THE VOLITSIA SILT LOAM. 11 



tional large area for permanent pasture. Timothy is most extensively 

 grown among the grasses. Sometimes alsike clover is seeded with 

 it. Red clover is little grown because of the increasing difficulty in 

 securing a good seeding. Without the liberal use of lime clover is an 

 extremely difficult crop to grow upon any large areas of the Volusia 

 silt loam. The yields per acre of htiy vary widely in the different 

 areas where the type has been encountered. In southern New York 

 and north-central Pennsylvania a yield of 1 ton per acre is about 

 the average production upon this soil. In these areas the hay crop 

 ranges in yield from less than three-fourths ton to more than 1^ 

 tons. The grass lands are allowed to remain in seed for too long a 

 period. As lime is never applied and a top dressing of stable manure 

 is rarely used crops are necessarily small. In northwestern Penn- 

 sylvania and in northeastern Ohio better management produces 

 larger yields averaging about 1^ tons per acre. Even this production 

 may be considerably increased by attention to drainage, liming, the 

 use of stable manure as a top dressing upon the meadows, and the 

 shortening of the crop rotation. 



There is no question that, rightly managed, the V-olusia silt loam is 

 an excellent grass soil. Its fair average yields persisting under long 

 years of mismanagement are proof of this. There is no crop which 

 can be made to give as large clear profits with as little expenditure 

 for labor upon this type as hay. Even fields which now produce too 

 small a crop to pay for the cutting may be brought within three to 

 five years' time into condition to yield 1 to 1 tons of hay to the 

 acre. Better treatment will increase the yields even above this 

 amount. 



Oats rank next in acreage to hay. The yields range from 25 to 

 40 bushels per acre with a general average for the type in the vicinity 

 of 30 bushels. When good seed is used the grain is heavy and bright 

 and the straw of good quality. Improved seed of varieties suited 

 to northern latitudes would increase these yields. 



Buckwheat occupies an acreage nearly equal to that given to oats 

 upon the Volusia silt loam. It is not a common farm crop in regions 

 outside of that dominated by this soil, where it constitutes the main 

 catch crop of the farmers. It is commonly sown between July 1 

 and July 10 upon land not prepared in time for corn, or upon which 

 the latter crop has failed to make a stand. It matures early in 

 September, giving an average yield of about 15 bushels per acre, but 

 with a range between 12 and 25 bushels. Midsummer droughts or 

 early frosts frequently blight the grain and care should be taken to 

 see that only well-drained land is occupied by this crop to give it an 

 opportunity to mature before the first frosts. 



As a soil renovator buckwheat ranks high in clearing land from 

 noxious weeds and insect pests. It is frequently sown as a first crop 



