SOILS OF THE SASSAFRAS SEEIES. 35 



ing soil has led to its almost complete occupation for the production 

 of various staple crops. 



Throughout the entire extent of its development the Sassafras 

 loam is naturally well drained, although minor areas which occupy 

 depressed positions or very flat surfaces remote from stream drain- 

 age may be somewhat poorly drained and in need of tiling for the 

 best results in crop production. Usually the somewhat elevated 

 position of the type, its occurrence in regions of well-established 

 stream drainage, and particularly the general existence of the more 

 porous underlying sandy layer give rise to perfect natural drainage. 



The Sassafras loam is essentially a soil well fitted for the growing 

 of the staple field crops which constitute the basis for general farm- 

 ing in the areas where it occurs. 



Wheat is the crop most extensively grown upon the Sassafras 

 loam. It is probable that it occupies nearly or quite one-half of the 

 total area of the type which is annually planted to crops. This 

 arises from the fact that a 5-year rotation is in common use which 

 consists of corn, followed by wheat with seeding to clover. The 

 clover is cut one year and then plowed for another seeding of wheat. 

 Clover is again sown on the wheat, cut for one year and the rotation 

 returns to corn. While this rotation is much practiced, the 3-year 

 rotation of corn, wheat, and clover is also common. The acreage 

 statistics in counties where the Sassafras loam is an important soil 

 type bear out the indication that wheat is the most extensively 

 grown grain crop. 



While there is considerable variation in the average crops of wheat 

 secured it may be said that the yields range from 15 to 30 bushels 

 per acre with a general average of about 20 bushels. The quality 

 of the wheat grown upon this soil is usually better than the average 

 and the general opinion is held that wheat is one of the crops best 

 suited to the Sassafras loam. It is a notable fact that the counties 

 in which this soil and the closely related Sassafras silt loam are 

 most extensively developed have increased the acreage and produc- 

 tion of wheat during the past 25 years. 



The Sassafras loam may safely be ranked as one of the types best 

 suited to wheat in the northern Coastal Plain region. 



Corn is the second crop in acreage and importance upon the 

 Sassafras loam. It is probably nearly equaled in extent of acreage 

 by the various grass crops, although the failure to seed to grass with 

 a portion of the wheat crop annually reduces the area in grasses. 



The yields of corn reported from the Sassafras loam range from 

 40 to 75 bushels per acre. It is probable that the general average 

 for the type is in the vicinity of 45 bushels per acre. 



It is stated in the Soil Survey of the Easton Area, Md., that — 



Where the soil is kept in a good state of productiveness, as under a 5-year 

 rotation of corn, wheat, grass, wheat, and grass, applying barnyaud manure 



