PLANT COVERING OF CULTIVATED AKEAS. 411 



strawberries third. Next in importance stand peas, beans (string and 

 lima), tomatoes, and spinach. Sweet potatoes are much cultivated, 

 and so arc kale, asparagus, lettuce, cantaloupes, radishes, squash, and 

 watermelons. Celery is raised in small quantity on the heavier swamp 

 lands. 



These "truck " crops are chiefly grown in the light, sandy soils, near 

 salt water, although some of them, especially potatoes and, to a less 

 extent, strawberries, are successfully cultivated on the stiffer, moister 

 soils farther inland. Different vegetables occupy the land and mature 

 at different seasons — e. g., kale and spinach in winter; radishes and 

 asparagus in early spring; peas, cabbage, and potatoes in early sum- 

 mer; tomatoes and cantaloupes in midsummer; and sweet potatoes in 

 early fall. Frequently two vegetables are cultivated together in the 

 same field, or even in the same rows — c. g., cabbage and strawberries. 

 Often second crops of some of the early vegetables arc matured in 

 autumn, notably peas and potatoes. After the removal of the earlier 

 truck crops, indian corn is frequently planted on the land, although 

 this cereal does not succeed as well on the light coastwise soils as on 

 the heavier swamp soils inland. Tn 1 he southern part of the region 

 cotton is sometimes planted after the maturing of early truck crops. 

 Frequently the land is allowed to lie idle during a great part of the 

 summer, when it becomes occupied by a heavy spontaneous growth 

 of grasses, notably crab grass (Panicum sanguinale), the principal 

 uncultivated forage plant of the country. 



The aspect of land thus occupied by extensive fields of garden vege- 

 tables is striking to the unaccustomed eye. Especially noteworthy in 

 this respect are fields of strawberries, asparagus, and kale. 



Cereals: — The principal cereal of the region is indian corn, which is 

 much cultivated as a second crop upon land which was occupied earlier 

 in the season by garden vegetables; but it is grown to best advantage 

 upon the soils, rich in organic matter, which have been reclaimed from 

 the Dismal Swamp. Here corn often grows to a height of '.H meters 

 (12 feet) without the use of fertilizers, and yields 15 to 30 hectoliters 

 (40 to HO bushels) of grain per acre. The effectiveness of this crop as 

 an element of the landscape needs no comment.. 



Oats arc frequently grown, especially in upland soils, at some dis- 

 tance from the coast, but never in great quantity. Small fields of rye 

 and barley are occasionally seen. Rice, the upland variety, is culti- 

 vated to a considerable extent in the Albemarle Sound region of 

 North Carolina. Wheat has been successfully grown, especially upon 

 the swamp soils, but is no longer an important factor in the agricultural 

 resources of the region. 



Cotton. — Cotton is not cultivated to an important extent, in Virginia, 

 but is a staple crop in eastern North Carolina. Around Edenton it is 

 grown largely upon warm, loamy upland soils. Near Ncwbern it 

 is frequently sown upon land which had produced crops of vegetables 



