sands, sandy loams, fine sandy loams, loams, silt loams,
etc., according to their respective textures or relative content of
coarse, medium, and fine sand, silt, and clay, as shown by mechan-
ical separation and weighing of the various constituents of repre-
sentative samples.

The following classification shows the soils of the area grouped
according to processes of weathering or alteration in the original
marine sediments :

Soils formed under swampy drainage conditions. .Portsmouth sandy loam.
Unclassified alluvium and semiswampy upland. . .Meadow.

Soils formed under good drainage conditions. . .

Sassafras sand.
Sassafras loamy sand.
Sassafras sandy loam.
Sassafras fine sandy loam.
Sassafras loam.
Sassafras silt loam.

Soils formed under intermittent wet and dry
drainage conditions

Elkton silt loam.

Alluvium subjected to tidal overflow

Tidal marsh.

116

THE SOILS OK TALBOT COUNTY

The local names of soils have been brought out in their proper
relationship to the several types in so far as these names are suffici-
ently definite to admit proper correlation in this detailed soil
classification.

The Sassafras soils are confined largely to the upland plain,
although several members of the series occur in small areas in the
lower foreland. The Portsmouth soil is confined almost entirely to
the upland. The Elkton soils are found throughout both the low
forelands and the upland country. The extent and location of the
various types are shown on the accompanying map made on a scale
of 1 inch to the mile. The general lay of the land is also shown on
the map by contour lines drawn through points of equal elevation
above sea level, and thus, besides showing the character, extent, and
location of the several soils, the topographic relief of the entire
country, the direction of natural drainage, and the proper location
for artificial drainage ways are indicated.

Sassafras Sand.

The surface soil of the Sassafras sand to a depth of 5 to 10 inches
is a dull-brown sand, with a predominance of the coarse and medium
grades. The subsoil is a reddish-yellow, sometimes an orange-yellow,
sand which generally becomes slightly loamy and coarser toward
the lower portion, frequently being underlain at about 32 inches
by a reddish-yellow or reddish-brown sandy loam or sticky coarse
sand. The underlying substratum is quite variable in its texture
and profile features. Generally it consists of a succession of strata
and seams of silty clay, coarse, medium, and fine, loose, or very com-
pact sands or gravelly sands, and fine, medium, and coarse gravel,
which vary in thickness from an inch to about 3 feet and in color
from light and bluish gray to a deep reddish brown. Although in
its mineralogical composition the soil material is mainly quartz,
close examination reveals the presence of other minerals. Generally
the finer particles cling to the larger grains in a way that tends to

.MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

117

impart more coherence between the constituents than in case of
the loose, incoherent Norfolk sand which covers extensive areas in
other parts of the Coastal Plain. The Sassafras sand has not been
so thoroughly reworked and washed as the latter soil and, therefore,
is not so clean a sand. However, the grains have suffered consider-
able abrasion and are more or less rounded.

In small areas quartz gravel is interspersed throughout the soil
mass, but not in sufficient quantity to change the character of the
soil materially.

The Sassafras sand occurs only in limited areas in Talbot
County. It is a well-drained, warm, early soil, well adapted to
vegetables, especially early market-garden varieties. Excellent
tomatoes, asparagus, Irish and sweet potatoes, garden peas, turnips,
melons, and cucumbers can be easily grown. The yields depend
largely upon the organic-matter content. There are very few
soils that respond more quickly to applications of barnyard manure
and the turning under of green crops, particularly legumes, such as
cowpeas and crimson clover. Incorporations of such vegetable
manures should be made at frequent intervals and in considerable
quantities, as the soil is so thoroughly aerated and well drained that
the decomposition of organic matter takes place at a comparatively
rapid rate. Excellent crops of rye can be made after turning under
cowpeas or crimson clover as green manures and applying moderate
quantities of phosphate potash fertilizer. An application of about
35 bushels of air-slaked lime in conjunction with the turning under
of heavy crops of vegetation, such as cowpeas or crimson clover,
would materially assist in improving the structure of this soil by
binding together the soil particles, so as to make it less open and
porous. Although the type in its average condition of fertility gives
rather moderate yields of the general farm crops, in years of normal
rainfall very fair wheat and good corn returns can be obtained.
Where the humus content has been kept up, as high as 20 bushels of
wheat and 10 bushels of corn per acre have been made under condi-

118

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

tions of fair soil treatment. Although the grasses do not do well,
heavy crops of cowpeas, crimson clover, and sorghum can he made.
This is a good soil for growing cowpeas for seed. Dewberries do
well and strawberries fairly welL

The soil is very easily tilled and can be kept in fair condition by
applying barnyard manure and turning under green legumes once
every two or three years. Crops are inclined to suffer from drought
in dry seasons. This type of soil can be bought for less than the
heavier soils.

The following table gives the average results of mechanical
analyses of samples of the Sassafras sand :

Mechanical analyses of Sassafras Sand.

17903. 17923. 17925| So
17909. 17924. 179261 Su

35.9
(5.8

er cent \ Per cen
30.5 | 22.8
30.7 I 23.3

Elkton Silt Loam.

The soil of the Elkton silt loam is a very light-gray to almost
white silt loam. In a field in good tilth it is loose and floury, the
light color and fine texture being its most marked characteristics.
It contains very little medium and practically no coarse sand. The
percentage of fine sand is usually low. and there is only a moderate
quantity of clay. The chief constituent is silt, which forms from
60 to SO per cent of the soil body. When wet it is yielding under
foot, in some instances quite miry, but not particularly adhesive.
On drying it coheres in a firm mass which may have minute cavities
interspersed through it.

The organic matter content appears to be low. In the virgin soil
of the woodland there is usually 2 or 3 inches of darker colored soil
slightly stained by humus, but immediately below this the material
is white and powdery.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL si kyky

119

In most places there is no well-defined line of contacl between the
soil and subsoil. The. latter has about the same texture to a depth
of 12 Or 15 inches, below which there is an increase in the clay con-
tent. This difference in composition is most apparent between the
depths of 18 and 30 inches. It is usually observable in an exposed
section and is very apparent on digging or boring into the subsoil.
The subsoil forms a compact stratum, very hard when dry, and,
when wet, somewhat more sticky or plastic than the soil.

The subsoil at a depth of about 3 or 1 feet frequently changes to
a grayish sand, medium to coarse in texture and usually saturated.
This stratum varies from 1 to 2 feet in thickness and is usually
underlain by a heavy bed of clay. Frequently the sandy stratum
has a thin layer of soft, white, unctuous clay in it. This stratum
seems to be nearly or quite impervious and is probably the cause of
the saturated condition of the overlying sand.

The subsoil proper is of a grayish color somewhat darker than
that of the soil. It is generally mottled with yellow and brown iron
stains, especially if pockets or seams of sandy material are present.
The heaviest part of the subsoil is usually a bluish-gray color with
very little mottling.

This soil attains its typical development in the western part of
Talbot County. The largest areas are found in the peninsulas lying
between the estuaries. The central portions of most of these necks
are nearly level, and the sluggish surface drainage, together with the
character of the material, accounts for the formation of this type.
Smaller areas are found in the uplands wherever similar conditions
prevail.

The type is associated with the Sassafras silt loam and is derived
from the same kind of material. The differentiation is due entirely
to drainage conditions. While the two soils are very distinct in
color, organic matter content, and general agricultural value, the
change from one to the other is frequently so gradual that it is
difficult to draw an exact boundary.

120

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

The original vegetation consisted chiefly of white oak, and the
land is now locally termed "white oak land." A mixed forest now
occupies uncleared fields, and loblolly pine, which came in when
the original white oaks were removed, is a common species and
attains good size. Other kinds of oak trees, with gum, soft maple,
beech, and dogwood, are very commonly found on this type.

Much of this soil is under cultivation. It is somewhat difficult to
manage, especially in wet seasons. After a rain the soil tends to run
together, and on drying forms a smooth, hard surface. When
slightly moist it yields very readily to tillage.

The Elkton silt loam is well adapted to timothy and excellent
crops are grown. The acreage planted to this crop is rather limited,
and could be increased with profit. Bed clover does not grow on
this soil well, probably on account of a somewhat acid condition.
In fields which have reasonably good surface drainage scarlet clover
is successfully grown. A large proportion of the tillable area of this
type is annually sown to wheat. The same cultural methods are
generally practiced as on the Sassafras silt loam. In seasons which
are not excessively wet the average yields compare well with those
of the Sassafras soil. In some seasons a good crop of corn is se-
cured, but this land is too cold, wet, and deficient in humus to be
well adapted to this cereal.

The improvement of many of the small areas in the upland
country requires ditches of sufficient capacity to remove promptly
the excess water. Ditches should be located near the upper margin,
so that the water will be intercepted and not saturate the lower
lying soil, as is the case where the main ditch is placed near the
center of the area. It is highly essential that the ditches be deep
enough to lower the water tables to 2y2 or more feet below the sur-
face, so that the subsoil may be aerated.

The permanent improvement of the larger areas, particularly
those on the •'necks." is a more difficult problem. They are larger

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

121

and so flat that it is sometimes expensive to construct ditches with
an adequate outlet.

The nature of the strata underlying the subsoil has already been
briefly described. It seems probable that the structure of the deeper
subsoil is the same for much of the Elkton soil of the "necks" and
for the Sassafras silt loam adjoining these areas. The roadside cuts
on the slopes leading down from the upland often show a light-
colored clay with sandy material between the subsoil and the deeper
subsoil. Any excess of water in the soil of the higher ground tends
to follow the sandy stratum to the lower levels. Where no natural
drainage line intervenes between the higher ground and that some-
what lower a positive upward pressure of the ground water may
exist in the latter. This is probably why the subsoil of the Elkton
silt loam remains saturated long after surface conditions would
indicate a normal moisture content.

The present artificial drainage consists of surface ditches. They
are usually shallow — only a foot or two in depth. These serve to
remove the excess of rainfall, but fail effectually to drain or prevent
a waterlogged condition of the subsoil. It is highly desirable that
the lower soil be so drained as to have comparatively free access
of air.

It cannot be positively stated, however, that even thorough drain-
age alone will result in an immediate improvement of this soil. It
has been so long subject to intermitten saturation that its constitu-
ents have undergone important changes. The soil has quite lost the
property of granulation as is evidenced in its lifeless, puttylike feel
when moist and its firm cementation when dry.

The frequent unsatisfactory crop yields from well-drained land
which has been given good culture indicates a poor structural con-
dition or the presence of injurious substances. There are very few
iron concretions. The ferruginous material is seldom further con-
centrated than in small, soft grains and thin streaks of limonite, or
other compounds of iron, and these are not abundant in the heaviest

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNT*

phases of this soil where aeration is least active. It is probable that
the decaying organic matter under the moisture condition which
usually prevails renders soluble much of the iron forming ferrous
carbonate, a substance injurious to cultivated plants. Under simi-
lar conditions the phosphoric acid of the soil combines with the iron
in an insoluble form, thereby becoming unavailable for crops.

Experience has shown that a heavy application of coarse manure
often gives surprisingly good results. There should be an abundance
of organic matter incorporated with the soil, which can be most
cheaply done by plowing under some green crop. This should be
done in early fall or precede by some months the time of planting the
next crop, so that partial decay may take place. Otherwise more
harm than good may be done the first crop. Complaint is made
sometimes that saturating rains following deep fall plowing cause
the soil to run together in such a way as to give rise to the formation
of an almost glasslike smooth surface, which bakes and hardens with
subsequent sunshiny weather. This trouble would be lessened by
the incorporation of coarse manures, the application of lime, and
general improvement of the drainage condition.

Lime should be liberally applied (30 to 40 bushels an acre), not
only for the favorable chemical effect it has on this soil, but that
flocculation of the clay may be favored. Turning under green vege-
tation should be done always in conjunction with an application of
from 25 to 50 bushels of lime per acre.

After the physical condition of the soil has been improved in the
manner thus outlined, its further fertilizer requirements depend
upon the crop to be grown or the method of farming practiced. It
will probably be found that little or only moderate amounts of com-
mercial fertilizer are needed. In case fertilizer is found to be neces-
sary, one containing a high percentage of phosphoric acid would be
of benefit, especially to wheat.

Where it is impracticable to drain land of this kind it seems that
such crops as timothy and redtop offer the best means of utilization.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

123

The following table gives the average results of mechanical
lalyses of samples of the soil and subsoil of this type:
Mechanical analyses of Elkton silt loam.

16990. 17900 | Soil .

16991. 17901 j Subso

[ Per cent | Per cent | Per cen
| 2.6 | 77.5 I 10.0
| 2.9 | 63.7 23.0

Sassafras Silt Loam.

The Sassafras silt loam to a depth of 8 or 10 inches is a friable
silt loam. A dry sample rubbed between the fingers breaks into a
soft, pulverulent mass in which little or no medium sand can be
detected. A perceptible quantity of fine sand is present, consisting
in part of minute mica flakes. When wet such a sample is somewhat
plastic, mulches easily, and shows little tendency to adhere. On
drying it becomes crumbly, the fragments being weak and porous.

The soil yields readily to tillage, and the cultivated land has a
soft, loamy surface. A considerable portion of the first 2 or 3 inches
will be almost pulverulent if the field has been harrowed or rolled
when in a slightly moist condition. If clods form at all, they are
generally small, porous, and break under a light pressure.

The color of the moist soil is usually a yellow brown. It becomes
lighter as the moisture content decreases and not infrequently
approaches a buff or very light yellowish brown. An exposed sec-
tion in a roadside cut generally shows, beneath an inch or two of
grayish surface loam, a light-yellowish soil grading downward to a
reddish yellow or dull reddish brown, which is usually the color of
the subsoil.

The subsoil contains more clay than the soil and is usually rather
compact. Between the depth of 15 and 30 inches it is somewhat
granular. On drying it breaks into roughly angular fragments. The

124

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

granulation is not strongly developed and is easily destroyed by
manipulation when the material is moist.

This soil is of common occurrence in Talbot County. It ranges
in altitude from 10 to 70 feet above sea level and attains its typical
development on the gently undulating interstream divides. On the
"necks" this type is confined to those portions which have relatively
good drainage. Where the surface has little or no relief the Sassa-
fras silt loam gradually passes into the Elkton silt loam. Wherever
the surface is more rolling some of the lighter soils are generally
found.

The drainage is usually good. The sandy substratum gives excel-
lent underdrainage and prevents any undue accumulation of water
where the surface is slightly depressed.

The color of the subsoil is a reliable indication of the average
moisture conditions. Where the color is brown or approaches a
reddish yellow the drainage is effective and the soil mass has good
aeration. Where the drainage is not as thorough as it should be or
is somewhat sluggish the soil usually is of a pale-yellow shade.

In some of the depressions which occur in this type the soils have
a texture, structure, and color so different from that of the Sassa-
fras series that they belong to the Elkton series. The areas are
usually too small or ill defined to be shown on a map of the scale
used.

All of this type was originally forested. It seems to be a con-
genial soil for numerous species of trees and shrubs. Most of it is
now under cultivation, but in the forested portions almost every
variety of tree common to this section of country may be found,
excepting those confined to marshy soils.

The Sassafras silt loam is well adapted to grass, forage crops,
and wheat. The average yields of grain are quite as high as upon
any other type in the area. Its texture admits of the preparation of
an ideal seed bed. and the average moisture content is favorable for
winter wheat. Its structure admits of only a minimum loss through

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

125

leaching of the fertilizer applied. Twenty-five to 30 bushels of wheat
per acre is not an uncommon yield in favorable seasons, but the
average is nearer 18 or 20 bushels.

Clover and timothy do well. It is sometimes difficult to secure
a good stand of clover, but this trouble is due to cultural practices
or seasonal extremes rather than any condition peculiar to the type.

The yields of corn in favorable seasons average from 50 to 60
bushels per acre. The yield could be improved by liberal applica-
tions of organic matter. The usual supply of barnyard manure and
the frequent changes to grass fail to give the needed quantity of
humus. The fact is frequently overlooked that a high organic matter
content, besides assisting in the maintenance of moisture, also im-
proves the physical condition of the soil. In this instance it would
tend to prevent the "running together" of the surface soil after each
heavy rain.

This is the heaviest well-drained soil in the county. It should be
restricted to those crops which require a long growing season and
for which a continuous moisture supply is of first importance.

The following table gives the average results of mechanical
analyses of typical samples of the soil and subsoil of this type :

Mechanical analyses of Sassafras silt loam.

Number

Description

gravel

Coarse
sand

sand

Fine
sand

Vesraynd"e

Silt

Clay

Per cent

Per cent

Per cent

Per cent

Per cent

Per cent

16988, 17011, 17939

Soil

0.6

2.7

4.3

8.6

16980, 17012, 17940

Subsoil

Tr.

1.1

1.5

2.9

s

65.1

19.4

17013

Lower subsoil .

3.6

18.3

12.4

8.3

0.5

45.8

11.6

A determination of the organic matter gave the following percentages: No. 16988, 1.02 per cent;
No. 17011, 1.07 per cent; No. 17939, 0.92 per cent.

Sassafras Loamy Sand.
The Sassafras loamy sand represents a transition between the
sand and sandy loam of the Sassafras series. In agricultural value
it is much inferior to the normal sandy loam of the series, but is
much more productive than the sand. It presents variations which

120

THE SOILS Or TALBOT COUNTY

are apparent even upon casual examination, and which are of con-
siderable importance from an agricultural standpoint. These are
determined for the most part by the distribution, or location, in the
soil profile of the silt and clay. In the greater proportion of this
soil the fine material is found largely between the depths of 15 and
30 inches. The most extensive development of this phase occurs
around Bruceville.

The soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches is a dull-brown loamy sand.
All grades of sand are found, but medium to coarse grains usually
form a considerable part of the whole and give a coarse, gritty char-
acter to the material. There is some small quartz gravel, which
with the larger sand grains is quite conspicuous on the surface after
a rain. The proportion of fine material is usually sufficient to cause
the sand to cohere feebly if a moist sample is pressed in the hand.
When dry it is quite loose, but no so incoherent as the Sassafras
sand.

The upper part of the subsoil has about the same texture and
structure as the soil. It is much lighter in color, usually a pale
yellow. At a depth of 15 inches there is a perceptible increase in the
percentage of fine material. This lower part of the subsoil is a
moderately heavy sandy loam. If moist it is somewhat sticky : when
dry the fine material binds the sand grains in a rather friable mass.
Unless exceptionally coarse it possesses good capillarity. This part
of the soil section is essentially the moisture reservoir of the soil.

The surface of most of this phase is gently undulating. Some
areas of considerable size are nearly level or have a low but very
uniform slope toward the nearest stream. Slight inequalities of the
surface frequently indicate differences in the agricultural value of
the land, the high ground usually having the heavier subsoil. Not
infrequently small elevations are much lighter in texture, but in
general this type passes into the Sassafras sandy loam along the
higher contour lines.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

127

In sonic places the surface assumes a grayish tint when dry,
while the subsoil approaches pale yellow in color. This indicates
poor drainage. This condition is not always due to topographic
position, for some of this phase is underlain by a thin clay stratum
similar to that found under the Elkton silt loam. It frequently
occurs at a depth of 40 or 50 inches, but seems to be local in its
development.

Where drainage is necessary the proper location of ditches is
somewhat difficult to determine. The depth to the clay substratum
and the direction of its slope should be taken into consideration. In
most instances the ditch should be dug along the upper side of the
tract to be drained instead of being located in the middle or lower
part.

The native timber growth comprises most of the oaks common to
this area and sweet gum, dogwood, and pine, with a few birch, beech,
and hickory. Alder and huckleberry are abundant undergrowths.
Crabgrass commonly takes possession of neglected fields, followed
later by loblolly pine.

The Sassafras loamy sand is easily cultivated and responds Avell
to fertilization. Since all of it is very deficient in humus, the or-
ganic matter content should be increased. It would also be of bene-
fit to have some cover crop during the winter. This prevents to
some extent the excessive leaching to which these light soils are
subject. An acreage application of about 30 bushels of lime in con-
junction with a green crop, preferably cowpeas or clover, would im-
prove the structure; that is, bind the soil particles into such an
arrangement as would make the soil less open and droughty.

Much of this soil is now used for general farm crops. The yields
of corn and wheat ai*e low and often severely affected by dry
weather. It is better adapted to truck crops and an increasing
acreage is being planted. Melons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, and sweet
potatoes are successfully grown. Buckwheat, crimson or scarlet
clover, and cowpeas do well and many small fields of the crops are

12S

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

grown. Peach orchards might well be located on the well-drained
portions of the soil.

The following table gives the average results of mechanical
analyses of the Sassafras loamy sand:

Mechanical analyses of Sassafras loamy sand.

Number

Description

sand

Medium
sand

Fine
sand

Very fine
sand

S»

Clay

17049, 17903

Soil

Subsoil

Per cent
1.6
1.5

„™

20.5
22.3

Per cent
22.4
21.8

Per cent
28.2
30.2

Per cent
1.7
2.6

Per cent
183

15.3

Per cent

Sassafras Sandy Loam.

The Sassafras sandy loam in its typical development to a depth
from 9 to 13 inches is a grayish-brown or brown moderately heavy
sandy loam, consisting of a fairly even distribution of the coarse,
medium, and fine grades of sand with a relatively high proportion of
silt which coheres to the sand grains so as to impart a distinctly
loamy character to the soil, especially when dry. The soil always
has a more pronounced sandy feel when wet, owing to a weakening
of the binding power of the finer material which is given freer move-
ment by the excess of moisture. There are some areas very much
lighter than the general average as described above. The absence of
very fine sand is everywhere noticeable.

The subsoil consists of a reddish-yellow or reddish-brown sandy
loam or heavy sandy loam which at 26 to 30 inches generally passes
into a reddish-brown coarse light sandy loam to sticky coarse sand,
with small quartz gravel sometimes quite compact. The tendency is
toward a slightly lighter and coarser textured subsoil, more compact
and more nearly red with increasing depth. Sometimes the upper
portion of the subsoil is pale yellow and siltier than the average,
while in the more nearly level and poorer drained areas the pale
yellow may extend as far downward as the change in the substra-
tum. As a rule the subsoil is only slightly heavier than the surface
soil, and like it carries considerable silt and little very fine sand.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

11'!)

Generally the well-drained soil becomes lighter in color as the
organic-matter content diminishes, but fields often are spotted with
gray in slight depressions, where the soil approaches the Elkton
sandy loam, and may contain considerably more organic matter than
the surrounding better drained and more productive soil. The belter
drained brown phase of the northern part of the county tends to
give way to a lighter colored and somewhat less productive phase
accompanying a moderation in the surface relief toward the south.
Occasionally small areas are quite gravelly, especially on stream
slopes. A more nearly red subsoil is found in the better drained
areas. The type is locally styled "red clay bottom" or "medium
light loam."

On account of the coarser substratum excellent underdrainage
obtains throughout the larger proportion of the type, which feature,
coupled with the good texture of the overlying material, makes the
type a thoroughly aerated soil, capable of maintaining a supply of
moisture favorable to healthy plant development.

Under fair treatment the soil is tilled easily under widely differ-
ent moisture conditions, yielding most readily to treatment of all
the extensive general purpose soils. However, continuous culti-
vation without restoring vegetable matter, especially where closely
grazed through all sorts of weather, is apt to induce a compact
structure resistant to plowing and favorable to excessive loss of
moisture in dry spells by surface evaporation.

The Sassafras sandy loam occurs throughout the county and is
largely confined to the uplands. It is conspicuously absent from
the lower forelands. It sometimes follows the slopes of the inland
stream valleys nearly to tide level, thus occupying all variations in
land surface from broken stream slopes to moderately rolling and
nearly flat' upland country. In some sections the surface configura-
tion is interrupted by small, poorly drained depressions, some of
which contain bodies of Portsmouth or Elkton soils too small to be
outlined on the map.

130

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

The type has been derived from sediments of marine deposition
brought down from the region of crystalline rocks to the north of
Maryland and Delaware. The sand particles are generally less
round than those of the Sassafras sand, showing that the material
has been subjected in a less degree to reworking by water and
wind. Since the elevation of the sedimentary material above the
sea considerable weathering has taken place to a depth of 3 feet or
more. This weathering mainly consists in the oxidation and conse-
quent change in color of the material and the accumulation of
organic matter in the surface. There has been considerably less
washing out of the fine materials and leaching than in the Norfolk
sandy loam, a much less productive soil occurring extensively in
other parts of the Coastal Plain.

The Sassafras sandy loam is adapted to a wider range of crops
than any other type of the area. The principal crops are corn,
wheat, tomatoes, and grass. Under favorable conditions of weather
and soil management, and accordingly as the crop is grown on the
lighter or the heavier phase, wheat yields from 15 to 30 bushels,
corn from 35 to 65 bushels, hay from 1 to 2 tons, and tomatoes from
4 to 12 tons per acre.

This is the best tomato and strawberry soil of the county. Excel-
lent returns were secured from a large acreage of tomatoes put out
in 1907, averaging 5 tons per acre, and a considerable acreage of
strawberries was also very profitable.

Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, watermelons, cucum-
bers, and asparagus do well, as do all kinds of forage crops suited to
this climate. Pears, peaches, chestnuts, dewberries, raspberries, and
blackberries find the soil well suited to their needs. In view of the
ease with which good crops of cowpeas and crimson clover can be
secured, and the readiness with which the soil responds to applica-
tions of barnyard manure, these legumes should be more generally
grown in connection with an extension of the live-stock industry.
Some claim that the soil is not well enough adapted to grass to yield

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

131

satisfactory returns in stock raising, but by growing forage crops,
excellent yields of which can be obtained, any such deficiency can
be offset. A ton or two per acre of hay, however, is not considered
poor even in the most prosperous stock raising sections.

Turning under green crops of cowpeas or clover grown in rota-
tion with wheat, corn, tomatoes, or grass, or any other rotation, in
conjunction with applications of 25 to 40 bushels of lime per acre
every four or five years, is the most economical method of improving
and maintaining the productivity of the type. Two excellent rota-
tions are corn with cowpeas or crimson clover, wheat, grass, wheat,
cowpeas, or clover to be turned under and limed, then corn; and
corn, with cowpeas or crimson clover, tomatoes, wheat, grass and
clover, corn. The same fertilizers are used upon this soil as upon
the other soils of the area.

The folloAving table gives the average results of mechanical
analyses of the soil and subsoil and the results of a single determi-
nation of the lower subsoil of the Sassafras sandy loam :

Mechanical analyses of Sassafras sandy loam.

Description

Fine
gravel

Medium
sand

Very 6ne

Silt

Clay

17014. 17917

Soil

Per cent
2.9
2.9
1.3

Per cent
20.9
18.5
19.2

Per cent
15.4
11.9
19.3

Per cent
17.7
14.1
26.1

Per cent
2.7
3.0
3.9

Per cent
35.2
35.7
17.5

Per cent
5.1
13.9
12.2

17015, 17918

Subsoil

17919

Lower subsoil .

A determination of the organic matter gave the following percentage: No. 17917, 1.05 per cent.

Sassafras Fine Sandy Loam.
The surface soil of the Sassafras fine sandy loam is a grayisb-
brown to yellowish-brown, quite silty fine sandy loam which grades
into a pale-yellow material of the same texture a few inches beneath
the surface. At about 20 inches the soil portion is underlain by a
reddish-yellow, compact, rather clammy light silty loam, which in
turn is underlain at 28 to 36 inches by an orange-yellow, reddish-
yellow or reddish-brown, light, fine to medium sandy loam. Wher-

132

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

ever the relief is sufficient to insure good drainage the subsoil is
quite friable, admitting of good aeration and circulation of moisture.
On the other hand, the subsoil of the flat bodies lying in swales
or near the water level is inclined to be mottled in color, clammy,
and insufficiently aerated on account of poor drainage. The pro-
ductiveness of the Sassafras fine sandy loam depends largely upon
the drainage.

The type is confined largely to the necks and water fronts lying
below the 25-foot contour line. The most important areas are those
including the greater part of the neck south of Claiborne and the
upland strip occurring along the 50-foot contour line or rim of the
highland bordering the Choptank River valley from a point just
south of Trappe to the neighborhood of Manadier. The topography
of this higher area is moderately rolling. Its drainage is very good.
The lower foreland is about equally divided between that having
an undulating to slightly ridgy surface with good natural drainage
and that having a nearly fiat surface with poor umlerdrainage.

The type is fairly easy to cultivate, especially where the drainage
is good, although in dry weather the soil is inclined to bake and
harden in a way that makes fall breaking quite difficult, requir-
ing considerable harrowing and rolling to bring it into a good tilth.

About 50 per cent of the Sassafras fine sandy loam is under culti-
vation, the remainder being forested mainly with pine, white oak.
chestnut, sweet gum. black gum, and dogwood. It is devoted to
general farming, including the production of wheat, corn, grass, and
tomatoes. The yields of corn and wheat are about the same as on
the Sassafras sandy loam, but the yields of timothy are thought to
be better. Although the type does not have the texture of a typical
truck soil, very fair yields of tomatoes of good quality are grown.
Alfalfa seeded in the fall would do well on the better drained phase.
Like the Sassafras loam, it requires regular applications of vege-
table manure, barnyard manure, or legumes turned under in order
to maintain favorable structural conditions.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

The poorer drained areas are so situated that very effective
drainage systems could be installed with inconsiderable outlay.
Good results could be had with deep open ditches through the lower
depressions; bu1 much more satisfactory results would be obtained
by installing lateral tile drains to discharge into main open ditches.

The following table gives the results of mechanical analyses of
samples of the soil, subsoil, and lower subsoil of this type:

Mechanical analyses of Sassafras fine sandy loam.

Number

Description

Fine^

Coarse
Band

Medium
sand

Fine
sand

Very fine
sand

Sil,

Clay

17927

Per cent
0.1

.0

Per cent
2.0
1.6
1.4

14.3
12.8
20.0

29.2
28.0
41.6

Per cent
10.1
8.0
10.0

Per cent
35.6
25.9
15.2

Per cent
8.7
13.8
12.1

17928

Subsoil

17929

Lower subsoil .

Sassafras Loam.

The surface soil of the Sassafras loam consists of a brown or
yellowish-brown moderately heavy loam from 8 to 16 inches deep.
The typical subsoil is a reddish-yellow heavy loam carrying about
the same amount of silt but a little more clay than the soil. It
becomes reddish brown in the lower portion, passing at 26 to 32
inches into a reddish-brown coarse sandy loam to sticky coarse sand
with fine quartz gravel. Often the subsoil is pale yellow or yellow in
the upper part of the profile, but always tends toward a reddish
color with increase in depth. As a general thing the better the
drainage the more nearly reddish brown becomes the subsoil. The
type is locally called "red clay" or "medium stiff loam."

Not infrequently small quartz gravel is distributed throughout
the soil mass, but never in sufficient quantity to influence materially
the moisture-holding capacity. Minute flakes of mica can be seen
distinctly in the subsoil in some places, though not so generally as
to be a distinguishing feature.

Although the texture of the Sassafras loam is quite uniform, it
requires close observation to determine the exact boundary between

134

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

its lightest phase and the heavier Sassafras sandy loam, and, on the
other hand, the gradation into the lighter phase of the Sassafras silt
loam is also very insensible.

Both soil and subsoil have an ideally well-balanced texture ; that
is, the constituent particles of sand, silt, and clay are so propor-
tioned and arranged as to constitute a soil capable of maintaining
moisture in the most favorable quantity for the healthy growth of
plants. However, where the organic content has been allowed to
run down through continuous cropping without replenishment of
vegetable matter, and where the land has stood long without culti-
vation— especially if cattle have been permitted to graze it closely
and pack it during all kinds of weather — the soil assumes a hard-
ened, compact structure unfavorable to cultivation, especially in dry
falls. Such fields break up in clods and repeated rolling and har-
rowing are required to restore a good tilth. If the supply of humus
is maintained and due attention is paid to moisture conditions in
their relation to plowing and grazing, the soil can be kept in the
best condition of tilth.

The Sassafras loam is confined largely to the uplands of Talbot
County. A small percentage occurs in the lower foreland country,
and it is even found along the steeper slopes. Its topography is
quite like that of the Sassafras sandy loam, though generally some-
what less rolling. Where the relief has favored erosion the surface
soil has been removed from small spots, revealing the yellowish-red
subsoil in such a way as to give fields a spotted appearance. These
spots, owing to the higher content of clay, are a little more difficult
to cultivate than the true surface soil. They are sometimes called
"clay hills."

While the texture affords good natural drainage, an occasional
flat or depressed area will need main outlet ditches and tiling.

The Sassafras loam owes its origin to the weathering of marine
deposits under good drainage conditions. It has since its uplift

.MARYLAND' GKOLOGICAL SURVEY

135

undergone about the same degree of weathering as the Sassafras
sandy loam.

This is the best general farming soil of the county, being ideally
adapted to wheat, corn, grass, clover, and forage crops and quite
well suited to certain truck crops like tomatoes, beans, and cabbage.
Wheat yields from 18 to 35 bushels, corn 40 to 75 bushels, and grass
1 ton to 2y2 tons per acre. Where the soil is kept up to a good state
of productiveness, as under a five-year rotation of corn, wheat,
grass, wheat, grass, applying barnyard manure and 40 bushels of
lime to the broken grass sod preceding corn and about 300 pounds
of good commercial fertilizer to wheat, average yields of 60 bushels
of corn, 20 bushels of wheat after corn and 28 bushels after grass,
and iy2 tons of hay per acre are readily secured. If occasional crops
of cowpeas or clover, to be turned under in conjunction with 40
bushels of lime per acre, should be introduced into the above general
scheme of rotation, the most worn fields of the type could be brought
quickly up to a point of equal productiveness or even better.
Alfalfa does well when seeded properly; that is, in the fall, on a
thoroughly prepared seed bed.

A large acreage of tomatoes is grown on this type, the average
yield being about 4 tons per acre. Strawberries, cantaloupes, aspar-
agus, beans, and buckwheat do well. Peaches, pears, and raspberries
grow rapidly and bear well. In view of the good yields of hay and
forage crops stock raising should be extended. Dairying and sheep
raising could also be made quite profitable. There is no excuse for
other than good average yields on the Sassafras loam, as it is easily
improved and kept in good condition. Its valuation varies greatly
with location.

The following table gives the average results of mechanical
analyses of samples of the Sassafras loam :

136 THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

Mechanical analyses of Sassafras loam.

Number

Description

cravel

Coarse
sand

Medium 1 Fine 1 Very one
sand 1 sand | sand

Silt j CUy

17003. 17933

Per cent
2.3
1.3

5,

Percent
13.7
10.0

25.2

Per cent J Per cent j Per cent
9.9 | 12.7 | 3.2
9.5 | 13.9 | 4.3
17.4 | 21.8 | 3.1
1 !

Per cent j Per cent
50.1 ; 8.4
46.1 14.3
14.1 j 12.5

17004. 17934

17005. 17935

Lower subsoil ..

Elktox Sandy Loam.

The surface soil of the Elkton sandy loam consists of 6 to 10
inches of dark-gray, clammy, rather silty sandy loam which becomes
light gray in The lower portion. The subsoil is a clammy, medium
heavy sandy loam to loam carrying considerable silt. The upper
portion is a light-gray to drab, frequently slightly mottled with red-
dish-yellow streaks, while the lower portion is generally intensely
mottled with grayish, reddish-yellow, and reddish-brown colors.
Strata of clayey material are quite common in the lower portion,
and at a depth of about 30 inches occurs a substratum of compact,
light-gray or mottled, sticky, medium to coarse sand which is always
saturated with water.

The type occurs as small bodies in depressions and as low. hat
land around the heads of small streams. The drainage is very poor,
the water table generally standing very near the surface. The sur-
face configuration of those areas found near the heads of streams is
usually interrupted by small saucerlike depressions holding dark-
colored material high in organic matter and generally in a semi
marshy condition. There are small bodies throughout the uplands
of the area, many of which are so small as to necessitate their being
included with other types.

The Elkton sandy loam is derived from the same material that
gives rise to the Sassafras sandy loam. The original material, sub-
jected to intermittent wet and dry stages, has undergone unfavor-
able structural and probably chemical changes and lias accumulated
a small amount of organic matter in an apparently stagnant, un-
healthy condition.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY L37

Most of the Elkton sandy loam is forested with sweet gum, white

oak, maple, black gum, dogwood, scattered pine, and a thick ler-

growth of shrubbery. Under present conditions of drainage it is
hard to manage and comparatively unproductive. Buckwheat,
strawberries, and dewberries do fairly well where the drainage is
best. By deepening, strengthening, and extending the natural drain-
ageways and by putting in close lateral tiles or even open ditches,
most of the type could be brought into pretty good condition with-
out a prohibitive outlay of money. Many of the small depressions
can be drained simply by a deep outlet ditch. Wheat, strawberries,
dewberries, and grass would do quite well. Coarse barnyard manure
plowed under improves the aeration considerably, under fair condi-
tions of drainage. The type is not as desirable a soil as the Ports-
mouth sandy loam.

The following table gives the average results of mechanical
analyses of samples of the soil and subsoil of this type:

Mechanical analyses of Elkton sandy loam.

Number

Description

Coarse j Medium

I =S

-r

Silt

Clay

P?r cent

Per cent Per cent

]

| Per cent

,„„,„

Per cent

Per cent

17892, 17894

Soil

1.7

14 9 | 14.2

26.1

5 0

31.8

6.3

17893, 17895

Subsoil

1.4

12.8 12.8

| 29.2

5.3

25.2

13.1

e the following per

=entage : No

17892, 1.5

6 per cent.

Elkton Loam.

In color and profile the Elkton loam is very similar to the Elkton
sandy loam. The surface soil from 6 to 10 inches consists of a dark-
gray, silty, medium loam which becomes light gray in the lower
portion. The subsoil to a depth of about 30 inches is a light-gray to
drab, clammy, silty, heavy loam with a slight mottling of reddish
yellow in the upper portion and intense mottling in the lower por-
tion. Thin strata of clayey material occur in the lower profile.
Below 30 inches there is usually found a substratum of light-gray,
compact, medium to coarse sand always saturated with water.

138

THE SOILS OF TALBOT COUNTY

The Elkton loaru, like the Elkton sandy loam, occurs as poorly
drained depressions and flat land around the heads of small streams
and in small depressions holding darker colored, soggy soils.

There is a phase of the type occurring in small, nearly flat bodies
on the neck of land to the south of Claiborne, and in such places the
soil to an average depth of 10 inches is a light-gray to ashy gray,
quite silty, very fine sandy loam.

About 75 per cent of the type is timbered mainly with white oak.
maple, and gum. In its crop adaptation it is quite like the Elkton
sandy loam, producing, however, better grass and wheat, but not as
good corn, strawberries, and dewberries. It is probable that red-
top, clover, kerd's-grass and millet would do well on this soil. The
type under present conditions of drainage is too soggy and cold to
constitute even a fair agricultural soil. By draining the soil proper
could be deepened and the subsoil opened, increasing the circulation
of air and extending the zone for root development. Turning under
partially rotted, coarse manure in conjunction with about 50 bushels
of lime to the acre would go far toward rectifying the condition of
the soil, though little permanent benefit can be expected until the
soil is thoroughly drained. For this purpose deep open ditches and
tiling are recommended.

The following table gives the results of mechanical analyses of
a sample of the soil and of the subsoil of the Elkton loam :

Mechanical analyses of Elkton loam.

Number

Fine

sand

Medium
sand

Fine
sand

Clay

17896

Soil

Per cent
2.0
•9

Per cent
12.7
10.+

Per cent
11.0
10.0

Per cent
16.5
15.1

Per cent
3.0 "
3.1

Per cent
48.9
49.7

Per cent
6.4
10.0

17897

Subsoil

Portsmouth Sandy Loam.
The Portsmouth sandy loam is a very dark-gray to black medium
sandy loam of high organic-matter content, varying in depth from
8 to 12 inches. The subsoil to about 2S inches is a gray sandy loam

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 139

with a slightly higher silt and clay content and much lower organic
matter content than the soil. The subsoil frequently is mottled
with reddish yellow and in the lower portion may carry strata and
pockets of sandy clay. It usually passes into a light-gray or nearly
white, compact, coarse sand to sticky sand, which also may contain
pockets and thin strata of sandy clay. This sandy substratum is
always saturated, except where thoroughly drained. It is sometimes
washed out into open ditches, filling the bottoms and causing the
banks to cave. In some places the soil may consist largely of or-
ganic matter mixed with just enough earthy material to give it the
characteristics of Muck. Again, small areas may consist, from a few
inches to a foot or more, of bog iron ore, occurring on top or at any
position in the profile.

Uncleared areas support a growth of sweet gum, black gum, beech,
maple, and scattering pine, with a dense undergrowth of whortle-
berry, gallberry, and other bushes.

The Portsmouth sandy loam is confined to a very small portion
east of Wye Mills.

The type is derived from the same material that gives rise to the
Sassafras and Elkton sandy loams. The toporaphy has induced
wet, swampy conditions which have favored accumulation and
preservation of a large quantity of spongy vegetable matter in the
soil, at the same time retarding subsoil weathering.

When thoroughly drained the Portsmouth sandy loam proves a
very productive soil. Excellent yields of strawberries, corn, and
dewberries are made. Owing to a tendency of the soil upon freezing
to heave, the type is not especially suited to fall-sown crops. Wheat
and grass are particularly likely to suffer in this way. It is claimed,
however, that wheat grown on this soil is of the good hard quality,
preferred by millers. Buckwheat and oats would do well, as would
onions and celery also. Tomatoes do only fairly well. Rather heavy
applications of lime — from 40 to GO bushels per acre — at frequent

140

THE SOILS OF TALI'.OT COUNTY

intervals are required to bring the soil up to its maximum produc-
ing capacity. Deep plowing is said to be quite beneficial.

The following table gives the results of mechanical analyses of
samples of the soil, subsoil, and lower subsoil of the FnrtsmouTh
sandy loam :

Mechanical analyses of Portsmouth sandy loam.

I Fine | Coarse
| gravel | sand

1 Medium
I sand

Fine
sand

j Very fine
| sand

Silt

| Clay

[ Per cent 1 Per cent

1

| Per cent

Per cent

I —

Per cent

i Per cent

17910

Soil

1.2 | 24 2

I 26.0

26.3

1 »■»

12.5

| 73

17911

.. 1.1 j 16.4

| 20.8

35.5

| 5.1

12.7

1 7-7

17912

Lower subsoil

2.0 | 17.0

| 20.7

15.6

| 5.0
1

7.0

1 2.7
|

Meadow.

Wet alluvial bottom land having no uniformly definite texture
and those areas near the heads of streams subjected throughout the
year to standing water and swampy conditions have been classed
as Meadow. A considerable proportion of the alluvial phase is sus
ceptible to easy reclamation, and some of it is under cultivation.
The upland bodies can be reclaimed by clearing, straightening, and
extending the natural drainage ways. A few small areas are found
along the water front just above tidal overflow. Generally every
stream and drainage way has a narrow strip of Meadow from its
mouth to its source. When thoroughly drained Meadow produces
excellent corn and. where the organic-matter content is not too high,
good grass and wheat.

Tidal Marsh.

The areas of marshy land lying near water level and subject to
tidal overflow are classed as Tidal marsh.

This land is a black or brown slimy loam, clay loam, or ooze,
which is generally underlain at about 2 feet by a sandy or clayey
material. The mass is pretty thoroughly interspersed with the roots
of coarse gT-asses and cattails and decomposing vegetable matter.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

141

The whole remains saturated the year around. Considerable hydro-
gen sulphide is developed in the lower portion by decomposing vege-
table matter. The odor can be very distinctly detected in the
freshly exposed material, particularly in those areas touching salt
water.

Tidal marshes occur as narrow fringes along the Larger bodies
of water. The most extensive areas are found along the upper Chop-
tank River.

The material is sedimentary in origin, having been deposited by
rivers or built up by tides and waves. It can be reclaimed only by
diking to keep out the tides. It supports a rank growth of coarse
grasses and cattails. The grass is sometimes cut for hay.

THE CLIMATE OF TALBOT COUNTY

BY

ROSCOE NUNN

Introductory.

Geographical situation and topography being prime factors of
climate, a brief description of the region to be discussed is first in
order. Talbot County is the smallest of the Eastern Shore counties
of Maryland, and it has a larger percentage of its area in mixed
land-and-water surface than any other county. Its total area is 267
square miles, and of this about one-fourth is in the form of penin-
sulas and islands in the Chesapeake Bay. With its extreme western
limit, Poplar Island, Talbot reaches farther west than any other
county of the Eastern Shore. Its chief city, Easton, latitude north
38° 46' and longitude west 76° 5', is situated almost at the center
of the county, yet is within two miles of tide water.

Easton is directly southeast of Baltimore, at an air-line distance
of 50 miles. It is the only point in the county at which a long series
of weather observations and records have been made; but this sta-
tion is ideally located to represent the general climatic character-
istics of the county. Its general elevation above sea level is about
30 feet, and this elevation is not far from the average elevation of
the county, as there are but few points higher than 60 feet above
sea level.

The general trend of the county boundaries is northeast-south-
west and the drainage is from the northern parts towards the south
and southwest. The county is bordered by water on all sides except
its short northern side; the Wye River being on the northwest, the
Chesapeake Bay on the west, and the Choptank River on the south
and southeast.

THE CLIMATE OF TALBOT COUNTY

The physical setting of Talbot County — its marine aspect and
its rather uniform topography — has a distinct influence upon its
climate, the chief characteristics of which are mildness and freedom
from great extremes. These characteristics may be easily recognized
when comparison is made of Easton climatic records with those of
places of the same latitude in the interior, where increased elevation
above sea level and the absence of the tempering effects of water
areas give such places greater ranges and extremes of temperature
than are experienced on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Climatic Records Available.

There is an excellent series of records for Easton, beginning No-
vember 1, 1891, and continuing to the present time without a break,
except that during the first year the records are not complete.
These records were kept, first, by Mr. S. P. Minnick. November. 1891
to November. 1892: then by Mr. George W. Minnick. December. 1892
to May. 1894. On June 1. 1894. Mr. Henry Shreve took charge of the
weather station, and he kept an unbroken record until the time of
his leaving the State, October 25, 1922. a period of 28 years and 4
months. Mr. Shreve was succeeded by Mr. Clement E. Bray, the
present efficient observer. Although not available to this office,
a series of records, it is understood, was kept by Capt. Jacob G.
Morris, who began recording the minimum temperature about 18G7
and the maximum temperature about 1888. This private record was
kept for many years.

The records by Messrs. Minnick. Shreve. and Bray were made in
co-operation with the United States Weather Bureau. Standard
instruments were used and approved methods of exposure and read-
ing of the instruments were employed. The instruments and other
equipment were furnished by the Weather Bureau and the records
of the observers have been carefully scrutinized and supervised by
Weather Bureau officials. There was no material change in the loca-
tion of the instruments during the 34 years covered.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

143

Discussion of the Data.

Statistics are essential in a correct description of climate. It is
only by actual records for a long period of years that the character-
istics of the climate of any region can be set forth. And it is only
by comparison of the climatic statistics of a particular region with
those of other regions that the relative advantages of one climate
over another can be seen.

In the accompanying diagrams and tables a fairly complete
exhibit of the climate of Talbot County is found. For comparative
data of other portions of Maryland, or for other sections of the
United States, the reader is referred to the publications of the
Weather Bureau, which may be procured from the central office at
AVashington or from the Weather Bureau station most convenient
to the applicant.

TEMPERATURE.

Table I shows the average, or mean, temperature conditions for
each month and closes with a line showing the general averages, or
normals, obtained from the whole record. Here may be seen all
the fluctuations of temperature during a 34-year period; the coldest
month and the warmest; the ranges of mean temperature in the
history of any month, season, or year. For example, the coldest
January was that of 1893, with an average temperature of 23.9°,
while the warmest January was that of 1913, with an average of
44.8°. Thus we see that one January may be 21 degrees warmer
or colder than another, and a particular January may be 10 degrees
warmer or colder than the normal. In the summer months it is
seen that the range is much less; for in July the highest average
was 79.8°, in 1901, and the lowest, 72.0°, in 1895, showing a differ-
ence of only 7.8° between the extremes.

The progress of the seasons can be seen from Table I ; how the
coldest time of the year is in January and February, how March
averages about 10 degrees warmer than February, April 9 degrees

146

THH CLIMATE OF TALBOT COUNTS

wanner than March, and May 10 degrees warmer than April; then
comes a more gradual approach to the peak of summer in July.
Table I shows that the seasons in Talbot County are well marked, a
most enjoyable feature of the climate. Figure 1 also illustrates the
progress of the seasons.

Fig. 1. — 33-year average maximum axd minimum temperatures through
the year at eastox.

General averages, such as we have just been discussing, are not
at all sufficient to describe climate. We therefore give in tables
II, III, and IV much more details of temperature. Table II shows
the averages of the highest and lowest daily temperatures. We see
here the temperature zone in which Talbot County finds itself from
day to day and month to month; for example, during January days
the temperature ranges on an average, from a minimum of about
26.6° to a maximum of about 42.6°. In July the zone lies between
67.1° and 85.1°. This average zone is graphically shown in figure 1.

Extremes of temperature — that is. the daily highest and lowest
temperatures — are an important feature of climate. Much informa-

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL STJRVE1

147

tion thereon is given in tables III and IV. In Table III will be seen
the highest temperature for each month of record and in Table IV
the lowest for each month. We find here only moderate extremes as
compared with the extremes experienced in the interior or mountain
regions of Maryland and other States. The highest recorded at
Easton in 31 years was 101 degrees and the lowest 15 degrees below
zero.

THE GROWING SEASON.

The length of the growing season for each year, or the dates of
the last freezing temperature in spring and the first in autumn, with
the number of days between, is shown in Table V. Crops are safe
from frost, on an average, from about April 10 to October 29, but
killing frost has occurred, once, as late as April 28 and as early as
October 2 ; very few times in the last 31 years, however, has killing
frost occurred later than April 15 or earlier than October 20.

PRECIPITATION.

Precipitation records are rather fully set forth in tables VI, VII,
VIII, and IX. Close examination of these tables will reveal the
principal facts in regard to this important feature of the climate of
Talbot County. Rainfall is quite a variable element of climate over
most of the United States. In Talbot County we find a rather uni-
form distribution of rainfall through the year; that is, the normal
amounts show no great range from month to month or from season
to season. Particular months, seasons, and years show marked
variations from normal.

It is noteworthy that the rainfall is ample during the crop grow-
ing season, the July normal being the highest of the year, with
August coming second and June third. The driest season is autumn.
For the year as a whole, rainfall and snowfall are moderate in Tal-
bot County, when compared with precipitation in the best agricul-
tural regions of the United States.

148

THE CLIMATE OF TALBOT COUNTY

Figure 2 and the rainfall tables show striking variations in
monthly and annual precipitation. For example, July has had as
little as 1.47 inches, in 1914, and as much as 9.03 inches, in 1919.
The driest year was 1896, with 30.93 inches, and the wettest, 1919,
with 55.06 inches. In the entire record of 34 years there has been
no month without appreciable rainfall. The smallest monthly
amount was 0.21 inch, in May, 1911.

Jan.

Feb. Mer

Apr. May

Jur

. Jul .

Aug.

Oct

. Nov

. Dec.

— -

Fig. 2. — monthly meas and extremes of precipitation at easton.

Table VIII gives an interesting history of snowfall at Easton
during the 34 years of record. Easton, considering its latitude, has
a light average annual snowfall.

The frequency of occurrence of precipitation is well shown in
Table IX, which gives the number of days for each month on which
measureable precipitation occurred. This record shows how uni-
formly rain falls during the different seasons, on an average. It
also shows how much rainier some particular months may be than
others. The average number of days with precipitation per month
in winter is 8 ; in spring and summer, 9 ; in autumn, 6.

Other Features of the Climate.
Temperature, frequency of certain extremes. — The average num-
ber of days in the year with maximum temperature as high as 90°

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVFA'

1-49

or above is 15; with minimum temperature as low as 32° or below,
92 ; with minimum as low as 14° or below, 9. Temperatures of zero
or lower, seldom occur; in only 7 out of the 34 years of record has
zero or lower been registered. On an average, zero temperature
occurs about once in five years.

Sunshine and clcmdiness. — Talbot County receives about the
same percentage of sunshine as the Baltimore district, or about 60
per cent of the possible amount. This means an average of about
120 days clear, 127 partly cloudy, and 118 cloudy.

Humidity. — While Talbot County station was not equipped for
making observations of relative humidity, and no actual records are
available, it is evident from the records of the nearest regular
Weather Bureau stations, especially Baltimore, that the average
relative humidity for the region is about 70 per cent. This is slightly
lower humidity than prevails on the immediate Atlantic coast and
slightly higher than that of the Piedmont and mountain regions of
Maryland.

Excessive rainfall. — Records of daily rainfall show the number
of occurrences of excessive amounts (that is, 2.50 inches or more
within 24 hours). It appears that falls of 2.50 inches or more in a
day may be expected less than once a year, on an average. At Eas-
ton such excessive falls occurred 22 times in 34 years. In 21 of the
34 years there was no excessive fall. The greatest number in any
year was 3 in 1919. Excessive rains occur principally in the sum-
mer months, with thunderstorms, but some occur in connection
with the Atlantic coast storms of September and October. The
greatest amount on record for 24 hours is 6.00 inches. Amounts ex-
ceeding 4.00 inches in 24 hours seldom fall.

Thunderstorms. — Thunderstorms occur principally in the months
of June, July, and August. The total number for the year, on an
average, is 36. This is less than half the annual number in the lower
Southern states.

150

THE CLIMATE OF TALBOT COUNTY

Tornadoes. — There is no authentic record of a tornado on the
Eastern Shore. Talbot County shares in this immunity.

Prevailing winds. — During the winter and spring the winds come
mostly from the northwest or southwest. In the summer south and
southwest winds predominate. During the autumn the winds are
most frequently from the southwest, but north, northwest, and
south winds are next in order of frequency. The least frequent
winds are those from easterly quarters, but the easterly winds are
particularly notable because they are so often attended by cloudi-
ness and precipitation, and, in summer, by lowered temperature.

TABLE I.

Monthly and Annual Mean Temperatures at Easton.

IS 9".
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
190::
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925

29
26
35
29
::;2
43
. S 35
.0 30
.3 .32
.8 30
.1131
.2 39
. 2 34
. 0 33

39.

41

50.

42.

39.

44.

47.

42.

39.

44.
4146.
4 51 .

0 42
2 44

2 38

1 40
1 47
4142
7 49

7 41
9|41
0[49

3 38

8 38.

e 37.

7'43.

53.

50.

53

53
6 51
4 53
4154
9'47
2 55
1 53.
0 56
4 48
4 55
4155
4152
6 57
52
53.
53

58
65
62
04
67
7164
6163

- 65
5162
4166
8|59
8168

76.1
73.0
72.3
72.6
69.6 76

68.5 76
72.3 7S
74.2 76

72.6 79
68.8 79

76
67.8
70.2
71.0
72.0
65.2
0.9
8 71.8
68.0
72.0
6170.2
2 70.4
4 72.4
4|69.0|75
0169. 0|77
0 72.3 76
6 7".U 74

6176

2 74

3 72
0|76
9175
0 73

6 73.
2175.
4'74.

.1 44.3 43.0!

2 65.7 56.4|42.8 30.1 54.5
6 67. 5 i 58 . 4144.0138. 2 54.3
6 ! 71 . 6 [ 60 . 0 I 45 . 4 1 40 . 9 |57 . 4
0171. 6151. 8i47. 2139. 6154.5
5)67. 4| 54. 0151. 01 34. 5 1 55.0
4167. 8|57. 3 145.9 I 37. 61 54. 3

8 59.
8 57.
4 53.
6157.

6 57.

7 52.
2 58 .

44.

9(35.6153.9
6!36.2|55.3
7 33.3 54.9
2|30.6 52^.3
3|38. 6|54.0
6 37.2155.6
4|40.2|53.4

4|55.
54 . 7

. 2 1 41. 7 1 55. 9
.2 40.5 54.8
.4 40.3157.2
.0 34.2154.7
.5 35.2155.5
.5136.4 55.1
.0129. 653. 3
.2 42.0 55.5
.4132.6156.4
.4|40.4|54.7
.3137.6 58.2
.2 39.4156.2
.2145.6156.6
s 38.2 54.7
.2 37.2156.4

I I I I I I
. 134.6 34.6144. 3153 . 6 63 .511

76. 1174. 2168. 6157. 8|46. 3131

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

LSI

TABLE II.

Mean MAXIMUM ami Mkan Minimum Temperatures.
Mean Maximum

Year

Feb.

March

April

v.

Oct.

Dec.

<

42.6

41'.!)

54.2

64.0

73.9

80.9

8.". . 1

832

78.4

67.8

55.6

-111. 2

64.6

Mean Minimum

I26.6I26.2I34.8I43.2 53. o|61.6|e7. 1165.1 59 . o|47 .8(37 . 3129 . 2 1 45 . 9

TABLE III.

Highest TEMPERATURES at Eastox.

1892

62

60

1

67

1893

52

63

66

80

87

95

88

82

64

62

95'

1894

57

63

82

80

87

96

95

89

92

80

72

64

96

93

95

1896

59

63

69

93

91

88

92

98

94

77

74

60

98

1897

65

56

75

85

83

93

90

89

93

86

72

65

93

1898

63

63

71

81

89

96

101

95

96

87

67

63

101

1899

59

60

70

82

89

95

93

95

93

83

67

65

95

1900

60

65

74

76

91

91

99

101

94

88

78

60

101

1901

60

53

77

79

80

94

99

91

91

80

65

68

99

1902

52

68

76

85

87

91

97

89

89

77

73

70

97

1903

55

69

73

88

93

87

96

97

90

84

74

52

97

1904

58

58

72

83

87

94

92

89

91

84

63

61

94

1905

61

49

78

82

85

90

93

88

86

84

69

59

93

1906

71

62

60

83

90

91

89

89

88

77

65

91

1907

70

53

89

79

89

90

88

89

77

64

66

90

1908

60

62

75

83

87

93

96

91

81

84

72

69

96

1909

62

71

82

86

91

90

84

77

60

91

1910

57

71

80

83

84

89

91

89

90

84

76

59

91

1911

60

66

71

74

92

94

96

93

86

79

69

66

96

1912

55

59

69

76

83

88

90

91

91

82

74

67

91

67

69

78

81

88

92

94

93

:il

78

75

61

94

1914

70

62

72

80

91

93
86

94
93

95

92

84

77

61

95
96

1915

61

67
63

58

89

83

96

91

77

73

62

1916

69

67

82

85

91

95
93

90

84

73

67

95

1917

58

64

76

85

86

92

94

85

79

67

53
66

94

1918

58

67

77

77

90
88

93

93

100

88

84

82
88

71

100

1919

61
60

67

73

76

89

95

88

73

65

95

1920

53

74

80

82

91

93

86

83

72

67

93

1921

62

84

83

85

95

95

94

94

78

77

65

95

1922

57

71

74

85

84

90

92

86

87

85

71

64

92

1923

62

58

82

07

96

96

89

83

64

67

97

1924

61

64

g

80

85

95

95

Kin

93

78

72

100

1925

60

70

85

96

100

96

92

94

80

70

61

100

•'

Highest

71

71

89

93

96

100

101

101

96

88

78

72

101

TABLE IV.
Lowest Temperatures at Easton.

1892

10

13

10

1893

— 1

11

....
II

37

43

53

58

57

44

Si

23-

— 1

1894

22

14

30

47

45

52

51

45

37

12

12

1895

11

30

39

51

54

52

43

28

g

16

1896

8

7

B

27

38

50

55

50

29

28

1897

8

15

21

30

43

40

61

53

39

34

24

if

8

152

THl CLIMATE OF TALBOT COUNTY

TABLF IV. -Continued.
Lowest TBMPMBATCUa AT BABXOIT.

Year

a

-

Fel>.

March

April

>.

a

.

it

j;

Sept.

Oet.

>
V.

Dec.

—

=
p

9

1898

17

10

24

26

38

51

54

57

43

30

26

13

10

1899

6

—15

24

27

40

53

52

57

41

31

25

8

—15

1900

12

7

11

27

35

49

56

55

45

33

26

12

7

1901

11

14

14

35

43

50

66

55

45

32

21

9

9

1902

17

8

21

31

42

49

59

51

43

30

27

16

8

1903

12

6

23

28

34

45

54

52

39

32

15

11

6

1904

3

2

is

27

42

46

54

51

35

28

23

0

0

1905

—3

17

2!.

39

48

60

52

42

31

17

17

—7

1906

12

8

20

29

40

51

54

63

49

31

25

12

8

1907

20

23

37

48

57

50

45

30

27

•J<>

5

1908

10

1

24

28

39

47

.".It

51

41

31

25

8

6

1909

12

17

22

25

37

51

52

51

41

27

9

9

1910

12

8

33

37

47

.-,0

51

41

31

21

7

1911

Is

20

27

35

50

55

54

44

36

25

23

8

1912

— s

if

29

41

45

54

52

42

23

18

—8

13

55

42

35

21

1914

2t;

\l

327

40

48

55

50

35

21

2

1915

19

23

30

42

49

57

53

41

35

24

20

18

1916

ll

14

33

44

48

54

56

41

34

24

8

4

1917

15

23

27

38

54

62

51

40

27

19

—3

—3

1918

2

31

42

51

50

52

42

33

33

oo

— 4

1919

14

22

28

25

45

49

52

57

45

40

26

3

3

1920

9

1

30

35

55

53

56

44

41

21

20

1921

10

20

27

40

45

60

50

53

34

27

11

10

1922

6

23

30

37

53

56

r,4

43

17

6

1923

18

M

18

16

38

51

53

49

40

86

if

23

14

1924

9

17

26

28

40

50

57

52

42

30

19

13

9

1925

4

19

12

28

36

55

52

49

40

29

23

13

4

Lowest

—8

— 15

S

it;

33

40

50

49

35

27

—3

15

TABLE V.
Killing Frosts at Easton.
Year Last in Spring First in Autumn [^leason, *\

1893

March

30

October

31

214

1894

April

3

November

12

189.",

April

12

October

10

180

1896

April

October

195

1897

April

November

14

207

1888

April

28

October

28

183

1S99

April

11

October

174

19(H)

April

11

November

15

218

1901

March

30

October

26

209

1902

April
April

16

October

30

197

1903

a

October

28

205

1901

April

23

October

28

188

1905

April

19

October

1S6

1906

April

3

October

IS

193

1907

April

20

October

23

185

190S

April

17

November

202

1909

April

November

lit

221

1910

March

October

31

223

1811

April

11

November

3

206

1912

April

9

November

4

209

1913

April

9

November

1

208

1914

April

11

November

210

1915

April

November

4

213

1916

March

November

4

224

1917

April

15

October

13

181

1918

April

6

November

3

211

1919

April

November

10

1920

April

11

November

13

216

1921

April

12

November

1922

A pril

3

October

201

1923

April

10

November

206

1924

April

3

October

23

203

1925

April

21

October

20

182

Average April

10

October

29

204

MARYLAND ( ; KO I ,<>< ; I ( A L SCKYKY

153

TABLE VI.

Monthly and annual Precipitation in Inches at Easton.

Year

March

April

0)

0
h,

M

X

Oct.

V.

Dec.

•2

5
5

-t.

1891

1

19

2

33

1892

4

39

2

98

4

98

4

56

5

05

3.06

2 . 63

1

(10

1

s 1

0

79

3

in

2

32

36 . 79

1893

2

14

3

87

3

44

3

38

1

10

1.46

4.29

4

24

2

Ki

4

04

3,

87

2

Oil

30 . 88

1894

2

14

4

09

0

84

3

00

0

40

1.34

5.18

4

91

3

99

3

2H

2

77

2

00

41.78

1895

4

oo

1

98

3

45

2

7(1

3

117

4.13

4.32

3

35

2

40

2

70

2

56

1

72

37.07

1896

1

18

5

96

4

34

1

66

3

55

3, . 70

2 . 34

1

53

2

00

1

01

1

on

(i

OS

30.93

1897

2

0-1

5

47

2

12

2

30

3

32

3.35

8.30

3

is

o

73

5

32

3

40

1

12

43.71

1898

2

83

1

00

3

S7

2

70

3

84

1.47

2 . 20

4

OS

1

32

3

00

4

14

2,

90

30 . 99

1899

3

53

8

01

4

70

1

11

2

09

2.10

6.11

4

25

4

33

2

70

2

67

1

42

43 . 62

1900

2

71

4

89

3

17

2

00

1

01

4 .20

2.12

4

67

0

80

4

15

2

59

49

42.48

1901

3

78

0

31

2

19

0

13

3

03

2 . 90

5 . 39

5

in

1

65

1

OS

2

42

76

41.00

1902

4

11

4

91

63

3

03

1

02

7.38

3.71

2

30

4

00

0

71

3

07

1

5S

50 . 04

1903

ill

38

:-;

40

3

(15

1

58

8.13

4 . 59

4

2

27

4

85

1

04

2

55

47. 17

1904

1

47

1

70

3

44

3.87

4 . 25

2

4S

3

51

33.7s

1905

3

7(1

24

2

54

2

38

4

51

3.70

6.12

3

07

3

63

1

37

0

09

3

49j39. 40

1906

2

10

3

S3

4

71

2

49

3

15

7 . 02

5.83

4

71

1

2S

3

41

1

00

2

95143.44

1907

1

93

2

2 4

3

32

3

04

0

53

0.27

3.17

3

62

7

43

3

73,

7

35

45152.08

1908

2

02

3

05

1

57

2

83

00

1.61

4.73

7

oo

2

07

3

02

1

10

1

52139.58

1909

2

.-,.■',12

51

4

30

3

13

3

Oil

0.82

4.92

2

53,

00

1

42

1

00

01139.65

1910

3

OlUi

78

1

00

5

15

1

99

2.53

82

1

44

7

34

3.

46

2

32 30. SI'

1911

2

96

20

0 7

3

72

0

21

1 '. SO

2.38

i:

.72

3

S3

73

4

47

3

27

44 . 33

2

17

1

7 1

7

54

2

24

4

30

3,. 00

5.20

1

SO

4

(III

2

98

1

74

3

39|40.76

1913

2

46

1

18

5

22

3

69

4

69

3.19

2.74

1

25

2

72

3

(31

1

04

2

23134.70

1914

::

58

1

so

2

71

3

25

2

10

5.11

1.47

0

1

33

2

04

4

12

31 .07

1915

07

4

16

0

SO

1

24

3

24

4.20

2.27

7

60

1

32

4

4S

1

14

05

37 . 53

1916

1

16

47

3

26

3

(Ml

4

10

3, . 30

0 . S3,

1

54

4

22

1

50

2

42

4

45

39 . 34

1917

2

23

2

15

0

17

3

16

2

67

2 . SO

5 . 33

3

10

2

10

0

28

0

5 4

1

11

38.03

1918

3

00

0

00

3

54

5

86

3

76

1.89

5.40

1

00

3

74

1

37

1

31

3

26

30.50

1919

3

13

1

97

73

3

6

11

2.81

9.03

9

90

92

3

33

4

33

3

51

55 . 00

1920

2

33

3

54

3

12

4

71

2

41

5.78

3.78

7

19

2

40

1

05

5

22

42

43.95

1921

2

01

00

53

3

43
83

3

50

1 . 23

4.07

1

34

1

59

1

09

3

S3

1

85

31.13
39.98

1922

5

r,7

3

50

4

(il

1

1

58

5.42

5.00

3,

17

2

on

1

94

0

72

4

58

1923

4

92

2

S7

5

00

4

14

o

S3

3.57

7 . 57

2

15

l

80

4

00

72

3

4S

44.01

1924

3

98

4

04

5

49

5

64

5

29

3.01

2 . 54

5

63

6

29

0

70

2

22

2

7 4

48.56

1925

4

49 12

ir,

19

2

01

1

27

1 .7616.31

1

6

13

64

3

64

3.

16

3

24

39 . 89

Av

3

1

09(3
1

11

3

ee|3

1

29

3

1 1
29l3.7SI4.51
1 1

4

15

3

1

0013

1

12

60 3

1

09140.69

TABLE VII.
Extremes of Precipitation at Easton.
Greatest Monthly and Annual

Greatest in 24 Hours

I I I I I I I I 1 I I I I
1 2. 401 3. 06 12. 651 2. 40| 2. 53|6.00| 3. 81 1 5. 02[4. 6215. 13| 2. 181 2. 001

I I 1 1 1 I I I I I 1 I '

TABLE VIII.

Monthly and Annual Unmei.ted Snowfall, in Inches, at Easton

1892 | 8.2

....L..I.....1...J....

o.al....

5.01

1 .01 ... .
0.5126.5

1893 1 8.5

ii'.i)

8.0
0
0

0| 1 I !

0
0
0

0
0
0

1894 | 0

0 1 1- - ■ -!

1895 I 9.0

01 1 ....... .

....

154

THE CLIMATE OF TALBOT COUNTY
TABLE VIII.— Continued.

1899
1000
1001

1902
1903

1904

wo.-,

1000
1007
1008
1000
1910
1011
1012
1913
1014
1915
1916
1917
1918
1910
1020
1921
1022
102.".
1924
102.-,
Av.

0.

6.
51 4.
5 4.
41 1.
81 1.
0| 0.

.5 Ti i.

0 0| |.

0 1.0| 1.

.01 0| |.

..| 0 — I

0| 0

T| 0( |.

.51 7.
T| 6.

0 .
0 .
0 .
0 .
0! .
o

0 .
10.0! .
0|.
1.01.
01.
T|.
TI .
01 1.01.
TI 0|.
1.01 TI.
(.21 1.5 .
TI 01.

5.0
8.6
3.9
56.3

4 0 .-, .4 2.

19.0
7.5
20.8
13.1
17.8
10. f,
12.0
8 24.0
0 0.5
1.0 21.5
5.2119.9
7..", 22.5
1.5 7.1
T|17.8
5.2| 5.7
TI12.5
4.0| 8.8
1.6|36.3
2 n 14 . 5
0|11.7
T 14.0
0.1 0.2 2.6)16.4

TABLE IX.

NTJUBEB of Days with .01 Inch ob More of Precipitation at Easton.
(Rainfall and Melted

1892
1893
1804
1895
1800
ISO 7
lSOs
1800
100O
1901
1902
1003
1904
1905
1000
1007

lOOS

1000
1010
1011
1912
1913
1914
1915
1010
1017
1018
1010
1020
1921
1022
102.-.
1024
102.-,
Av.

11

10

. ... 1 .

0

....
9

8

9

5

8

7

8

6

6

5

85

6

7

5

10

13

5

9

6

8

6

89

13

5

10

7

10

9

10

7

4

4

4

8

91

3

7

11

6

11

12

9

4

8

4

5

4

84

8

10

8

11

8

13

11

4

11

10

10

113

10

5

10

i°o

13

7

6

9

4

13

10

8

lor,

12

13

11

3

9

7

11

10

9

5

6

6

102

11

7

8

7

6

10

8

7

5

88

7

1

10

9

12

8

13

9

2

5

8

01

7

5

10

8

5

9

9

5

5

7

9

86

9

8

8

7

5

10

7

10

5

5

2

7

83

8

9

6

4

12

10

4

3

2

4

9

76

7

8

9

7

9

10

13

5

8

3

5

7

01

11

7

12

7

5

16

12

17

4

12

5

115

10

8

9

14

11

10

8

7

5

13

5

105

10

9

8

8

12

6

9

10

7

5

5

10

00

9

12

9

11

11

10

8

4

5

4

8

6

97

8

5

4

11

13

12

11

12

5

7

7

8

103

10

9

12

10

3

8

9

15

8

7

11

8

no

10

7

11

11

8

0

10

7

9

3

3

8

96

8

4

10

6

9

7

5

5

9

6

7

83

6

8

13

9

5

11

5

6

2

5

3

11

84

12

7

2

4

10

6

8

15

3

8

5

6

86

8

8

8

11

10

9

6

4

5

2

9

9

89

10

8

12

10

9

7

15

8

6

10

4

6

105

9

6

9

. 8

6

6

6

5

5

10

84

7

8

10

6

13

5

12

12

4

8

9

10

104

9

0

9

10

8

9

9

15

4

9

100

10

10

11

11

4

7

6

7

3

14

95

lb

11

8

8

9

12

12

10

4

3

12

10(1

12

9

13

8

5-

8

12

11

9

5

9

10

111

7

7

12

16

12

4

8

11

2

5

10

104

12

7

*?

11

8

5

10

8

4

14

8

9

103

9

9

s

0

9

9

9

6

o

8

96

THE HYDROGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

BY

B. D. WOOD

Talbot County is located on the east shore of Chesapeake Bay
and, with the exception of a small portion of the northern boundary,
it is entirely surrounded by tide water as the fall of Choptank River
and its tributary, Tuckahoe Creek, is so small that they are in the
influence of tide to above the point where Tuckahoe Creek enters
Queen Anne's County.

The Maximum elevation in the county exceeds 60 feet in only a
few localities. Therefore the fall of the various streams is small
and most of them are in the influence of tide water nearly to their
source, the extreme range of tide along the shores of the county
being slightly over two feet.

No data are available in regard to the flow of the streams of the
county, but judging from their size and the rainfall, which is 44
inches at Cambridge and 48 inches at Easton, the total flow of the
various streams is necessarily small and as the slope is small the
power possibilities in the county are limited, if any.

The following is a gazetteer of the streams of the county, not
including the tidal estuaries. This gives a brief description of each
stream as taken from the general county map published in 1905
by the Maryland Geological Survey in co-operation with the United
States Geological Survey.

Gazetteer of Streams in Talbot County.1
Bcaverdam Branch rises in Chapel township, Precinct No. 4, at
altitude 60 feet above sea level ; flows in general southeastward into

1 Except where otherwise stated the only authority for the descriptions
given is the county map. The gazetteer does not include the so-called creeks
and rivers which are merely tidal estuaries.

156

THE HYDROGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

Kings Creek (tributary to Choptank River, which discharges to
Chesapeake Bay) ; length, about 5 miles; fall, about 50 feet.

Bolingbroke Creek rises in Trappe township, at altitude about
40 feet above sea level; flows in general southward into Choptank
River, which discharges to Chesapeake Bay ; length, about ±y2 miles
of which 2y2 miles is a tidal estuary.

Choptank River rises in Kent County, Delaware, at altitude
about 60 feet above sea level ; flows southwestward into Chesapeake
Bay; tidal for much of its course; principal tributary, Tuckahoe
Creek, which forms the boundary between Caroline and Talbot
counties.

Galloway Run rises in Precinct No. 3, Easton township, at alti-
tude 50 feet above sea level and flows southeastward into Kings
Creek (tributary to Choptank River, which flows into Chesapeake
Bay) ; length, iy2 miles.

Geary Millpond; Queen Anne's and Caroline counties; receives
the waters of Mason and Germantown branches of Tuckahoe Creek
and of the Blackston Branch ; discharges through Tuckahoe Creek to
Choptank River (tributary to Chesapeake Bay». Benton sheet,
U. S. Geol. Survey.

Glebe Creek rises in Easton township, at altitude 50 feet above
sea level; flows westward into Miles River, one of the many tidal
estuaries indenting the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay in Talbot
County; about iy2 miles of the head of this creek is creek-like in
character.

Goldsboro Creek rises in Easton township; flows in general
southwestward into Miles River, one of the tidal estuaries indenting
the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay in Talbot County.

Kings Creek, formed in Precinct No. 2, Chapel township, by the
junction of TVootenaux Creek and Galloway Run ; flows somewhat
north of east 3 miles, then southeastward into Choptank River
(tributary to Chesapeake Bay) near Kingston Landing.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

L57

Miles Creek rises in Trappe township, at altitude about 50 feet
above sea level; flows southeastward 3 miles then northeastward 2
miles into Choptank River, which discharges into Chesapeake Bay;
lower course flows through a tidal marsh.

Mill Creek rises in the northern part of Chapel township, at
altitude about 50 feet above sea level; flows southwestward 5y2
miles into Skipton Creek, which discharges to Front Wye River,
one of the tidal estuaries which cut the eastern shore of Chesapeake
Bay in Talbot and Queen Anne's counties.

Norwich Creek, Queen Anne's and Talbot counties, rises near
Starr in Queen Anne's County ; flows southeastward into the north-
eastern part of Talbot County where it enters Tuckahoe Creek
(tributary to Choptank River, which discharges to Chesapeake
Bay).

Peachhlossom Creek rises in Easton township, at altitude about
40 feet above sea level ; flows westward into Tred Avon River, one of
the many tidal estuaries in this part of Talbot County; only about
iy2 miles of the head of the creek is creek-like in character.

Potts Mill Creek rises in Chapel township; northwest of Wood-
land, at altitude 50 feet above sea level; flows south of west into
Miles River, one of the many tidal estuaries indenting the eastern
shore of Chesapeake Bay in Talbot County; length of the creek to
Miles River, about 4 miles.

Skipton Creek rises in Chapel township; flows in general north-
westward into Front Wye River, one of the tidal estuaries which
indent the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay in Talbot and Queen
Anne's counties.

Tuckahoe Creek, Queen Anne's and Talbot counties, formed in
Queen Anne's County by Mason and German branches, which unite
at altitude 20 feet above sea level, about 2 miles above Geary Mill-
pond; flows in general southward into Choptank River, which dis-
charges into Chesapeake Bay; marshy; forms boundary between

158

THE HYDROGRAPHY OF TALBOT COUNTY

Talbot and Caroline counties. County maps. Queen Anne's and
Talbot counties; Barclay and Denton sheets. U. S. Geol. Survey.

Williams Creek, a stream about iy2 miles long, rising in Easton
township, Precinct Xo. 2, and flowing southeastward into Choptank
River, which discharges into Chesapeake Bay.

Wootenaux Creek rises in Precinct Xo. 2, Chapel township, south
of Woodland, at altitude about 55 feet above sea level ; hows south-
erly into Kings Creek (tributary to Choptank River, which dis-
charges to Chesapeake Bay ) ; length, about 'Sy2 miles.

THE MAGNETIC DECLINATION IN
TALBOT COUNTY

BY

LOUIS A. BAUER

Introductory.

Values of the magnetic declination of the needle, or of the "vari-
ation of the compass," as observed by the Maryland Geological
Survey and the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey at various
points within the county are given in Table I.

For a general description of the methods and instruments used,
references must be made to the "First Report upon Magnetic Work
in Maryland" (Md. Geol. Survey, vol. I, pt. v, 1897). In the Second
Report (Md. Geol. Survey, vol. V, pt. i, 1905) the various values
collected were reduced to January 1, 1900. They are now also given
for January 1, 1910 and 1925. The First Report gives likewise an
historical account of the phenomena of the compass needle and dis-
cusses fully tbe difficulties encountered by the surveyor on account
of the many fluctuations to which the compass needle is subject.
To these reports the reader is referred for any additional details.
Table I. Magnetic Declinations in Talbot County.

TABLE I

Stations

Latitude N.

Longitude \V.
of Greenwich

Date when
observed

Mag

o
3 '5

"3 js

netic Declina
(west)

Reduced

1900.oj 1910.0

ion
to

1925.0

Observer

Eastern, Fair Grounds . .
Easton, west monument
Easton. west monument

38 41.4
MS 40.0

:;s 40.5

38 40.fi

76 10.5
76 20.0
70 04.4
70 05.0
76 05.0

1897.5
1897.3
1897.5
1897.5
1900.1

5 33.9
5 23.4
5 34.2
5 48.3*
0 07*

5 41 16 23
5 31 6 13
5 42 16 24

5 56* [6 38*

6 07* |0 49*

1

7 23
7 12
7 25
7 39*
7 50*

L. A. Bauer
L. A. Bauer
L. A. Bauer
L. A. Bauer
R. H. Blain,
surveyor

Explanation: The date of observation is given in years and tenths of. January
1, 1900 would accordingly be expressed by 1900.0 and similarly for subsequent dates.
See also Table II.

* Judging from Mr. Blain's letter of 1905, this site is no longer suitable, as con-
firmed also by information received by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in
letter of March 14, 1925 from Messrs. Kastenhuber and Anderson, civil engineers and
surveyors at Easton.

160 the magnetic declination in talbot county

The Meridian Line.

In compliance with the instructions from the County Commis-
sioners July 15, 1897, L. A. Bauer, of the Maryland Geological
Survey, established a surveyor's true line on June 24, 1897, at the
Countyseat, Easton, on the Court House grounds. Approved astro-
nomical methods and instruments were used so that the line as
determined was correct within one minute.

Owing to the lay and character of the grounds around the Court
House it was found necessary to establish a true east and west line
instead of a true north and south line. By laying off 90 degrees the
surveyor can at any time obtain the true meridian. It was unfortu-
nate also that the instructions did not permit locating the line else-
where because there was evidence of artificial local disturbances
near the Court House. In order to determine the approximate
amount of disturbance magnetic observations were also made on the
Fair Grounds (see description of stations).

The east and west line was marked by two granite posts. 7x7
inches square and 4i/o feet long. They were imbedded in concrete
and firmly packed, each projecting about 5 inches above the ground.
A brass bolt one inch in diameter and 3 inches long, is leaded flush
in the center of each monument, the line passing through the centers
of the crosses cut on these bolts is the true east and west line. The
monuments are so placed that the letters X M on the east stone and
S M on the west stone would indicate approximately the direction
of the true meridian lines passing through the stones. The year
1897 occurs on each monument and the total length of the line is
201.4 feet.

In the official report supplied for the files of the Court House it
was recommended at the time (1897) that all compass observations
should be made over the west monument, the amount of disturbance
as compared with the observations in the Fair Grounds being 14
minutes to be subtracted (see Table I),

In accordance with information received from Mr. Kobert H.
Blain, surveyor, dated Easton, May 1. 1905. it would appear that

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

161

owing to the erection of a large gas plant, containing considerable
iron at about 200 feet southwest of the west monument, this site is
no longer suitable for compass work. (See footnote Table [.)

Descriptions of Stations.

Oxford, 1897. — The station was on the beach in front of Sinclair's
Hotel and is near the Coast and Geodetic Survey station of 1856.

Tilghman Island, 1897. — In Mr. B. B. Sinclair's field back of
Mrs. Lee's hotel about 1 mile nearly north of the landing of the
Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic railway steamers; about 20
paces east of Mrs. Lee's back fence and the same distance south of
the road on the north side of Mrs. Lee's grounds. The island is
about one-half mile wide at this point and the station is just about
midway. The steamboat landing is on the east side of the island.

Eastern, 1897. — When establishing the meridian line in 1897,
magnetic observations were made at various points. The station in
the Fair Grounds outside the city is the one adopted in the Magnetic
Survey. The station over the west monument in the Court House
grounds is subject to artificial local disturbance. (See concluding
paragraph under section Meridian Line.)

Changes in Magnetic Declination at Easton from 1700 to 1925.

Table II has been reproduced from page 483 of the First
Report without change except that it has been extended to
1925 with the aid of data supplied by the U. S. Coast and Geodetic
Survey. It should be noted that the table refers to the Fair
Grounds station.

table II.

Year
(Jan. 1)

Needle
pointed

Needle
pointed

Year
(Jan. 1)

Needle
pointed

y. a,

Needle
pointed

1700

5 49W

1750

2 58W

1S00

1 02W

1850

2 38W

1900

5 42W

05

5 39 W

2 40 W

05

1 OIW

55

2 56W

05

6 00W

10

5 27W

i;b

2 22 W

10

1 04 W

60

3 16W

10

6 24W

15

5 12W

65

2 06W

15

1 ORW

65

3 36W

15

6 44W

20

4 56W

70

1 50W

20

1 15 W

70

3 56W

20

7 04W

25

4 37W

75

1 36W

25

1 24W

75

4 15W

25

7 25W

30

4 17 W

80

1 24 W

30

1 36W

80

4 33W

35

3 57W

85

1 15 W

35

1 4SW

85

4 52W

40

3 37W

90

J 08W

40

2 04W

90

5 10W

45

3 18W

95

1 05W || 45

2 20W

95

5 2fiW

1(>2 THE MAGNETIC DECLINATION IN TALBOT COUNT!

The declination is west in the county and at present is increasing
at the average animal rate of 4 minutes.

With the aid of the figures in Table II the surveyor can readily
ascertain the amount of change of the needle between two dates. It
will suffice for practical purposes to regard the amount of change
thus derived as the same over the county. It should be emphasized,
however, that when applying the quantities thus found in the re-
running of old lines, the surveyor should not forget that the table
cannot attempt to give the correction to be allowed on account of
the error of the compass used in the original survey.

To reduce an observation of the magnetic declination to the mean
value for the day of 24 hours, apply the quantities given in the table
below with the sign as affixed :

Month

16a.m. 1 7 i 8

| 9 1 10 | 11

Noon

1

3

i :

1 4 5

1 t

6p.m.

Jan. . . .

.1-0.11+0.21+1

o|+2. 11+2.41+1

6

* r - ' »

3|_o.2|+0. 2

Feb.

.1+0.61+0.71+1

5|+1. 91+1.41—0

1

5

01— 1.21— 0.81— 0.4

March . .

.1+1.21+2. 0|+3

014-2. 8|+1.6|—0

6

—3

4

—3

7

—3

31—2.31—1.2

-0.5

April

. 1+2.51+3. 11+3

4|+2.6!+0. 8|-2

1

— 1.0

—4

—4

—3

61— 2.31— 1.21— 0.2

91+2.6+0.11—2

4

—4.0

—4

61— 2.31— 0.91+0.1

June . . .

.1+2.91+4.41+4

4|+3. 31+1.11-2

c

-a . 6

— I

— i

8'— 2.61— 1.2

—0.2

July

.1+3.11+4.61+4

91+3. 91+1.81—1

-3.4

—4

4

—4

— 1

2!— 2.81— 1.31— 0.3

Aug. . . .
Sept.

. |+2. 91+4. 91+5

4|+3. 71+0. 41— 2

8

—4.7

—4

—3

7—1.91—0.6

+0.3

. |+1. 8|+2. 81+3

41+2. 51+0. 31— 2

—4.4

— 1

—4

—4

01— 1 .41— 0.3

-0.1

Oct. . . .

. '+0.51+1. 61+3

114-2. 81+1.41—1

4

41—1.31—0.4

—0.4

Nov.

.1+0.51+1.21+1

71+1.81+1.1-0

— 2^0

— 1

8 _ l.oi— 0.2

+0.2

Pec. . . .

1+0. 21+0. 31+0
1 1 1.

81+1. 81+1. 81 0
1 1 1

0

—1.6

4

3

81—1.11—0.3

1 1

+0.1

True Bearings.

At West Monument:

True bearing of X.E. corner of Odd Fellows Hall, S65° 43'E.
True bearing of S.W. corner of Moreland Block, X36° 15'E.
The latitude of the Court House may be taken to be 38° 46'.5
and the longitude 76° 05'. 0 W. of Greenwich. To obtain true local
mean time, subtract from Eastern or Standard time. 4 minutes
and 20 seconds.

THE FORESTS OF TALBOT COUNTY

BY

F. W. BESLEY

INTRODUCTORY.

Talbot County lies midway between tbe typical hardwood forests
of tbe northern Eastern Shore of Maryland and tbe prevailing pine
types of the southern Eastern Shog-e section. In consequence there
is a predominance of hardwoods in the northern part of the county,
and a predominance of pine in the southern part, with all grada-
tions of mixture of the two. Considered as a whole, 19 per cent of
Talbot County is in pure hardwoods, 26 per cent in pine, and 55
per cent in mixed hardwood and pine. Some of this, particularly
the pine, is in heavy stands, often running as high as 20,000 feet to
the acre. Numerous waterways, two important railroad lines, and
an extensive good road system, make all sections accessible and place
all classes of forest products within easy reach of markets.

The area of the county is 171,520 acres, classified as follows:

The forests are rather evenly distributed over the county, mostly
in small holdings, although there are some large tracts in nearly
every one of the election districts. The Easton District, No. 4, has
the largest area of woodland and on the whole the woodlands are in
larger bodies than in the other districts. 40 per cent is in woodland
and the total stand of saw timber is considerably greater than that
of any other district. It is also to be noted that there is about an
equal amount of hardwood and of pine of saw timber size. St.

Improved Farm Land

Woodland

Salt Marsh

Waste Land

115,753 acres

45,822 acres

3,392 acres

6,553 acres

The Distribution of Forest Land.

164

THE FORESTS OF TALBOT COUNTY

Michael's District. Xo. 2, has the smallest percentage of woodland
of any district in the county, only 16 per cent, and the smallest
wooded area, with the exception of District Xo. 5. Bay Hundred.
There is a preponderance of pine over hardwood in the proportion
of 9 to 1. There is a larger percentage of pure pine stands in this
district than in any of the others. The forest areas are in smaller
bodies than found in any of the other districts. In Trappe District,
Xo. 3, 29 per cent of the land area is in forest and next to the Easton
District it has the highest acreage of forest land. About two-thirds
of the forest is pine and the remainder hardwood.

Chapel District, Xo. 4, while but 22 per cent wooded, ranks next
to the Easton District in the amount of saw timber, of which about
40 per cent is hardwood. There are a few stands of pure pine in this
district, but larger areas of purer hardwood.

Bay Hundred District, Xo. 5, consists of a long narrow penin-
sula extending southward from Claiborne, and is the smallest in
area of any of the districts, and likewise has the smallest forested
area, although the percentage of forest land, 19 per cent, is slightly
greater than District Xo. 2 with 16 per cent. With the exception
of some large bodies of mixed hardwood and pine in the northern
part of this district, the stands are, practically, all pure pine. The
proportion of pine saw timber to hardwood is about 10 to 1. The
timber values, however, in this district are higher due to the heavy
demands for building material and fire wood.

Forest Types.

In mapping the forest land of the county in 1910, when a careful
survey was made, the forests were divided into three main types, —
hardwood, mixed hardwood and pine, and pure pine. The hard-
wood forests differ considerably in composition on different types of
soil. On the low swampy ground of heavy soil, a preponderance of
gum, maple, pin oak, and willow oak. while on the upland soils,
white oak. black oak. Spanish oak, tulip poplar, and hickory are

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

TALBOT COUNTY. PLATE VII

FlO. 2. — A GOOD STAND OF LOBLOLLY PINE NEAR TUNIS MM i s.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

165

characteristic trees. On the higher, better drained soils, pure stands
of pine occur. There are two species of pine, [Pinus virginiana)
spruce pine, which occurs sparingly in the eastern and southeastern
sections of the county, and the loblolly pine, (Pinus taeda) which is
the predominant tree throughout the county. The spruce pine
occupies the higher, dryer, and poorer type soils, while the loblolly
pine is found in the moister but better types of the lighter soils.

This species is by far the most important timber tree in the
county, and is cut more extensively than any other species. Due to
the close cutting and competition with the vigorous hardwood
growth, it is less abundant in the second growth forests than was
the case 50 years ago. The mixed hardwood and pine type occupies
a much larger acreage than any other, due largely to the excessive
cutting of the pine, thus opening the stands to the introduction of
the more persistent hardwoods. The mixed hardwood and pine type
is therefore increasing while the pure pine type is decreasing. Fires
have also helped to bring about this change. A fire in the woods
will completely kill the small pine trees, while the hardwoods which
may be burned to the ground will sprout up from the roots, giving
them an advantage over the pine. In this way a natural pine forest
may be converted to a hardwood forest, or at least to a mixed hard-
wood pine forest.

WOODED AREA. STAND AND VALUE OP SAW TIMBER BY ELECTION DISTRICTS

Dist. No.

Total Land
A rea

| Wooded Area
j Acres

I'er cent
Wooded

Stand of Saw Timber
in Board Feet

Stumpage Value

Total

Hardwood
M Bd. Ft.

Jf

3

£ £

£ 3

Hardwood
$4.00
Per M

o 3
. £ £

1

2

3

4

5

35,680
22,920
46..720
54,735
11,465

14,369

13,613
11,955
2,186

40
16

29

19

52,795
1,734
10,598
20,18(1
557

45,247
18,020
23,382
32,829
7,292

98,042
20,354
34,980
53,015
7,849

$422,360
13,872
84,784
161,488
4.456

$452,470
186,200
233,820
328,290
72,920

$874,830
200,072
318,604
489,778
77.376

The County. . . j 171.520

45,822

27 | 85.870

127.370

214,240

$686,960

$1,273,7001 $1,960,660

166

THE FORESTS OF TALBOT COUNTY

Native and Introduced Trees.

COXIFEES.

Scientific Name Common Name

Chamaecyparis thyoidcs L Southern White Cedai

Juniperus virginiana L Red Cedar

Pinus echinata Mill Short Leaf Pine

Pinus rigida Mill Black Pine

Pinus taeda L Loblolly Pine

Pinus virginiana Mill Spruce Pine

Broad Leaves.

Acer negundo L Ash-Leaved Maple

Acer rubrum L Red Maple

Acer saccharinum L Silver Maple

Ailanthus altissima Swins Ailanthus

Alnus maritima Nutt Swamp Alder

Amelanchier canadensis Med Service Berry

Aralia spinosa L Hercules Club

Asimina triloba Dunal Paw Paw

Betula nigra L River Birch

Carpinus caroliniana Walt Blue Beech

Castanea dentata Borkh Chestnut

Celtis occidentalis L Hackberry

Cercis canadensis L Red Bud

Cornus alternifolia L Dogwood

Cornus fiorida L Flowering Dogwood

Diospyros virginiana L Persimmon

Fagus gradifolia Ehrh Beech

Fraxinus americana L White Ash

Fraxinus pcnnsylvanica Marsh Red Ash

Gleditsia triacanthos L Honey Locust

Hamamclis virginiana L Witch Hazel

Hicoria alba L White Hickory

Hicoria glabra Mill Pignut Hickory

Hicoria minima Britt Butternut Hickory

Ilex opaca Ait Holly

Juglans cinerea L White Walnut

Juglans nigra L Black Walnut

Liquidambar styracifiua L Red Gum

Liriodendron tulipifera L Tulip Poplar

Magnolia virginiana L Sweet Bay

Morus rubra L Red Mulberry

Myrica cerifera L Wax Myrtle

Nyssa sylvatica Marsh Sour Gum

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SUR1 ETL

167

Scientific Name Common Name

Pauloivnia tomentosa Stend Empress Tree

Plat anus oecidentalis L Sycamore

Populu.i alba L Silver Poplar

Populus nigra italica Lombardy Poplar

Primus americana Marsh Wild Plum

Prunus pcnnsylvanica L Fire Cherry

Prunus serotina Ehrh Wild Black Cherry

Prunus virginiana L Choke Cherry

Quercus alba L White Oak

Qucrcus coccinca Muench Scarlet Oak

Quercus imbricaria Michx Shingle Oak

Quercus lyrata Walt Overcup Oak

Quercus marilandica Muench Black Jack Oak

Quercus michauxi L Basket Oak

Quercus stellata Wang Post Oak

Quercus nigra L Water Oak

Quercus palustris Muench Pin Oak

Quercus phellos L Willow Oak

Quercus bicolor Willd Swamp White Oak

Quercus montana L Chestnut Oak

Qucrcus falcata Michx Swamp Red Oak

Quercus velutina Lam Black Oak

Robinia pseudocacia L Black Locust

Salix alba var. vitelina White Willow

Salix nigra Marsh Black Willow

Sambucus canadensis L . Elder

8assaf?-as sassafras Karst Sassafras

Toxylon pomiferum Raf n Osage Orange

Ulmus americana L White Elm

Vlmus fulra Michx Slippery Elm

Talbot is a county noted for big trees. The favorable conditions
of soil and climate produce large individual trees, as well as good
forests. In the list of noted trees, the Wye Oak, a giant white oak
overhanging the stale highway at Wye Mills, stands supreme. Dr.
Sargent, the greatest authority on trees in this or any other county
said when he saw the Wye Oak that it had the largest base measure-
ment and the greatest spread of any oak that he had seen in
America.

Other trees of particular note, because they are the largest of
their kind of the 45(1 entries submitted to the Maryland Forestry

168

THE FORESTS OF TALBOT COUNTY

Association in a state-wide Big Tree Contest conducted in 1925-
1926 are a beech, a red cedar, and English yew, and a weeping
willow at Hope House, the residence of Mrs. Win. J. Starr; a willow
oak and a chestnut oak at Myrtle Grove; and a mimosa tree at
G. M. Tull's place in Oxford. There are, probably, other ''biggest"
trees in Talbot County that have not yet been discovered.

Important Timber Trees.

Loblolly pine stands pre-eminent as the most important timber
tree of the county, and the best stands of timber are those of pure
loblolly pine. Other species, such as white, black, and Spanish oak
have a higher value per thousand feet. Their much slower growth
and the large amount of waste in cutting make these species, how-
ever, much less valuable for timber growing. Loblolly pine will
grow rapidly on the poorer soils and produce a very much larger
volume of merchantable timber per acre than any other species.
Furthermore, this particular tree has such a variety of uses as to
insure a certain and steady demand.

Its principal uses are lumber in general construction; the mak-
ing of boxes and crates; staves and headings, which is an important
local use; the making of barrels for potatoes and other farm prod-
ucts; mine props which take trees with a middle diameter of from
7 to 16 inches; piles, which require straight stems from 12 to 14
inches in diameter at the butt, and lengths up to 80 feet ; pulpwood.
sold by the cord using small size trees down to as low as 3 inches in
diameter inside the bark at the small end and cut in 5 foot lengths :
down to the very large use for fuelwood, especially in the sections
removed from towns and particularly where hardwood is not easily
obtained.

Of the oaks found in the county, white oak is the most valuable,
and is much in demand for bridge plank, general construction, and
railroad ties. The other oaks, including black, Spanish, pin. and
willow oak are cut into framing, dimension stock, and railroad ties.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

109

for which the demand far exceeds the supply. Red gum is dis-
tinctively a swamp species used principally in the smaller sizes and
for veneer logs in diameters of 18 inches and up. Gum veneer is
used principally in the making of baskets.

Lumber and Timber Cut.

There are 21 saw mills operating in the county with a total
lumber cut for the year 1925 of about 2,000,000 feet, board measure.
Nearly all of the mills are of the portable type, moving from place
to place wherever stumpage can be obtained. A few of them are
stationary, doing custom sawing, but their output is small as com-
pared with the others. About 70 per cent of the lumber cut is pine,
the remainder hardwoods, principally oak, poplar, and gum. Nearly
all of the lumber cut is used locally for farm buildings, bridges, and
miscellaneous construction, — only a small quantity is shipped out
in the form of sawed ties and car stock. More lumber is imported
than is produced locally, bringing the annual consumption to more
than 5,000,000 feet.

Other forest products are veneer logs, of which 150,000 feet was
shipped in 1925, and a small quantity of piling, mine props, and
pulpwood. Home needs for fish poles, fence posts, and fuel wood
amount in the aggregate to a large quantity which is difficult to
estimate. In cubic foot content, it far exceeds all other uses com-
bined. A conservative estimate is 150,000 cubic feet of wood prod-
ucts taken from the forests annually, which is considerably in excess
of the annual growth. This means that the forest capital is being
depleted, and unless growth can be increased the annual cut will
fall off rapidly. In fact, it has fallen off greatly in the past 20 years,
and few stands of large sized timber are left. It is confidently be-
lieved, however, that stopping forest fires, all of which are pre-
ventable, and the handling of the forests in accord with correct
forestry principles would in ten years, on the present forest area,
increase timber growth 25 per cent and in 20 years 50 per cent over

170

THE FORESTS OF TALBOT COUNT!

present yields, going a long way toward making the county self
supporting so far as wood products are concerned.

Destructive Agencies.

Constant changes are being brought about in the forests, due to
a combination of agencies. Excessive cutting, particularly the pine
and the more valuable species of hardwoods, leaving uncut the less
valuable hardwood, has greatly disturbed the 'balance" and brought
about a steady deterioration, not only in the composition of the
forests, but also in their productivity. The -balance" lias been dis-
turbed in that the better species have been repeatedly cut out. while
the poorer trees have been undisturbed, and thereby had a monopoly
of the light and growing space. This was not by (lesion, but due to
economic causes, chief of which was that it did not pay years ago to
tale out anything but the best, consequently in the mixed type of
forest, consisting of pine and hardwoods, the pine and The best of the
hardwoods have suffered by close cutting, while the less valuable
maple, elm. and other low grade species have taken advantage of
the openings caused by the cutting of other trees, and each suc-
cessive cutting has led to further deterioration.

Forest fires have been less destructive in Talbot County than in
most counties of the state, but there have been extremely dry seasons
when a great deal of damage has been done. Forest fires do more
damage to pine forests than to hardwood, especially during their
early life. When a young pine forest burns, there is not only com-
plete destruction of the trees, but it often takes many years to
reseed and restock the stand, while in the case of young hardwoods,
although the trees themselves may be burned, they almost invar-
iably send up shoots from the roots and the next season after the
fire a new growth starts. The sprouting capacity of the hardwoods,
with the inability of pines to grow again, gives the hardwoods the
advantage in a mixed forest, and accounts in a considerable measure
for the disappearance of pine and increase in the hardwoods. Not

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL si i:\ kv

171

only do forest fires destroy the young forests, but they seriously
damage the larger trees, producing scars, rotted butts, and general
deterioration in the quality of timber, as well as impoverishment of
the soil and (lie retarding of the growth.

The State Department of Forestry has a forest protection organi-
zation, embracing all the counties of the state, represented by the
Forest Wardens, of which there are several located in Talbot
County. These men have full authority to employ or summon help
to suppress fires. Their names and telephone numbers will be
found in the back of the local telephone directory. The nearest
warden should be promptly notified in case of a forest fire.

Insect Damage.

There are a number of insects that do some damage to forest
trees, but the damage in most cases is very slight as natural ene-
mies keep the insects well under control. The most serious damage
to the loblolly pine that has developed in the last few years is from
the bud moth (Pinipestis amatelld). This is a small insect, the
larvae of which eats out the center of the bud after it is formed in
late summer. Growth of the succeeding seasons must then start
from a bud developed lower down on the shoot, not only retarding
the development of the trees, but causing a crook in the stem. The
tree is usually attacked when from '1 to 4 feet in height. The vigor
of growth of this species usually enables it to overcome these suc-
cessive attacks, and after it reaches the height of about 5 feet, it
appears to be immune to further damage.

The pine bark bettle {Dendroctonus frontalis), another insect
attacking loblolly pine, lias been noted in the county doing some
damage in isolated areas. This beetle brings about the death of the
trees by tunnelling and feeding on the inner bark of the tree in such
vast numbers that the tree is actually girdled and the food supply
cut off. The infested tree should be cut and promptly utilized, or
the ljark removed and burned, especially along the lower part of the

172

THE FORESTS OF TALBOT COUNTY

trunk. It is easy to pick out the infested tree by the fact that the
needles turn sickly yellow, then brown. The insects are apt to con-
regate in a single tree, and by cutting and burning such trees, most
of the insects are destroyed.

The Future of the Forests.

The rapid increase in timber values and the presence of large
areas of forest land in the county emphasize the need of the appli-
cation of the principles of forestry in the growing of timber. The
use of this land for the growing of timber crops is just as important
as the growing of agricultural crops on other land. There is also as
great an opportunity for the improvement of condition for the grow-
ing of timber as there is in the improvement of field crops. In order
to arrive at a correct understanding of the problem, certain basic
facts and principles should be recognized: First, the timber sup-
plies of the country are being rapidly depleted and since timber is
one of the indispensable products and one that is bulky to ship, local
needs must be provided for. Second, there is probably no section
of the country more favorable for timber growing, due to species
of the most rapid growth and highest value, favorable soil and cli-
mate, excellent transportation system by water, rail, and good
roads, nearness to the consuming centers, and general freedom from
destructive insect and tree diseases.

In the first place, the forest must be recognized as a growing crop.
As such, the most favorable conditions for the highest yield of the
highest value must be brought about. Since loblolly pine is the
most profitable tree to grow on soils for which it is adapted, this
species should be encouraged above all others, except in the swamp
lands of heavy clay soil. The keen competition of hardwoods,
especially in the young stands, makes it often necessary to clean out
the competing hardwoods to give the young pines a chance. Once
released, their rapidity of growth will usually insure ultimate su-
premacy. In the case of a natural stand of pure pine, a new pine

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

TALBOT COUNTY. PLATE VIII

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

173

forest may be re-established after cutting by leaving 3 or 4 seed
trees to the acre, unless there is a heavy undergrowth of hardwoods.
In the latter case, cutting the hardwoods closely and burning off the
land before the mature trees are cut, especially just prior to a good
seed year, will often insure a reseeding of the pine.

On swampy land, the red gum, often called sweet gum, or white
gum, together with the pin oak and willow oak, are trees to be
favored, and in making cuttings for pulpwood or other purposes,
the less valuable species should be cut and utilized in order to give
these more valuable species a better chance to develop.

Forest Planting.
There is waste land on nearly every farm that would bring better
returns planted in forest than in any other crop. Where lands are
badly gullied, the planting of locust is advised, as this will not only
hold the soil, but produce a valuable crop of durable fence posts in
less time than any other species. There are other areas of poor
land, not bringing fair returns in field crops that could be better
utilized in the growing of loblolly pine. Many demonstration plant-
ings have been made in the county in the past few years, most of
them succeeding to a remarkable degree. There is need of planting
pines for windbreaks to protect houses and farm buildings from the
sweep of the northwest winds. For this purpose loblolly pine,
Scotch pine, or Norway spruce are particularly well adapted.1

The Starr Arboretum.
Mrs. Wm. J. Starr, the owner of one of the oldest and most beau-
tiful estates, known as Hope, has brought together a large number
of trees, both native and foreign, and purposes establishing an ar-
boretum, where all the important native and foreign species, adapted
for planting on the Eastern Shore may be seen in their natural form.

1 The State Department of Forestry maintains a forest nursery from
which trees are distributed to land owners in the state at cost, upon
application.

174

THE FORESTS OF TALBOT COUNTY

The collection is being constantly augmented by new species, each
suitably labeled. The State Department of Forestry is co-operating
with Mrs. Starr in furnishing specimens of all tree species native to
the state. In a few years, when the arboretum specimens have had
time to develop, this place should be a real mecca for those who love
trees and want to become better acquainted with them.

INDEX

A

Abbe, Cleveland, Jr., 38.
Agricultural conditions discussed, 100.
Alexander, J. H., 27, 31, 32.
Area! distribution of Calvert forma-
tion, 57.

Choptank formation, (12.

Talbot formation. 72.

Wicomico formation, on.
Artesian wells, 88.

B

Bauer, Louis A., 18, 15!).
Bennett, Hugh \V.. 17. 97.
Berry, Edward \V.. 7.
Besley, F. W.. 18, 103.
Blain, Robert H., 160.
BruffS Island, section on, 74.
Building stones, 85.

c

Calvert formation discussed. 57.

areal distribution of, r>7.

character of materials of, 58.

correlation of, 62.

paleontologic character of.' 50.

strike, dip, and thickness of. 01.

atratigrapbie relations of, 01.

subdivisions of, 62.
Character of materials of Calvert forma-
tion, 58.

Choptank formation, 03.

Talbot formation, 72.

Wicomico formation, 70.
Chesapeake group discussed, 50.
Chester. P. I)., 28, 35.
Choptank formation discussed, 02.

areal distribution, 02.

character of materials, 63.

correlation of, 00.

paleontologic character of. 04.

stratigraphic relations. 65,

strike, dip. and thickness of, 05.

subdivisions of. or,.

Choptank River, section on, 63.

Clark, Wm. Bullock. 27. 30. .-,7. 38.

39, 40.
Clays described. 83.
Climate discussed. 83.
Columbia group, 66,

Contents. 11.
Conrad, T. A., 20.
Cope. B. D., 74.

Correlation of Calvert formation. 02.
Choptank formation. 00.
Talbot formation. 70.
Wicomico formation, 71.

D

Dall, Wm. H., 27, 30.
Darton. X. H., 36, 38, 39, 93.
Diatomaceous earth discussed, so.
Drainage described. 43. 48.
Ducatel, J. T.. 27, 31. 32, 33.

E

Kaston, Temperature at. 150.
Easton Water Works, well of. 9:',.
Elkton loam described. 137.
Elkton silt loam described, lis.
Elkton sandy loam described, 186.

P

Ferguson, John B., 5.
Farrar, Virginia, 24, 29.
Forests, discussed, 163.
distribution of. 103.

types, 104.
Finch. John, 20. 30.
Fisher, R. S., 33.
Fuller. M. R.. 91.

G

Geographic research. J.".
Geologic research. 25.
GoodUOW, Frank .1., 5.
Gravels discussed. 55.
Growing season. 14 7.

H

Harris, G. D., 30.
Haxton, Walter. 25, 29.
Hayden. H. H.. 26. 30.
Heilprin, Angelo, 27, 34.
Herman. Augustine, 24. 29.
Higgins, James. 27, 33, 34.
History of geographic research. 23.
History of geologic research. 25.
Hydrography discussed. 155.

176

INDEX

Illustrations, list of, 15.
Interpretation of geologic record, 76.
Introduction, 21.

L

Lewistown. section near, 50.
Longwoods, section near, 70.
Lumber discussed, 50.
Lyman, W. S., 17, 04.

M

Maclure, Wm„ 25, 20.

Magnetic declination discussed, 150.

Marls, discussed, 86.

Martin, G. C, 27, 39.

Mathews. Edward B., 7, 9, 40.

McGee, W. J.. 28, 35, 36.

Meadow land, 140.

Meridian line, 160.

Miller, B. L., 7, 17, 23, 41, 55. 83, 88.
Mitchell, Samuel L., 30.
Miocene discussed, 56.
Miocene clays. 83.
Minor streams, 49.

N

Native trees, list of, 166.
Natural deposits discussed, 83.
Nunn. Koscoe, 17, 143.

P

Paleontologic character of Calvert for-
mation, 59.

Choptank formation. 64.

Talbot formation, 74.

Wicomico formation. 70.
Pearson, Raymond A., 5.
Pierce, James, 27, 31.
Pleistocene discussed, 66.
Pleistocene clays, 84.
Preface, 17.

Precipitation discussed, 147.
Portsmouth sandy loam, 138.
Purvis, If., 27.

It

Recent deposits discussed, 70.

Recent stage, 52.

Ries. Heinrich, 39.

Relief of Talbot County, 4:!.

Ritchie, Albert C, 9.

Ruffin, Edmund, 27.

Sands discussed. S4.
Sanford, Samuel, 91.
Sassafras fine sandy loam, 131.
Sassafras loam, 133.
Sassafras loamy sand, 116.
Sassafras sandy loam. 128.
Sassafras silt loam. 123.
Scharf, J. Thomas, 37.
Sections near BrufTs Island, 74.

on Choptank River. 63.

near Lewistown, 59.

near Longwoods, 70.

near Stony Point, 59.

on Tilghmans Point. 73.

of well at Tilghmans, 92.

on Tuckahoe Creek, 59.
Sedimentary record of Pleistocene for-
mation, 79.

pre-Miocene formations, 77.

Miocene formations, 78.

Recent formations, 81.
Shattuck. George B.. 27, 28. 30. 40,

57. 62.
Singewald. J. T.. Jr.. 7.
Smith. Captain John. 23. 28.
Soils discussed. 97.
Soil types, 111.
Starr arboretum. 173.
Stony Point, section near, 59.
Stratigraphic relations of Calvert for-
mation. 61.

Choptank formation. 65.

Talbot formation, 75.

Wicomico formation, 71.
Streams in Talbot County, 155.
Strike, dip, and thickness of Calvert
formation. 61.

Choptank formation, 65.

Talbot formation, 75.

Wicomico formation. 71.
Structure discussed, 44.
Sunderland stage described. 50.

T

Talbot County, agricultural conditions
in, 100.
artesian wells in. 88.
boundaries of. 41.
building stones of, 85.
clays of, 84.
climate of. 143.
diatomaceous earth of, 86.
divisions of, 42.
drainage of, 43, 48.
forests of. 163.

INDEX

1

gazateer of streams, 155.

geographic research In, 23.

geologic research In, 25.

location of, 23.

magnetic declination in, 159.

marls of, 86.

meridian line of, 160.

nal ural deposits of, 83.

precipitation in, 147.

relief of, 43.

sands of, 84.

shallow wells in. 88.

soils of. 07.

soil types of. 111.

springs in. 87.

structure of. 44.

temperature of, 145.

tide marshes in, 45, 140.

topography, descriptions of, 44.

topographic features, 45.

topographic history of, 40.

water power of, 40.

water resources of, 87.
Talbot formation discussed, 72.

areal distribution, 72.

character of materials, 72.

correlation, 76.

paleontologic character, 74.

strike, dip, and thickness. 7.1.

stratigraphic relations, 75.
Talbot plain described, 46.
Talbot stage discussed, 52.
Temperature discussed, 145.
Tertiary system discussed, 55.
Tharp, W. E.. 17, 07.
Tidewater marshes, 45. 140.
Tidewater estuaries, 48.

Tilghman Point, section at, 73.
Timber trees, 168.
Topography, description of, 44.
Topographic features, 45.
Topographic history, 49.
Transmittal, letter of, 9.
Tuckahoe Creek, 59.
Tyson, I'. T.. 27, 33, 34.

u

1'nited States Bureau of Soils, 18.
1'nited States Geological Survey, IS.
United States Weather Bureau, 8.

V

Vanuxem. Lardner, 32.

VV

Water power discussed, 40.
Water resources discussed, 87.
Westover, H. L., 17, 07.
Whitney, Milton, 17, 37.
Wicomico formation discussed, 69.

areal distribution, 60.

character of materials, 70.

correlation, 71.

paleontologic character, 70.

section of, 70.

stratigraphic relations of, 71.

strike, dip, and thickness of, 71
Wicomico plain described, 47.
Wicomico stage discussed. 51.
Williams, George H.. 37.
Williams, Robert W., 5.
Wood, B. D., 17, 155.

Date Due

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L. B. Cat. No. 1 137