NORTH-CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 19 



former in those of Hyde and Onslow counties. So also these 

 vegetable soils vary endlessly with respect to the amount of 

 soil and sand. The Hyde county soils may be regarded as 

 the standard soils for excellence of this class, and hence it is 

 important to determine their composition. On their own ac 

 count, it is important to determine the composition, as well as 

 for the purpose of comparing their composition with others 

 which resemble them in their external characters. Many 

 mistakes have been made in the swamp lands; for when wet 

 and examined in the ordinary way they look rich with 

 the presence of a superabundance of vegetable matter, their 

 true characters may be concealed. In many cases the con 

 dition of the earthy matter is overlooked. It may indeed 

 be too small; or it may be a coarsish marine sand destitute 

 of line earth. In all cases it is possible, and indeed easy to 

 determine whether it will be productive or comparatively 

 valuable. This is an important fact to make out, for all these 

 lands require to be drained thoroughly, and it is certainly an 

 object worth attention to be able to determine before hand 

 whether the tract is worth the expenditure before it is in- 

 cwrred. 



The Hyde county soils have acquired a deservedly high 

 reputation for fertility. Some tracts have been cultivated 

 over a century, and the crops appear to be equally as good 

 as they were at an early period of their culture ; and yet no 

 manure has been employed, and they have been under cul 

 ture in indian corn every year; or what would be equivalent 

 thereto. If this crop has been omitted, wheat has been sub 

 stituted for it ; not because they are properly wheat soils, but 

 if they are uncultivated, the weeds acquire a size that it is 

 impossible to cover them the next year. The same difficulty 

 occurs in part in the culture of corn ; the stalks are so numer 

 ous and large that it is difficult to bury them so completely 

 that they shall be concealed, and preserve at the same time 

 an even handsome surface. For this reason critics of a mor 

 bid stamp have said, that the Hyde county planters are 

 slovenly, overlooking the facts refered to, which are really 

 the sole causes of the defects complained of. Though the 



