MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SUKVEY 179 



obtained from the city to maintain the fertility of the market-gar- 

 den farms. 



The trucking industry, which is carried on to some extent in north- 

 ern Prince George's County, differs from market gardening in that 

 larger tracts are cultivated under a single management and larger 

 areas of single crops are produced, to be sold on commission in the 

 various markets. The chief trucking crops of the county are green 

 peas, strawberries, and sugar corn. To these should be added early 

 Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes, which are also produced in con- 

 nection with the general farming crops. 



The trucking and market-gardening areas are confined to the 

 northern and northwestern portions of the' county. Tobacco, while 

 not confined to any particular locality, is most successfully produced 

 in the area known as the "Forest of Prince George," which extends 

 from Bowie southward along the Patuxent to the extreme limits of 

 the county. Of the general farm crops corn ranks next to tobacco 

 in importance. Wheat is the only other grain produced extensively, 

 though considerable areas of rye are sown, largely for the pasturage 

 furnished, the grain entering as an incidental profit. The raising of 

 cattle and sheep is being reintroduced into the county, although 

 attended by some practical difficulties. 



Upon those farms where tobacco is raised lime is little used, since 

 its application injures the burning quality of the leaf. Commercial 

 fertilizers, however, have been used in large quantities for many 

 years to increase the production of tobacco and the grain crops. 

 They have been considered a complete fertilizer in many cases, and 

 too little attention has been paid to the restoration of organic matter 

 to the soil. Recently leguminous crops in the form of cowpeas and 

 crimson clover have been introduced and the system of agriculture 

 improved through this means. The production of good forage crops 

 can only be resumed by a more generous use of lime and the legu- 

 minous green manures. The cowpea seems better adapted to this 

 end than any other leguminous crop. The restoration of the soils to 

 conditions favoring grazing must necessarily be slow. Many of the 

 farmers of the region recognize the desirability of raising more stock 



