THE SOIL. 11 



It must be admitted tluit some of the ])est sirup which has been 

 brought to our attention lias been manufactured in the simple way 

 illustrated in the figure. Of course, the quantities that can be made in 

 a single kettle are limited, and there can be but little commercial im- 

 portance attached to goods manufactured in this waj'. For the sup- 

 ply of the faj-mer himself and his neighbors, ho\ve\'er, it is more than 

 likely that this method of manufacture will continue to exist for a long 

 Avhilc, and, in fact, there seems to be no necessity or desire that it 

 sliould ever entirely pass away. 



A similar establishment is also represented in PI. X, which is also 

 interesting in being the property of a colored man, William Loinax, 

 living near Cairo, Ga. The scene is thoroughly characteristic, and 

 represents at its best the rural life of this region when the s<>as()n for 

 siru]) making is at its height. 



THE SOIL. 



Geologically the soils in southeastern South Carolina on which 

 sugar cane is grown lie principally on the formations known as Lafay- 

 ette and Marine Pliocene and Miocene. Agricultui-ally they are 

 classed as sand soils, and the natural timber growth originally found 

 on them was almost exclusively longleaf pine. Tliese soils, as is well 

 known, have a low fertility and r(M[uire genei'ous fcrlili/.ation to pro- 

 duce paying ci'Ops. 



The same soils prevail in southern and southwestern Georgia, while 

 in Florida, without any pronounced difference in the ai)pearance of 

 the soils, the geological formations are chiefly Marine Miocene in the 

 nortliern part of the iir^ninsula and Marine Pliocene in the southei-n 

 and interior central regions. 



The Lafayette formation is composed of distinctive orange-colored 

 sands and clays, sometimes interbedded w ilh gi-avel or intei-spersed 

 with [)ebbles. The formation is overlaid by the alluvions of small 

 streams, by aH)lian sands, and in some places by wave- washed debi-is. 

 The overlaj^ is also often ccmiposed of the characteristic clays, sands, 

 and gravels of the Columbia formation, especially in proximitj' to large 

 streams. This area has also been described by the nanu's "orange 

 sand," "drift," "([uaternary," and "southern drift." 



The Lafaja^tte formation in Georgia is ovei-laid loi- thousands of 

 squai-e miles with the sands of the Cobnubia fornuition, covered origi- 

 nally, and still to a great extent, with longleaf pines. A typical soil 

 on the Suwanee River, between Hamilton and Columbia counties, was 

 found to have the following formation : 



Feet. 



1. Gray soil, sand, and humus 3 



2. White sand . 4 



3. Clay with silicified corals and oyster shells 6 to 8 



4. Indurated clayey rock ... 2 



