170 DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS. 



NEW JERSEY. 



During the fiscal year just passed a survey of the Salem area, com- 

 prising 493 square miles, was completed under the direction of Mr. 

 Bonsteel, and a survey of the Trenton area, under the charge of 

 Mr. Burke, has been started and will be completed during the present 

 field season. 



The Salem area lies whollj^ within the Costal Plain region and has 

 eleven different types of soil. These are adapted to various truck 

 crops, fruit interests, and general farming. The people have already 

 recognized the relation of the soils to crops, and have adapted their 

 industries to the various soil areas. The success has been so remark- 

 able that the lesson may well be carried to other localities along the 

 At antic coast where similar soils prevail. 



The Trenton area lies partly in the Costal Plain and partly in the 

 Piedmont Plateau, and gives even a wider range of soils. Tliis area 

 is particularly adapted to specialization of crops and the building up 

 of widely different agricultural interests. 



The interest in this work justifies its continuation, and it seems 

 desirable to spend six months during the next field season in the sur- 

 vey of the Monmouth Shore area, east of and immediately adjoining 

 the Trenton area. 



NEW YORK. 



During the past fiscal year a soil survey was made of the Westfield 

 area under the direction of Mr. Burke, and of the Elmira or "Big 

 Flats " area under the direction of Mr. Mesmer. 



The Chautauqua grape belt, extending for 30 miles along the Lake 

 Erie shore, is within the first-named area. The old beaches, where the 

 grape industry was first developed, have been outlined upon the map, 

 and the Dunkirk clay, upon which the industry has since been 

 developed, is also located, as well as several other foreland and upland 

 soils adapted to general farming and dairying. 



The survey of the Elmira area was undertaken particularly in the 

 interest of the tobacco growers, and more especially to see if the cul- 

 tivation of Sumatra tobacco could be extended there, and to form a 

 basis for other tobacco investigations for the improvement of their 

 present crops. The results indicate that the Sumatra tobacco can 

 not successfully be produced within the area surveyed, except in one 

 small area of not over 10 or 15 acres, where it might be grown. An 

 experiment is in progress to determine this point, although this is not 

 under tlie control of the Department. The results of the survey point 

 to the need of further investigations of these soils, which under the 

 present methods of cultivation require large annual applications of 

 stable manure to jjroduce satisf actoi'y yields of the crops of the local- 

 ity. There is an opportunity here for the work of the new division 

 of soil management, which would probably yield results of value to 

 the people. 



During the present field season the survey has been extended to 

 the Lyons area in the interest particularly of the sugar-beet growers. 

 It is proj)osed during the coming field season to detail a party for 

 nine months to make a soil survey of the whole of Long Island. This 

 is particularly in the interest of the truck growers, and it is believed 

 that the results will be of considerable interest and value. 



