GUELPH, ONTARIO - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The kind of crops and the success with which they can be grown depend
upon improvement in drainage. General farming is commonly practised and
the main crops grown are hay, grain and pastures. Timothy, alsike and to a
lesser extent red clover produce satisfactory crops. The yield of grain varies
considerably from year to year and the best crops are obtained in dry years,
whereas in wet years they may be a failure. Where these soils are used for
pasture, their management entails chiefly the selection of water-tolerant plants
and the eradication of weeds. Where artificial drainage is adequate t’hese
soils are suit,able for peas, beans, flax and other specialized crops.
Early crops cannot be produced on any of these soils because the land is
slow to dry and warm up in the spring. Superphosphate is the main fertilizer
reeuired on these soils. When soil drainage is improved, barnyard or green
manure applications are needed to maintain the level of organic matter.
IV.
ItIiscellaneous
%IL TYPE ACREAGE
Bottom land .._,,.. ,.._.. ..__.._ .._,. 48,000
Eastport sand .._. .. ,. ._ .._. 3,100
East port, gravel ,.. _, ., . ... _._ ., ... 3,100
Bwypcn land type _.... . . . _. _. 219,200
-----
TOTAL ,,... .,...,,...,.__. .. ,.. 274,300
yO OFTOTAL
4.6
0.3
0.3
20.7
--
25.9
Although the members of this group differ greatly from one another, they
are, with few exceptions, physically unsuitable for the production of crops
requiring tillage, poorly suited for pasture, and under present conditions best
suited, in most places, for forestry. The Eastport’ sand usually occurs along
t,he Lake Huron shore and is used as a site for summer cottages. The Breypen
land t)ype consists largely of rock outcrop -- and the small areas of soil occurring
in association witJh the rock can be used for pasture, although their use for
such a purpose’ is hardly feasible in most places. It) is considered that the
Breypen land t,ype and the Eastport gravel are best used for trees. The Bottom
Land is generally used for grazing purposes. The requirements for tianagemerit
of these soils entail chiefly the eradication of weeds, and the proper
cant rol of grazing.
V. Organic Soils
SOIL TYPE
hREA(:E
Muck .., _.,. ._ 66,900
\Inrsh A L . 1,500
'IO OF TOTAL
6.3
0.1
TOTAL ._,,,.. ,... ,,_ .,,....... 68,400
The organic soils are not extensively used for farm crops, and are usually
wooded. The muck soils are suited to intensive farming and especially to
market gardening. The most productive muck soils are those that can be
irrigated as well as drained. The organic soil is rich in nitrogen but lacks the
mineral elements such as phosphorus and pot8assium, which must be supplied
as commercial fertilizer.
Since the organic layer on the marsh soil is much shallower than that of
the muck it is not as well suitled to intensive farming. It is probably best used
for forest,.
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