10 SOILS OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. 



quently exceeded by the best farmers, and 25 to 30 bushels of corn 

 per acre may be produced upon the shallower phase of the Orange- 

 burg sandy loam, where the clay is encountered at a depth of not 

 more than 6 or 7 inches and where there is sufficient organic matter 

 in the surface soil. 



In general, the brown-colored surface soil, indicating abundant 

 organic matter, should be chosen for corn production, and locations 

 where the deep, mellow, loamy surface soil has accumulated at the 

 foot of adjacent slopes are particularly favorable to large yields. 

 Similarly small hollows and depressions within the surface of the 

 type, which are fairly but not excessively drained, are found to give 

 large yields when the crop is properly tended. With the adoption 

 of proper methods of cultivation, similar to those advised for cotton, 

 but with particular stress laid upon the use of green manures and of 

 organic fertilizers, yields of corn upon this soil may be considerably 

 increased. 



Winter oats is the other principal crop of general production on 

 the Orangeburg sandy loam. It is usually cut for forage purposes, 

 and only a small proportion of the total acreage of oats is harvested 

 for grain. The yields range from 15 to 30 bushels per acre, depend- 

 ent upon the condition of the soil. This could be materially in- 

 creased by broadcast plowing of the land and the thorough smooth- 

 ing of the surface soil by repeated harrowings before the oats are 

 seeded. In too many instances the fields are poorly plowecl and 

 imperfectly harrowed, if at all. As a result the stand of oats is not 

 uniform and the crop is poor. Winter oats should be more gen- 

 erally grown to follow the corn crop, both for forage and for the 

 purpose of covering the land with vegetation during the winter 

 months. 



Cowpeas are coming to be more extensively grown, both as a forage 

 crop and as a Avinter cover crop, to be used for green manuring. The 

 yields of hay secured range from 1^ to 2 tons per acre, and the 

 cowpea constitutes one of the best forage plants for production upon 

 this soil. It may be used not only as hay, but also for grazing pur- 

 poses, or to be plowed under for the restoration of organic matter to 

 the soil. Cowpeas are sown between the rows of corn at the last 

 working of that crop, either for green manuring purposes or for 

 early spring grazing. When produced for hay the crop is usually 

 spring sown upon land especially prepared for it. In certain locali- 

 ties in southern Georgia, northern Florida, and southeastern Ala- 

 bama the velvet bean is also used to some degree in the same way. 

 In more northern locations crimson clover might be similarly em- 

 ployed to advantage. To a limited extent winter rye and winter 

 wheat are grown upon this type for forage purposes. Neither crop 



