6 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



CROP ADAPTATIONS. 



Corn is the almost universal tilled crop grown upon the Penn loam. 

 Under ordinary conditions of soil fertility and of tillage methods the 

 yields secured range from 25 to 50 or even 60 bushels per acre in the 

 more northern areas and from 15 to 45 bushels farther south. The 

 larger yields are usually secured from areas where the total depth of 

 mellow surface soil ranges from 12 to 15 inches. The lower yields are 

 secured where erosion or faulty tillage has given rise to a shallow sur- 

 face soil. The chief difficulty encountered in corn production upon 

 this type arises from the stiff, heavy nature of the deeper subsoil. 

 Unless the land is bedded up for the purpose of carrying away excess 

 moisture it is sometimes difficult to prepare the soil for an early 

 planting and, on the same areas, the crop is liable to suffer from 

 drought during the latter portion of the season. Tile underdrainage 

 would largely remedy this condition. 



Winter wheat is extensively grown upon the Penn loam and is 

 even better suited to this type than corn. Yields of 18 to 25 bushels 

 are produced in southeastern Pennsylvania and from 10 to 20 bushels 

 are secured in the Virginia areas. Oats are also grown extensively, 

 yields ranging from 30 to 45 bushels per acre. Rye is grown to a 

 limited extent, giving yields of 20 to 25 bushels per acre. 



The Penn loam is an excellent grass soil. The land is usually 

 seeded to a mixture of timothy and red clover and under favorable 

 conditions yields of the mixed hay range from 1 to 2 tons per acre. 

 The average acreage yield for the type is probably in the vicinity of 

 1 tons. 



Throughout the region where the Penn loam occurs the regular 

 general-farming crop rotation consists of corn followed by wheat 

 for one or two years. The grasses are seeded with the wheat and 

 cut for two or three years before the rotation returns to corn. Fre- 

 quently wheat is sown following corn and a crop of oats is taken 

 succeeding the wheat. The barnyard manure is most frequently 

 applied to the corn crop. Commercial fertilizers are used with the 

 small-grain crops and the land is usually limed at the same time. 



The heavy export tobacco is produced to a limited extent upon the 

 Penn loam in central Virginia, giving average yields of 700 pounds 

 per acre. Dark cigar-filler tobacco is also produced in southeastern 

 Pennsylvania. 



Throughout the region where it occurs the crops grown upon the 

 Penn loam are largely fed to beef and dairy animals. The main- 

 tenance of a considerable proportion of the type in grass lands and 

 in permanent pasture gives rise to this practice. The soil is well 

 suited to both industries. 



