SOILS OF EASTERN VIRGINIA. 



50 



These changes in total crop acreage for the different crops reflect 

 the common cropping practices of the region. The early Irish 

 potato crop is interplanted with corn, and the fields, just before 

 digging the potatoes, constitute the "potato-corn" characteristic of 

 Eastern Shore of Virginia potato growing. (See PI. XVI, fig. 1.) 

 After the potato crop is harvested, the corn occupies the land, and 

 some growers also sow cowpeas or crimson clover between the rows 

 of corn. (See PL XVI, fig. 2.) Other forage crops are grown to 

 a small extent, as upon fields where onions or cabbage have been 

 harvested. Some of the potato or onion land is set to new fields of 

 strawberries and the berry fields which have reached the limit of 

 profitable production are plowed out and either a forage crop is 

 grown or the land is reset to berries. 



These changes in crop occupation are very evenly distributed over 

 the different soil types so that no special feature in fall cropping 

 appears as distinct from the spring and summer conditions. The 

 regularity of cropping systems and practices is strongly indicated by 

 this fact. 



SOIL PREFERENCES EXPRESSED BY FARMERS. 



A series of circular letters was sent out to ascertain the preferences 

 of farmers in different parts of the two counties for different classes 

 of soils used in the growing of the important truck crops. From 

 the replies received the more important facts concerning the different 

 crops were tabulated. 



It is evident that the reports from these representative growers, 

 the evidence obtained by Stevens for his report on the Soils of 

 Accomac and Northampton Counties, and the data obtained by 

 means of the detailed soil and crop map of the Onley area, Virginia, 

 are well in accord. 



The salient points of soil preference, as given by the growers, are 

 shown in Table XIII. 



Table XIII. — Classes of soils preferred by growers for various crops. 





Crop. 



Sandy loam. 



Loam. 



Heavier. 





Number. 



Per cent. 



Number. 



Per cent. 



Number. 



Per cent. 





51 

 10 

 41 

 6 



86.5 

 66.7 

 58.6 

 30.0 



5 

 5 



28 

 14 



8.5 

 33.3 

 40.0 

 70.0 



3 



5.0 









1 



1.4 













As in the case of the Norfolk district, the Eastern Shore growers 

 show a progressive choice in soil textures for these crops. In both 

 cases the more sandy soils, sandy loams, are preferred for sweet 

 potatoes; both sandy loam and loam soils are desired for Irish 



