8 BULLETIN 482, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Bureau of Soils, it belongs to the series known as Hagerstown clay 

 loam. It is of the same general type found in the Nashville Basin, 

 East Tennessee Valley, and the Valley of Virginia. Except in 

 the hilly parts along the rivers, rock is only occasionally seen on 

 the surface. Generally it lies 2 to 20 feet below the surface, offering 

 little obstruction to plows and other machinery. The subsoil in 

 most places is a sticky red clay, highly retentive of moisture. While 

 to the ordinary observer the soil seems quite uniform in fertility, the 

 analyses by soil chemists show a good deal of variation, even in the 

 most fertile sections. 1 



The farmers who have grown up in the region and have had expe- 

 rience with soils recognize many degrees of fertility. They distin- 

 guish the quality of tobacco soils especially by native trees that grow 

 on the land. For instance, white oak, beech, walnut, maple, and 

 hickory clearings have been favored for the production of the best 

 quality of tobacco. 2 



CLIMATE. 



The organization of crop enterprises is greatly influenced by cli- 

 mate. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the main facts about the 

 climate of this section. The rainy season is during the winter, the 



RAINFALL 



IN 

 INCHES 



JAN 



FEB 



MAR 



APR 



MAY 



JUNE 



JULY 



AUG. 



SEPT 



OCT 



NOV 



DEC. 



TEMP. 



5 

 * 

 3 



z 

 1 



























70° 

 60° 

 50° 

 40° 



























, 



X 



**s5 







\ / 









\ 









... 



J* A\ 



ERAGE 



GROWirv 



G SEAS 



ON -»l| 



6 DAYS 























• 

 * »' 



'\ 





TEMP ERA 



ube/ 

























12 



II 



13 



II 



=!AINFA 



12 



LL FRE 



II 



QUENC 



10 

 Y .01 



9 

 IN. OR 



8 



MORE 



7 



9 



II 





Fig. 5. — Diagram showing average climatic conditions. 



highest average rainfall occurring in March. During the hot period 

 of summer the average rainfall is sufficient on this type of soil to 

 keep tilled crops growing vigorously, but if it were not for the fact 

 of a deep, heavy clay loam, rich in phosphorus, the region undoubt- 

 edly would not be famous for bluegrass, since a relatively low rain- 

 fall during the summer and fall is in itself injurious to bluegrass 

 pasture. The farmers here expect frequent dry spells, when there 

 is a shortage of pasture and water, and have adapted their farm 

 practice and systems of farming to these conditions. Tobacco is one 

 of the best drought-resistant plants known. For stock water farmers 



^ee Kentucky Station Bulletin 162. 2 See Kentucky Station Bulletin 139. 



