Researching the soil types tells a tale of evolution of the Ames Farm landscape. At the end of the Wisconsonian Glacial period, glacial retreat briefly halted in the Jamestown area depositing soils before underlying rock created a natural damn barrier that created today's Lake Chautauqua - a natural glacial lake.
The soils of the Hill Pasture, with the farm's highest elevation of 1,500 feet above sea level, remain as glacial silts - suggesting the glacier formations halted there before pulling back. Additionally, the lower east field holds silt loams of alluvial variety, suggesting an alluvial fan that would have run more wildly through the flats and what is now the Cassadaga Creek. With the Chautauqua region being along the continental divide, while northern waters move out towards the St. Lawrence River, the Ames Farm springs, streams and pond all flow silt southward into the Cassadaga Creek to the Allegheny River, emptying into the Ohio River and then the great Mississippi River - ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean - 1,500 feet lower.
Uniform Agricultural Appraisal Report - Farm Credit East, ACA, August 1, 2011
CROPLAND A (59 acres - lower fields) is a mix of capability class I and II soils that include Allard silt loam 0-3% slopes. Unadilla silt loam 3-8% slopes. Scio silt loam 0-8% slopes. Chenango gravelly loam 3-8% slopes, and a very small amount of Pompton and Chautauqua silt loams. These are very productive well drained soils, that are easily tilled and well suited to the forage and row crops commonly grown in the area.
CROPLAND B (20 acres - upper, southern field) is a mix of capability III soils including Dalton silt loam 3-8% slopes, Fremont silt loam, 3-8% slopes, Rayhnham silt loam 0-8% slopes, and small amounts of Valois gravelly silt loam 8-15% slopes, Swarmville silt loam and Busti silt loam 3-8% slopes. These soils are well to somewhat poorly drained and have somewhat more slope than the soils found in Cropland A. These can be productive and adequately suited to the forage and row crops grown in the area, but require a higher level of management to prevent soil erosion.
PASTURE - The pasture is a mix of Unadilla silt loam, Valois gravelly silt loam, Haynham silt loam, Schuyler silt loam, Swormville, Chenango gravelly loam, and Fremont silt loam. These soils tend to be rolling and not well suited in most locations for use as cropland. The pasture area has good fencing and has been clipped on a regular basis making the pasture above average in quality. It is also fenced by good quality high tensile and barbed wire fencing.
WOODS/ OTHER LAND - These soils are a mix of those noted above and in most areas as limited in their utility by slope and/ or drainage. This area is covered by mixed hardwoods.
THE MAIN FARMSTEAD is located on Unadilla silt loam 3-8% slope. This soil is well drained and well suited to use as the farmstead due to its excellent drainage. The farmstead at the tenant house is located on Scio and Chanango soils which are also well drained and well suited for use as a farmstead.
Soils Descriptions
"These are very productive and well drained soils"
Excerpts from the Uniform Agricultural Appraisal Report conducted for the Ames Farm in August 2011 provide a professional assessment of the overall quality of the Ames Farm. With cropland and pasture as the most important components of success, Ezra Ames found his way to the right place and for good reason finished his life with the Ames Farm highlighted as "one of the finest in the county."