THE MEMPHIS SILT LOAM. 15 



For the increase of the yields of the general farm crops upon the 

 Memphis silt loam, thorough preparation and tillage of the land, the 

 incorporation of organic matter, the rotation of crops, and the use 

 of cottonseed meal or other organic sources of nitrogen are all essen- 

 tial, particularly in the more southern areas of its occurrence. When, 

 in addition, the usual excellent natural drainage of this type is sup- 

 plemented by the installation of tile drains to remedy conditions of 

 deficient drainage over small level areas, the Memphis silt loam may 

 be depended upon to bring crop returns commensurate with the care 

 taken in its tillage. 



In addition to the tilled crops already enumerated, the lespedeza, 

 or Japan clover, and Bermuda grass make excellent growth upon 

 this type of soil, the former growing particularly well in the shaded 

 areas of the thinly forested slopes, while the Bermuda forms its 

 characteristic mat of thick vegetation over open fields. Both of these 

 grasses are extremely valuable for grazing purposes and each makes 

 a fair cut of hay when its use for this purpose is desirable. The 

 Bermuda yields rather the larger tonnage of hay, but the lespedeza 

 hay is of excellent quality and of high feeding value. The use of 

 these grasses, together with cowpea hay, should enable the farmers 

 from the Ohio River southward who are tilling the Memphis silt 

 loam to keep such a number of live stock, either for meat or milk 

 production, as may seem desirable under the local conditions. 



Market garden and truck crops. In some of the more southern 

 areas where the Memphis silt loam has been encountered it has been 

 developed successfully as a market.-gardening and trucking soil. In 

 the Crystal Springs area, Mississippi, it constitutes an important soil 

 for the production of tomatoes and has contributed largely toward 

 the establishment of the reputation of that region for the production 

 of this crop. In addition to the tomatoes, English peas, Irish pota- 

 toes, cabbages, turnips, strawberries, and asparagus are all success- 

 fully produced upon the Memphis silt loam. A similar development 

 has taken place at Durant, Miss., upon the closely related type known 

 as the Richland silt loam. In both cases these similar soils have been 

 shown to be well adapted to the production of these market-garden, 

 trucking, and fruit crops. In addition, both Irish and sweet pota- 

 toes are raised to advantage on the Memphis silt loam from Louisi- 

 ana northward to Illinois. Irish potatoes yield from 75 to 150 bushels 

 per acre and are grown as an early trucking crop in the southern 

 areas and as a summer trucking crop or staple crop in the more 

 northern localities. Sweet potatoes are grown in Mississippi, Ten- 

 nessee, and Kentucky upon the Memphis silt loam, yielding from 75 

 to 250 bushels per acre of potatoes of fair quality. The sweet pota- 

 toes are marketed both as a truck crop and a staple crop, those reach- 

 ing maturity at the earlier dates constituting the truck crop. 



