6 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



applied. It is usually best to apply the kainit in connection with 

 complete commercial fertilizers, both for cotton and for corn. 



Since the original state of the soil is that of a partially drained 

 swamp, it is found very essential to practice deep plowing and 

 thorough tillage of the land, in order that air may be admitted to as 

 great a depth as possible into the soil and subsoil. It is not advisable 

 in such areas as possess the brown layer of " hardpan " to turn 

 up any considerable quantity of this material at one time through 

 deep plowing. In fact, it is generally better to increase the depth of 

 plowing about 1 inch each year until a total depth of 8 or 9 inches is 

 attained. When this practice is accompanied by the liberal applica- 

 tion of lime, increased crop yields will almost invariably follow. 

 The principal limitations, then, upon the yields of the staple farm 

 crops are presented by inadequate drainage, the question of the appli- 

 cation of lime, and that of increased depth of plowing in preparation 

 for the crop. 



LIMITATIONS UPON SPECIAL CROPS. 



It is only upon the more northern areas of the Portsmouth sandy 

 loam that the special truck crops have been raised to any extent. 

 This arises largely from the fact that the soil is poorly drained, moi.-t 

 at all seasons of the year, and consequently matures the crops planted 

 upon it at a later season than the same crops are matured upon well- 

 drained sandy upland soils in the same region. Thus the early truck 

 crops of Irish potatoes would normally be raised upon the Norfolk 

 fine sand, or the Norfolk sandy loam, while upon the same farm the 

 proprietor would produce his later crop of potatoes for home use or 

 the general market upon the Portsmouth sandy loam. The same is 

 true of the majority of other crops which may be produced to advan- 

 tage upon the Portsmouth sandy loam. It is, therefore, only in the 

 more northern areas that the general trucking crops have been 

 produced to any extent upon this type of soil. 



For the production of the special truck crops, drainage is again the 

 prime essential. It is also necessary to clear the land very completely 

 of the old stumps and stubs of the previous forestation, in order that 

 the implements of tillage may be freely used in the cultivation of the 

 truck crops. With certain of these crops, particularly cabbage and 

 kale, the liming of the land is -advisable. This is also true if such 

 crops as peas and beans are to be raised. The use of lime upon the 

 soil, however, should not precede the planting of Irish potatoes, but 

 should follow the removal of that crop. It is also found desiraMo 

 in the production of cabbage, kale, spinach, lettuce, onions, and 

 celery, as well as in the production of berries, to use nitrate of soda as 

 a source of the nitrogen to be applied to the crops. Owing to the 

 great solubility of this fertilizing salt the best truck growers fre- 



