SOILS OF EASTERN VIRGINIA. 35 



upon a wider range of soil types than any other important crop in 

 the Norfolk section. 



The yields reported range from 35 to 75 crates, of 32 quarts each, 

 per acre, with a mean of about 60 crates. 



Strawberries are usually set in the late winter or early spring, the 

 plants being obtained from established beds. During the first year 

 it is a rather common practice to interplant either beans, peas, or 

 potatoes in the new beds. The cultivation and fertilization of the 

 berries suffice for these crops and some use is made of the land while 

 the new bed is becoming established. 



Usually no opportunity is afforded in this system for the turning 

 under of a green manuring crop. Stable manure is used to a rather 

 small extent. 



The use of commercial fertilizer on strawberries and the accom- 

 panying crops is general. From 500 to 2,000 pounds per acre is 

 applied, both the amount and the mixture used varying consider- 

 ably. Not infrequently the formula is chosen with regard to the 

 accompanying crop. The 7-6-5 formula, used for potatoes, or the 

 10-5-3 formula, used for winter forcing, is commonly applied to 

 strawberries at different stages of their growth. 



The earliest crops of berries are generally picked from the coarse 

 sandy loam and the fine sandy loam types. Later crops are obtained 

 from the dark sandy loam and the loam soils of the Suffolk and Ports- 

 mouth series. In some cases the best drained and earliest truck 

 soils upon the individual farm are used for the winter and early 

 spring truck crops, while strawberries, which occupy the land for 

 two years, are set on heavier and later soils, where they will not 

 interfere with the short rotations used for the other crops grown. 



This explains in part why strawberries are grown under a wider 

 range of soil conditions than any other crop in the district. 



Beans. — Snap or string beans are an important crop in the Norfolk 

 trucking district both in spring and in fall. Replies from 18 growers 

 were received, representing 154 acres of beans. Four of the replies 

 indicate a preference for a distinctly sandy soil and 10 for a sandy 

 loam soil. Three prefer a loam and one a clay loam. Twenty-two 

 per cent desire a sand and 55 per cent a sandy loam soil; thus 77 per 

 cent of the answers indicate a choice of a well-drained, warm soil for 

 this crop. 



Snap beans are marketed chiefly in half-barrel hampers or baskets. 

 The yields reported range from 50 to 200 baskets per acre, with a 

 mean of 100 to 150 baskets. 



A considerable part of this crop is grown as an interplanting with 

 new strawberry beds, but a large acreage is also grown alone, 

 especially in the spring. The fertilization of the crop consequently 

 varies. In general, commercial fertilizer is applied at a rate of 500 



