LOCATION MILES TX+OKEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, thermic Typic Paleustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Miles fine sandy loam--pasture. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
A--0 to 10 inches; brown (7.5YR 4/2) fine sandy loam, dark brown (7.5YR 3/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, friable; common fine roots; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (7 to 20 inches thick)
BA--10 to 16 inches; reddish brown (5YR 4/4) sandy clay loam, dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak fine subangular blocky; hard, friable; few fine roots; few fine pores; neutral; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 8 inches thick)
Bt--16 to 37 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, friable; few medium pores; few distinct clay films on peds; neutral in upper part, slightly alkaline in lower part; gradual smooth boundary. (10 to 24 inches thick)
Btk1--37 to 55 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to moderate medium subangular blocky; very hard, friable; few very fine pores; few distinct clay films; few masses and threads of calcium carbonate in lower part; slightly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (8 to 30 inches thick)
Btk2--55 to 70 inches; yellowish red (5YR 5/6) sandy clay loam, yellowish red (5YR 4/6) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure parting to weak medium subangular blocky; hard, friable; upper part has pockets of clean sand grains 2 to 5 mm in diameter in a matrix of bridged and coated sand grains; few films, threads, and masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (0 to 22 inches thick)
Bk--70 to 80 inches; pink (5YR 7/4) sandy clay loam, light reddish brown (5YR 6/4) moist; weak coarse prismatic structure; friable; 5 to 10 percent by volume of , friable and slightly cemented masses of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline; diffuse lower boundary. (8 to 15 inches thick)
C--80 to 90 inches; reddish yellow (5YR 7/6) fine sandy loam, reddish yellow (5YR 6/6) moist; structureless, massive; friable; porous; few masses and concretions of calcium carbonate; strongly effervescent; moderately alkaline.
TYPE LOCATION: Kent County, Texas; 1 mile north of Jayton on Texas Highway 70; in pasture 100 yards northwest of intersection of Texas Highway 70 and Farm Market Road 1228.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Thickness of the solum ranges from 60 inches to more than 80 inches. Depth to secondary carbonates in the form of films and threads is 37 to 60 inches. A calcic horizon, where present, is at depths more than 60 inches.
The A horizon has hue of 5YR to 10YR, value of 4 to 6, and chroma of 3 to 6. Organic matter content of the A horizon is less than 1 percent. Textures are fine sandy loam or loamy fine sand. Reaction ranges from slightly acid to slightly alkaline.
The BA horizon, where present, ranges from loam to sandy clay loam.
The Bt or Btk horizon has hue of 2.5YR or 5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 4 to 6. Textures are loam, sandy clay loam or clay loam, and the clay content is 20 to 35 percent. A few pedons have a slight decrease in clay content from the maximum within a depth of 60 inches. These pedons have skeletans and stripped sand grains in the zone of clay decrease. The upper part of the Bt horizon is neutral or slightly alkaline. The lower part is slightly or moderately alkaline and slightly effervescent.
The Bk, where present, is 1 or 2 units higher in value than the Bt, and contains common or many masses and concretions of calcium carbonate.
The C horizon texture ranges from loamy sand to sandy clay loam. Dry colors range from red or reddish brown to reddish yellow or yellowish red in hues of 2.5YR and 5YR.
COMPETING SERIES: These are the Delwin and Seagraves(T) series in the same family. Similar soils are the Cobb, Decobb, Grandfield, Hamby, Menard, Rochelle, Springer and Weswind series. Delwin soils have pockets of clean sand grains in the upper part of the argillic horizon and do not have carbonates within a depth of 60 inches. Seagraves soils formed in wind altered lacustrine deposits and are moderately well drained. Cobb soils have a paralithic contact with sandstone above 40 inches. Decobb, Grandfield and Menard soils have a decrease in clay content from maximum by more than 20 percent within a depth of 60 inches without skeletans or other evidence of eluviation in the zone of clay decrease. In addition, Decobb soils are underlain with sandstone. Hamby soils average greater than 35 percent clay in the upper 20 inches of the Bt horizon. Rochelle soils have sola less than 60 inches and have a gravelly substratum. Springer soils have less than 18 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Weswind soils average greater than 35 percent clay in the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon and are moderately well drained.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Miles soils are on undulating nearly level to moderately sloping terrace pediments on uplands. Slopes range from one-half to about 8 percent. The soil formed in alluvium presumed to be of Quaternary of Pliocene age. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 18 to 28 inches and mean annual temperature ranges from 57 to 65 degrees F. Frost free days range from 200 to 240 days and elevation ranges from 1,050 to 3,000 feet. Thornthwaite annual P-E indices range from 30 to 40.
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the competing Delwin soils and the similar Bukreek, Frankirk, Grandfield, Hamby, Heatly, Nobscot, Sagerton, Springer, Tivoli and Wichita series. Bukreek, Frankirk and Sagerton soils have a mollic epipedon. Heatly soils have sandy surfaces deeper than 20 inches. Nobscot soils have less than 18 percent clay in the argillic horizon. Tivoli soils do not have a argillic horizon. Wichita soils average greater than 35 percent clay in the upper 20 inches of the argillic horizon.
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained. Permeability is moderate. Runoff is negligible on 0 to 1 percent slopes, low on 1 to 5 percent slopes and medium on 5 to 8 percent slopes.
USE AND VEGETATION: Mainly cultivated; cotton, wheat, and grain sorghum are the principle crops. Native vegetation on the loamy fine sands is little bluestem and switchgrass; fine sandy loam surfaces include sideoats and blue grama. Mesquite, lotebush, catclaw, and sand sagebrush invade some areas.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: The Central Rolling Red Plains (MLRA 78B, 78C) and Rolling Limestone Prairies (MLRA 78D) of Texas and Oklahoma. The series is extensive.
MLRA OFFICE RESPONSIBLE: Temple, Texas
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Reconnaissance Soil Survey of South Central Texas; 1913
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon - 0 to 16 inches. (A and BA horizons)
Argillic horizon - 16 to 70 inches. (Bt and Btk horizons.)
Pale feature - clay does not decrease significantly within 60 inches.
Soil Interpretation Record: TX0245