14 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



is the best. A considerable quantity of coarse hay is cut and pastur- 

 age is obtained from both the cleared and uncleared areas. 



The Meadow along some of the stream bottoms of the higher- 

 lying sections of the State constitutes excellent corn land. 



The South Atlantic States. Throughout Virginia, the Carolinas, 

 Georgia, and northern Florida are very extensive areas of Meadow, 

 lying within the low coastal sections. These are almost uni- 

 versally covered with a dense growth of timber, undergrowth, and 

 vines, while only small areas have been cleared for farming. 



It is within the narrow stream valleys of the Piedmont section 

 that the most important areas of Meadow have been utilized for 

 agriculture within this general region. The broad bottoms along 

 the lower courses of the larger streams heading in the Appalachian 

 Mountain system and flowing across the Piedmont are among the 

 choicest corn lands of the Atlantic seaboard States. They have 

 been tilled from the earliest occupation of the region and have always 

 produced large crops of corn. Some small patches of tobacco are 

 also grown, while hay and pasturage constitute the other crop uses of 

 the land. In the more southern States some cotton is planted upon 

 these river bottom soils. It makes a large growth of the plant and 

 matures rather late in the season. Heavy yields are reported 

 from well-drained areas of the bottoms which have been protected 

 from destructive overflow. 



In later years there has been a growing uncertainty of crop pro- 

 duction upon these soils from the fact that the overflows are more 

 sudden and destructive, following the deforestation of large areas of 

 mountain land along the headwaters of the streams. Not only does 

 the flood water rush across the fields of growing corn or cotton, but 

 each deluge leaves behind thick deposits of almost pure sand, which 

 bury the fertile top soil of the field to a depth of 2 to 6 feet or more 

 and destroy the cropping capacity of the land. 



Along the larger streams which flow through the limestone valley 

 portions of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and 

 Tennessee there are numerous small individual areas of the best 

 class of meadow soils. These sediments consist largely of finely 

 ground limestone rock, mixed with other mineral matter, and a large 

 percentage of rich humus. Some of the largest corn yields reported 

 from the Eastern States have been obtained from these meadow 

 soils. A yield of 80 bushels per acre is not unusual, while yields in 

 excess of 100 bushels have been reported. Cowpeas, rye as a cover 

 crop, wheat, and grass are also grown. 



The Gulf States. The most extensive areas of alluvial Meadow to 

 be found in the country are encountered along the lower courses of 

 the larger rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. These streams are 

 almost universally bordered by broad but interrupted stretches of 



