6 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



Some farmers have found it desirable when turning under a large 

 mass of green vegetation to apply 2,000 pounds of burned stone lime 

 per acre, in order to sweeten the soil and to carry through the 

 thorough decomposition of the organic matter thus incorporated. 

 Where this is omitted difficulties have sometimes ensued through the 

 partial decomposition of the green crop turned in. Where lime has 

 been applied in this connection, however, success has been almost 

 invariable. 



The partially decayed organic matter thus furnished acts as a 

 sponge to absorb and retain moisture within the surface soil. As 

 the succeeding crop pushes its roots through the soil particles, both 

 organic and mineral, this stored-up moisture is encountered and 

 becomes available for the production of the main staple crop. Im- 

 provement in the land may be secured by a single season of treatment 

 of this kind, but the greatest improvement is always obtained where 

 successive green crops are grown at least one year in three of the 

 regular crop rotation and turned under to maintain the humus con- 

 tent of the soil. This method for increasing the moisture-holding 

 capacity through the maintenance or increase of the organic matter 

 in the soil is one of the prime essentials in the management of the 

 Norfolk fine sand for the production of either general or special 

 crops. 



Wherever possible it is also essential that all yard and stable 

 manures should be saved and applied to this soil. It is frequently 

 desirable under certain conditions to compost and rot this manure 

 and to apply it immediately in advance of the planting of the crop. 

 If the stable manure is applied some time in advance of the planting 

 of the crop it should be thoroughly harrowed into the surface soil, 

 in order to prevent the evaporation of the liquid portion of the ma- 

 nure, particularly the ammonia. Only under unusual conditions 

 should lime be used directly in connection with applications of stable 

 manure. 



TILLAGE REQUIREMENTS. 



Those methods of soil tillage which tend to compact the subsoil 

 and thus to render it more retentive of soil moisture are most desir- 

 able for the handling of this type. Consequently shallow to medium- 

 deep plowing is rather to be recommended, and if it is possible to 

 use the disk plow or disk harrow upon this type of soil rather than 

 the moldboard plow or the spring-tooth harrow, the former type of 

 machinery should be employed. These two essentials the incorpora- 

 tion of organic matter and the packing of the soil will serve to 

 increase the crop yields, even of the general farm crops, although 

 their planting upon the Norfolk fine sand can only be recommended 



