EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 511 



The hrown sands comprise the largest acreage and are the most widelj'' 

 distributed of the soils, covering approximately 40 per cent of the area. 

 There are three divisions that are easily recognized, namely, light sand, 

 typical medium sand and heavy sand. The boundaries of these are not given 

 because their location involves much time and detailed work. 



The light sand is commonly spoken of as blow sand. It is deficient in and 

 responds to lime, is low in vegetable matter, nitrogen and phosphorus. Potas- 

 sium is present in goodly quantities, yet the amount rendered available to 

 crops is not sufficient for satisfactory crop yields. 



The typical medium sand is not so deficient in lime as the light sand, has 

 an average nitrogen content of 1835 pounds per acre of surface soil, carries 

 about the same amount of phosphorus and potassium as the light soils. 



The hcainj type of brown sand as a rule is alkaline or sweet in reaction 

 and the need for lime is not general. The vegetable matter and nitrogen are 

 present in ample quantities, the phosphorus is medium in amount for light 

 soils while the potassium compares favorably with the heavy soils of the area. 



The improvement of the less productive hrown sands is rather expensive 

 and involves several things. Short rotations or those in which leguminous 

 crops are produced frequently are desirable. Where needed lime should 

 be applied, the lime requirement of the sour sands ranges from 1,500 to 4,000 

 pounds of finely ground limestone per acre. 



Where umnixed fertilizers are made use of nitrate of soda could be applied 

 to advantage to all except the leguminous crops, except where manure is 

 added in suitable amounts and where the soils are high in vegetable matter. 

 Phosphates should be added regularly, 200 pounds of 16 per cent acid 

 phosphate or an equivalent amount of phosphorus in double superphosphate 

 should be added to each of the grain crops in a three year rotation and if 

 this is extended to four years an additional application should be made. 

 When prices of potash are not exhorbitant, that is in comparison with the 

 crops raised, 50 to 100 pounds should be applied to the soils low in vege- 

 table matter and where stable manure is not available. 



If mixed fertilizers are utilized they should carry from 2 to 4 per cent of 

 nitrogen, 10 to 12 per cent of phosphoric acid and 2 to 4 per cent of potash. 

 As a rule 200 or more pounds should be applied per acre. 



Land speculators are operating constantly in the poorer sandy land districts. 

 As a result their selling prices are not far below those of the heavy lands, 

 which is unfortunate. 



The sandy loam soils that were laid down as river deltas are very productive. 

 They are high in native fertility with the exception of phosphorus, usuallj' 

 carrying less than 800 pounds per acre of it in the surface soil. In texture 

 these are ideal soils for truck gardening, to which they are largely devoted. 

 Their successful fertilization involves liberal applications of stable manure, 

 catch crops for green manuring and commercial fertilizers. In some instances 

 the size of application of manure could be decreased and the commercial 

 fertilizers increased to advantage. 



The sandy loams on the lake bed proper, are somewhat less productive 

 than the above, due chiefly to improper drainage, rather than to less native 

 fertility. Owing to similarity in texture and composition the fertilization 

 of these should be similar to the sandy loam on the delta formations. The 

 results from fertilizers are disappointing until drainage is adequate. 



The fine sandy loam occupies about 3 per cent of the area and owing to the 

 fact that the greater part of the city of Detroit is located on it, agriculture 



