THE NORFOLK SANDY LOAM. 5 



ably situated as regards climate and transportation facilities, may 

 be used for corn, certain grains, and other general farm crops. In 

 all of the more southern States it constitutes a valuable upland cotton 

 soil. 



Throughout its entire extent the Norfolk sandy loam is somewhat 

 deficient in the amount of organic matter stored within the surface 

 soil. This arises from its open, porous, well-aerated condition, which 

 gives rise to the rapid oxidation of such organic matter as may have 

 been in the soil naturally and as may be incorporated by the farmer 

 in attempting to increase the productiveness of his land. Fields 

 which have been continuously cultivated to an intertilled crop are 

 those in which this deficiency is usually most evident. 



Neither the drainage features of the Norfolk sandy loam nor 

 erosion conditions require any particular consideration. In the main 

 the type is excellently drained and not subject to any serious erosion. 



For the production of corn, cotton, and similar crops it is usually 

 desirable that the plowing upon this type of soil should not be too 

 deep. By shallow pldwing the surface soil is well stirred, and any 

 organic matter present may be incorporated, while the somewhat 

 compacted subsoil is left undisturbed and forms an excellent natural 

 reservoir for the storage of moisture. In the later operations of crop 

 production shallow tillage should be preferred to any deep cultiva- 

 tion of the soil. For this reason the improved cultivators, partic- 

 ularly the disk cultivator or those with the spiked or spring tooth 

 arrangement, should be preferred to the small turning plow, which 

 is too frequently used, particularly in the cotton fields. 



The Norfolk sandy loam occurs under a considerable range of cli- 

 matic conditions. In the North Atlantic States it lies within the cool 

 temperate division where rainfall is ample. Farther south it lies 

 within the warm temperate division where rainfall is excessive so far 

 as the majority of soil types are concerned. Considering the porous 

 surface nature of the Norfolk sandy loam it is improbable that any 

 of the areas where it occurs receive too much rain for the proper till- 

 age of the soil. Owing to the wide range of temperature over the 

 areas occupied by the type, crops vary greatly and their adaptability 

 will be discussed under a separate heading. 



IMPROVEMENT OF SOIL EFFICIENCY. 



It may be said that there is altogether too large a proportion of 

 the type devoted to the production of general farming crops. Upon 

 all areas where the depth of the sandy surface soil exceeds 1 foot the 

 Norfolk sandy loam is not well suited to corn, cotton, oats, or other 

 staple crops. Where the depth of the surface soil is less than 1 foot, 

 these crops may be grown advantageously. Therefore, in the culti- 

 vation of the Norfolk sandy loam, considerable attention should be 



