KINDS OF SOIL 55 



elsewhere along the Atlantic seaboard, are sandy 

 soils that have been built up and given greater 

 body and life by green manuring. Soils known 

 technically as "Norfolk sand," the "Fresno sand" 

 of California, and the "Miami sand" of inland 

 regions are other examples. They are especially 

 valuable where earliness is essential and are 

 adapted for quick-growing crops, particularly 

 Irish and sweet potatoes, peas, peppers, water- 

 melons, canteloupes; also early fruits, especially 

 strawberries and peaches. They are too light for 

 wheat, oats, rye and other general farm crops. The 

 main point to look after in handling a sandy soil 

 is to fill it with humus. It should not be plowed 

 deeply, as this loosens the soil still more. Heavy 

 rolling compacts the grains and is often very 

 beneficial on soils of this type. Liming will bind 

 the particles together, making the soil more com- 

 pact. 



SANDY LOAMS 



When a soil contains from 60 to 70 per cent, of 

 sand it is commonly called a sandy loam; while a 

 soil that is 70 to 80 per cent, sand is called a light 

 sandy loam. The gradations between the two are 

 insensible. The balance of these soils is clay 

 silt and humus. These are valuable soils for mar- 

 ket garden crops, because they are early, hold a 

 fair amount of water and fertility and are easy to 

 work. Sandy loams are especially desirable for 

 all the trucking crops mentioned as succeeding on 

 sandy soils and are fairly good for general farming 

 crops, although rather light for this purpose. Corn, 

 cotton, rye, potatoes, and the common garden 

 vegetables, as melons, squashes, turnips, tomatoes, 



