12 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



Coastal Plain to serve as a basis for the establishment of the dairy 

 industry. Where the price of land is high, ranging from $65 to $100 

 or more an acre, the conduct of the operations should be upon a 

 decidedly intensive basis. Pasturage should only constitute part of 

 the regular rotation, and no land of this type should be set aside as 

 permanent pasture. It is possible so to arrange the crop produc- 

 tion of a farm upon the Sassafras silt loam that the corn silage and 

 corn for the grain, peas, oats, and barley as soiling crops, rye or 

 winter wheat as an early soiling crop, and the mixed grasses or even 

 alfalfa may all be produced for forage purposes. The capability of 

 producing these crops, taken together with good transportation facili- 

 ties and the abundance of fresh pure water throughout the region, 

 render the soil and its products ideal as a basis for dairying. 



Wherever rough land or pasture land of lower value is included 

 in a farm made up principally of the Sassafras silt loam, sheep rais- 

 ing is also a profitable industry. The keeping of sheep in connec- 

 tion with the dairy industry has proved profitable in several locations. 



The Sassafras silt loam is practically the only one of the Atlantic 

 Coastal Plain soil types upon which the fattening of beef cattle 

 could hold rank comparable with that of the beef production of the 

 Limestone Valleys or the Central Prairie States. 



SUMMARY. 



The Sassafras silt loam occurs in southern New Jersey, south- 

 eastern Pennsylvania, and in Delaware and eastern Maryland. 



Its surface soil is a mealy, soft, brown loam which may be some- 

 what yellow in areas where organic matter is deficient. The subsoil 

 is a stiff, yellow, heavy silt loam approaching a clay in texture. The 

 depth of soil and subsoil is considerable, but the mass of the type 

 usually rests upon gravel or sand, thus insuring adequate drainage. 



The surface of the Sassafras silt loam is level to gently undulating. 



The natural drainage of the type is normally adequate, and only 

 small areas require artificial drainage. 



The Sassafras silt loam is well suited to the production of corn, 

 wheat, oats, timothy, clover, and Irish potatoes among the general 

 farm crops. 



It is well suited to the production of tomatoes and sweet corn for 

 canning purposes. 



Certain varieties of apples and pears are grown to advantage. 



In certain of the more southern locations tobacco is grown, but as 

 the crop is not particularly well suited to this soil it might well 

 abandoned in favor of other more profitable crops. 



It is in these latter localities that the restoration of organic matter 

 and the application of lime are particularly desirable, in order to in- 



