State Soil - Paxton Fine Sandy Loam

The Paxton soil series was established in Worcester County Massachusetts in 1922, and is named for the town of Paxton where it was first described and mapped. In 1991, the Massachusetts State Legislature designated the Paxton series as the Official State Soil of the Commonwealth.

Paxton soils are mapped predominantly throughout southern New England and include portions of New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Paxton soils occur on about 400,000 acres of the 5.3 million acres in the state. The Paxton series consists of well drained loamy soils formed in acid subglacial till derived mostly from schist, gneiss, and granite. The soils are very deep to bedrock and moderately deep to a densic contact.

Soil Properties:

Taxonomic Classification: Coarse-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Oxyaquic Dystrudepts.
(Paxton soils are in the Inceptisol order. The term "coarse-loamy" indicates that the soil has less than 18% clay and at least 15% or more particles that are fine sand or coarser. The term "mixed" indicates no single mineral is over 40 percent. The term "active" represents a ratio of the cation-exchange capacity to clay of the pedon. The term "mesic" indicates the soil developed in a temperature between 8 and 15 degrees C. The "Typic Dystrudepts" are typical profiles [typic] with low pH [dystr] with a udic soil moisture regime and are within the Inceptisol order [epts].

Drainage Class: Well drained.

Parent Material: Dense acid glacial till derived mostly from schist, gneiss and granite.

Permeability: Moderate in the solum and slow or very slow in the substratum..

Available Water Holding Capacity: High.

Soil Reaction (pH): Very strongly acid to moderately acid throughout.

Depth to Bedrock: Greater than 60 inches.

Seasonal High Water Table: Perched during winter and early spring at a depth of 24 to 40 inches.

Uses of Paxton Soils

Paxton soils in Massachusetts occur predominantly throughout the state but exclude the Cape Cod area as well as Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket islands (MLRA 149B). Where stones have been cleared and slopes are gentle, Paxton soils are well suited to cultivate crops, hay, and improved pasture. Additional land uses include suburban housing and woodland production. The main agriculture for Paxton soils are apples, corn, and silage. Paxton soils have a high water holding capacity and are well suited for intensive agricultural and woodland production. Trees commonly growing on Paxton soils include red, white, and black oak, hickory, sugar maple, red maple, gray and black birch, white pine, and hemlock. Paxton soils have slowly permeable dense till layers that perch seasonal water tables. These limitations often interfere with septic systems for commercial and residential development.

Distribution of Paxton Soils in New England

Geographic Setting

Paxton soils occur on gently sloping to steep convex slopes. Landforms include till plains, ground moraines, and drumlins. Paxton soils formed in dense acid glacial till derived predominantly from schist, gneiss, and granite. Slopes range from 3 to 35 percent. Mean annual temperature ranges from 45 to 52 degrees F. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 37 to 49 inches. The growing season ranges from 115 to 180 days.

* Analysis by University of Massachusetts Soil Lab - Log Number 8072-8077. pH 1:1 water method. CEC - NH4OAC pH 7.0 method
** Organic carbon - Walkey - Black method

< Back to the Massachusetts Soil Survey main page...