The Windsor is the unofficial state

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former te ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, although it exists as part of the geological make up of landmasses across the globe, including in the UK.

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Windsor soils are well suited to the highly diversified agriculture of Connecticut; they are the preferred soils for the production of

Connecticut shade tobacco Connecticut shade tobacco is a tobacco grown under shade in the Connecticut River valley of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and southern Vermont. It is used primarily for binder and wrapper for premium cigars. History Tobacco farming in the Connecti ...

. Windsor soils are important for fruit and vegetable crops,

silage Silage () is a type of fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation to the point of acidification. It can be fed to cattle, sheep and other such ruminants (cud-chewing animals). The fermentation and storage p ...

corn, and ornamental shrubs and trees. They are also well suited for commercial and residential development, as well as a source for construction material. These soils cover in Connecticut. The Windsor series consists of very deep, excessively drained, rapidly permeable soils formed in

glacial A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...

meltwater

sediment Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand an ...

s. Some areas formed in sand dunes swept by winds from the

Connecticut River Valley The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island ...

as ancient glacial

Lake Hitchcock Lake Hitchcock was a glacial lake that formed approximately 15,000 years ago in the late Pleistocene epoch. After the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated, glacial ice melt accumulated at the terminal moraine and blocked up the Connecticut River, cre ...

receded. The largest landscapes of Windsor soils are in the northern Connecticut River Valley, but the soils are mapped throughout the state. Slopes range from 0 to 15 percent. Windsor soils overlay sand and gravel groundwater

aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...

s. Droughtiness is the main limitation for crops, lawns, and landscaping. During dry months, irrigation is necessary for optimal production. There is a hazard of ground

water pollution Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. Water ...

due to the rapid permeability of these soils.

References

{{reflist *The content of this article is drawn in part from thi
Connecticut state soil
page, which is a product of the US Federal Government and is thus in the public domain. Pedology Soil in the United States Geology of Connecticut Symbols of Connecticut Types of soil

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See also

References