UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



BULLETIN No. 1005 



Contribution from the Bureau of Soils 

 MILTON WHITNEY, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



April 24, 1922 



SOILS OF EASTERN VIRGINIA AND THEIR USES 

 FOR TRUCK CROP PRODUCTION. 



By J. A. Bonsteel, Scientist in Soil Survey. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



The Norfolk trucking district 2 



Churchland area 9 



Diamond Springs area 18 



Soil preferences expressed by farmers 32 



General conclusions 38 



Page. 

 The Eastern Shore trucking district of Vir- 

 ginia 43 



Onley area 48 



Soil preferences expressed by farmers 59 



Relationship between special crops and defi- 

 nite soil types 64 



General summary 68 



INTRODUCTION. 



Two distinct and separate localities in eastern Virginia have been 

 developed for the production of special vegetable crops for shipment 

 to outside markets and commonly known as truck crops. 



The first and oldest of these, the Norfolk district, lies to the south 

 of the James River, eastward from the vicinity of Suffolk to the At- 

 lantic Ocean. The other, the Eastern Shore district, of more recent 

 development, occupies a large proportion of Accomac and North- 

 ampton, the two Eastern Shore counties of Virginia. The two dis- 

 tricts are separated by the lower stretches of Chesapeake Bay and 

 present certain distinctive natural aspects. They possess the com- 

 mon characteristics of being located in close proximity to tidewater, 

 of lying at low elevations which range from sea level to extreme 

 altitudes of about 50 feet above tide with the greater part of the 

 total land surface at elevations of 15 to 40 feet, of being well located 

 with respect to shipping facilities, and of experiencing a long growing 

 season. 



Since the two districts differ in detail in regard to certain of these 

 factors, it is necessary to describe them separately. 



61681°— 22— Bull. 1005 1 



