12 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



land from which the early crop of Irish potatoes has been harvested, 

 and many of the growers claim that the heavy fertilization for 

 the early Irish potato crop also proves decidedly advantageous in 

 the production of the later field crop of sweet potatoes. The Norfolk 

 fine sand is one of the best sweet-potato soils throughout the Atlantic 

 seaboard section, and is also used for the production of this crop 

 in eastern Texas. At intermediate points only a small acreage is 

 planted for local home consumption, principally upon the farm where 

 it is grown. 



The Norfolk fine sand is used in the more northern locations along 

 the Atlantic seaboard for the production of early tomatoes as a 

 trucking crop. The plants are transplanted from c*ld frames into 

 the field, and the crop is ready to be picked for market during the 

 latter part of June and early in July. Frequently any excess of the 

 crop over market demands may be sold to canning factories. The 

 yields per acre depend largely upon the care with which the land 

 has been prepared and upon the skill of the grower. Yields of 8 to 

 10 tons per acre are not infrequent. 



Snap beans and early garden peas are produced upon the Norfolk 

 sand in nearly all of the Atlantic coast trucking sections. In the 

 more southern regions the beans are planted during February and 

 the first pickings are made late in April or early in May. In the 

 more northern regions the dates of planting and picking are corre- 

 spondingly later. The beans are marketed chiefly in 3-peck bas- 

 kets, and the earlier part of the crop usually brings from $2.50 

 to $3 a basket. Whenever the cost of shipment approaches two- 

 thirds of the price received, marketing is discontinued. Peas are 

 handled in about the same way. With both of these crops a later 

 farm crop, either for forage purposes or in some cases sweet potatoes 

 for home use, may be grown after the peas or beans have been 

 removed. 



In the Norfolk district cucumbers are also produced upon the Nor- 

 folk fine sand. In this region the Norfolk fine sand is the earliest 

 truck soil in the area, and practically all of it is in a high state of 

 cultivation. The cucumber crop is usually planted alongside the 

 rows of early peas, in ridges close to the peas. Before the cucumbers 

 reach an advanced stage of growth the peas have been harvested and 

 are out of the way. It is usual for the best truckers to make three 

 or four separate plantings of cucumbers from a few days to a week 

 apart. In this manner they insure against damage from drought, 

 from insect pests, or from any of the fungus diseases which might 

 develop. If the earlier plantings are made with unfavorable condi- 

 tions, the later plantings are liable to succeed, or the reverse may be 

 the case. Cucumbers are marketed also in 3-peck baskets and the 



