THE PORTSMOUTH SANDY LOAM. 7 



quently find it advisable to split the entire application into several 

 parts, which are applied to the crop at different times during the 

 growing season. 



EXTENT OF OCCUPATION. 



In Delaware and upon the Eastern Shore of Maryland consid- 

 erable areas of the Portsmouth sandy loam have been cleared, 

 drained, and placed under cultivation. To a more limited extent 

 the same is true of eastern Virginia and of eastern Xorth Carolina, 

 where the location of the type near to transportation facilities ena- 

 bles the farmers to produce the special crops rather than general 

 farm crops. Southward from Cape Hatteras, however, it is prob- 

 able that more than 90 per cent of the entire area of the type still 

 remains uncleared and undrained and awaiting a sufficient demand 

 for land to warrant its occupation. In these latter areas only upon 

 the margins of the type where the better-drained upland subsoils 

 descend toward the swamps or stream courses has cultivation been 

 pushed out across the boundary and the Portsmouth sandy loam 

 cultivated. Small areas of a few acres of extent occurring in depres- 

 sions through other types of scil are also cultivated and produce fail- 

 yields of cotton, corn, and oats. 



There is certain to be a greater demand for this class of soil as 

 rapidly as its special adaptation to corn and oats among the gen- 

 eral crops and to the late trucking crops becomes more thoroughly 

 appreciated. 



TILLAGE REQUIREMEN. 



Probably after the land has been drained and brought under cul- 

 tivation the most essential requirement of the Portsmouth sandy 

 loam is deeper plowing and thorough stirring of the surface soil, in 

 order to promote thorough aeration. Unless the free draining off 

 of surplus water is assisted the land is liable to remain cold, wet, and 

 sour, and there is very little circulation of moisture. Stagnant 

 water within the soil type is harmful to crop growth, whereas the 

 same amount of water freely circulating through the surface soil 

 and percolating downward through the subsoil Avill greatly assist 

 in the production of satisfactory crops. 



CROP ADAPTATION. 



General farm crops. The Portsmouth sandy loam is best suited 

 to the production of corn among the general farm crops. Where 

 considerable areas of the type have been cleared in the Middle 

 Atlantic States, yields of 20 to 30 bushels of corn per acre are habit- 

 ually secured. Small applications of burned lime, amounting to not 

 more than 500 to 800 pounds per acre, give a very satisfactory in- 



