6 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



to rapid loss of moisture through evaporation during the latter part 

 of the growing season. On account of its texture, therefore, the type 

 is somewhat limited in the classes of crops which may successfully 

 be grown upon it. It constitutes the lightest or coarsest textured soil 

 of the Piedmont section which is well suited to general farming 

 operations. The tendency toward loss of moisture through evapo- 

 ration necessitates the careful tillage of this soil. Such operations 

 as tend to form a dust mulch and thus to conserve moisture are requi- 

 site, in order to obtain satisfactory yields in the production of general 

 farm crops. 



Over portions of the Cecil sandy loam where the heavier subsoil 

 lies near the surface these textural difficulties may partly be over- 

 come through the gradual increase in the depth of plowing which 

 will enable the farmer to turn up a portion of the more dense and 

 clayey subsoil to be incorporated gradually with the more sandy 

 surface soil. This improvement in texture should be accomplished 

 a little at a time, since the breaking up of any large mass of the 

 partially weathered subsoil would be liable to decrease, rather than 

 increase crop yields, temporarily. This is a modification of the 

 characteristics of the surface soil which is not easy of accomplish- 

 ment with the majority of soil types, but is perfectly feasible in the 

 case of Cecil sandy loam. 



The variation in depth of surface soil, due to the different degrees 

 of erosion, also constitutes a limitation upon the uses to which the 

 different portions of the type may best be put. This is shown par- 

 ticularly well in the case of the tobacco crop, where the shallow 

 phase of the Cecil sandy loam is well suited to the production of the 

 dark export tobacco, producing heavy yields. The deep phase of the 

 Cecil sandy loam, on the other hand, is suited in the more northern 

 areas to the production of the bright lemon-yellow cigarette tobacco, 

 which could not possibly be grown of good quality upon the shallower 

 phase. In the same way, at proper altitudes throughout the Pied- 

 mont section, the shallow phase of the Cecil sandy loam is well 

 suited to commercial peach orcharding, while the deep phase, though 

 capable of supporting peach orchards, does not give such rapid 

 growth nor such a thrifty condition of the trees. Again the shallow r 

 phase of the Cecil sandy loam is far better suited to the produc- 

 tion of wheat and clover than the deep phase, while the latter con- 

 stitutes the better cotton soil. These limitations in the use of the 

 different phases of the soil should be observed in the location of 

 crops upon the Cecil sandy loam and advantage should be taken of 

 the differences in adaptation which render practicable a wider range 

 of crop production than is possible upon the majority of soils. The 

 variation in depth of surface soil also controls in a measure the 

 appropriate depth for plowing. Upon the shallow phase it is advis- 



