1788, 789, 790J improvement of long-leaf pine soils. 359 



the Cotton growth ; and though little settled at present, would seem very 

 suitable for cultivation. 



788. Below the Buckatunna, the soil of the Chickasawhay hommock (whoso 

 width varies from one to three miles) seems gradually to deteriorate, and is 

 cultivated chiefly near the river banks, where it possesses a clay subsoil. The 

 bottom proper is sometimes almost wanting, usually narrow ; at some points 

 (as at W. P. Averas', SS. 25, and 36, T. 5, R. 6 W., Greene county), there are 

 tracts of high bottom land, with a mellow and very productive soil — correspond- 

 ing, no doubt, to the " second bottom " near Mr. Davis' (if 80!)). Most of the 

 bottom, however, is low and sloughy, with heavier soils ; and it does not 

 become very extensive until near and after the junction with Leaf River — i. e. 

 on the Pascagoula. At and near Vernal P. O., Greene county, the high level, 

 river hommock is of very inferior fertility, being little different from that of the 

 "Pine Hills" further inland ; the bottom proper is alone cultivated to any great 

 extent. Not far below, the acid " Gallberry soil" (If804), takes almost exclu- 

 sive possession of the river terrace ; aside from which, and the slopes descend- 

 ing to it, Greene county, like those adjoining it, is essentially covered with Pino 

 Hills — valuable chiefly for their turpentine, and pine timber. 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOILS OF THE LONG-LEAF PINE REGION. 



789. The chief defects of the Long-leaf Pine soils, as demonstra- 

 ted by analysis, have been mentioned in connection with the latter 

 (1766, if; 782, if.). We have seen that as a general thing, these 

 soils are naturally poor in the nutritive ingredients of plants, and 

 that, therefore, nutritive manures (1416), must be relied on for 

 their improvement, provided only that the subsoil be such as to 

 give promise of sustaining that improvement (1510, ff). The 

 question then arises, what are the materials most accessible to the 

 inhabitants of the region, and what are their respective values? 



790. Among these, in a practical point of view, Pine Straw — the leaves of 

 the Long-leaf Pine — deserves a prominent place, for the convenience with which 

 it can be obtained in large quantities. A great difference of opinion exists, 

 however, as to its value as a fertilizer ; while some praise its effects exceeding- 

 ly, others report having found it little better than useless, or even injurious. 

 With a view to determining, in the first place, its intrinsic value as to the 

 mineral ingredients it may furnish, the following analysis was made. 



Long-leaf Pine Straw, freshly fallen ; collected, about the first of October 

 1858, on the dividing ridge between Okatoma andOkahay (If782), T. 10, R. 16 

 "W., Smith county. 



The straw, carefully freed, by washing and beating, from adhering impurities, 

 yielded 2% percent, of the air-dried substance, of white ash, yielding to water, 

 besides alkalies, a good deal of caustic lime. 



The analysis of the dry ash gave the following result : 



