LOCATION CROSSTELL TXEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine, smectitic, thermic Udertic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Crosstell fine sandy loam--wooded.
(Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 5 inches, dark brown (7.5YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, dark
brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; with a thin light brown (7.5YR 6/4) surface crust; moderate coarse blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, sticky; many fine roots, few coarse roots; few pebbles of quartz; slightly acid; abrupt wavy boundary. (4 to 10 inches thick)
Bt1--5 to 16 inches, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) clay, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) moist common medium distinct yellow (10YR 7/6) mottles; moderate coarse blocky structure; very hard, very firm, very plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; thick continuous clay films on faces of peds; many cracks; few pebbles of quartz; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (5 to 15 inches thick)
Bt2--16 to 28 inches, yellowish red (5YR 5/6) clay, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; common fine distinct yellow (10YR 7/6) mottles; moderate coarse blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; prominent clay films and pressure faces; few black concretions; few pebbles of quartz; many cracks; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 18 inches thick)
Bt3--28 to 38 inches, reddish brown (5YR 5/4) clay, reddish brown (5YR 4/4) moist; common fine distinct pale olive (5Y 6/4) mottles; moderate coarse blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very plastic; few fine and medium roots; few fine and medium pores; thin patchy clay films; common fine black concretions; common slickensides; many cracks; few pebbles of quartz; medium acid; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
BCt--38 to 46 inches, coarsely and prominently mottled pale olive
(5Y 6/4), olive yellow (5Y 6/6), and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) clay; moderate coarse blocky structure; extremely hard, extremely firm, very plastic; few fine and medium roots; thin patchy clay films and pressure faces; few fine black concretions; few crystals of gypsum; few pebbles of quartz; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 12 inches thick)
C1--46 to 54 inches, prominently and coarsely mottled olive (5Y
5/4), olive yellow (5Y 5/6), light brownish gray (2.5Y 6/2), and light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) shaly clay; extremely hard, extremely firm, very plastic; few fine roots; few black concretions up to about 5 mm in size; few crystals of gypsum; few pebbles of quartz; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 15 inches thick)
C2--54 to 70 inches, prominently and coarsely mottled gray (N 6/0) and brownish yellow (10YR 6/8) shale; extremely hard, extremely firm, very plastic; few masses of segregated iron; few fine masses of calcium carbonate; many crystals of gypsum; few pebbles of quartz; moderately alkaline; matrix is noncalcareous.
TYPE LOCATION: Hill County, Texas; about 10 miles northwest of Hillsboro and 5 miles northeast of Whitney. About 2 miles west of Peoria on SH 22 and 4.5 miles north on FR 3050; site is about 3/4 mile west of road.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 40 to 60 inches. Coarse fragments mainly less than 3 inches across the long axis of chert, ironstone, or quartz range from none to about 10 percent by volume throughout.
The A horizon is less than 6 inches thick in more than 50 percent of the pedon, but ranges to 10 inches thick in subsoil troughs of some pedons. Colors are brownish or grayish with hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 4 through 7, and chroma of 2 through 4. A thin A2 horizon with colors 1 to 3 units greater in value and chroma than the A1 horizon is in some pedons. The texture is fine sandy loam on loam and reaction ranges from medium acid through mildly alkaline.
The upper 20 inches of the B2t horizon is variable in color with hue of 2.5YR through 7.5YR, value of 4 through 6, and chroma of 4 through 8. Mottles of these colors as well as mottles in shades of yellow and olive range from none to common. The reaction of the B21t horizon is very strongly acid or strongly acid. However, subsoil crests of some pedons are medium acid. The reaction of the B22t ranges from strongly acid through mildly alkaline.
The lower B2t and BCt horizons have colors in shades of brown, yellow or olive and are typically mottled in these colors as well as reddish or grayish mottles. They are clay or clay loam with spots or thin strata of shaly clay in the lower part of some pedons. The reaction ranges from medium acid through moderately alkaline and some pedons are calcareous. Concretions of calcium carbonate range from none to a few.
The C horizon is shaly clay or stratified clay, shale, and weakly cemented sandstone. It is in shades of olive, gray, brown, or yellow. Concretions and soft masses of calcium carbonate range from none to common. The reaction ranges from neutral through moderately alkaline and some pedons are calcareous.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Axtell, Crockett, Navo, and Tabor series in the same family and the Agan, Aydelotte, Caradan, Ponder, Rader, Truce, and Windthorst series in similar families. Axtell soils have mottles with chroma of 2 or less in the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon. Crockett soils are less acid in the B21t horizon and commonly have colors with lower chroma and value. Navo soils have sola thicker than 60 inches. Tabor soils have A horizons thicker than 10 inches in more than half the pedon. Agan, Aydelotte, Truce and Windthorst soils have mixed mineralogy. Caradan soils are more clayey with more than 60 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Ponder soils have sola thicker than 60 inches. Rader soils have fine-loamy control sections.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Crosstell soils are on nearly level to strongly sloping uplands. Slopes range from 0 to 12 percent. The soil formed in shaly clays, mainly of the Woodbine formation in the Cretaceous System. The mean annual temperature ranges from about 64 degrees to 69 degrees F, average annual precipitation ranges from 28 to 34 inches, and Thornthwaite P-E index from 48 to 62
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These include the competing Axtell, Crockett, Ponder, and Rader series and the Birome, Aubrey, Gasil, and Rayex series. Axtell and Radar soils are below on tertiary or younger material. Crockett and Ponder soils are in broad areas on stream divides. Aubrey, Birome, and Rayex soils have sola less than 40 inches thick and mixed mineralogy. These soils are usually above on low hills and ridges. Gasil soils have fine-loamy control sections and are on similar positions.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Moderately well drained; rapid runoff; very slow permeability.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mostly in wooded pasture and old idle fields. Vegetation consists of post oak, with a few mesquite and a sparse stand of native grasses such as little bluestem, sideoats grama, big bluestem, tall dropseed, purpletop, and indiangrass.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Central Texas, mainly in the East Cross Timbers land resource area. These soils are of moderate extent.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Hill County, Texas; 1975.
REMARKS: These soils were included in the Axtell series.
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 5 inches, the A horizon.
Argillic horizon - 5 to 46 inches, the Bt horizon.
Udertic feature, soil has high shrink-swell and cracks when dry.