SOILS OF SOUTHEElsr ISTEW JERSEY AND THEIR USES. 31 



It will be seen from these tables that nearly one-half of the 

 total area occupied consists of loams — the Sassafras loam and the 

 Elkton loam. These more retentive soils are normally used in 

 the section for the production of hay, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, 

 and other staple or late truck crops. The remaining soils grade 

 from a fine sand}^ loam to a loose, deep sand. The area thus presents 

 a sufficient variation in soil type characteristics to permit of con- 

 siderable diversity in cropping while at the same time it is domi- 

 nated by the finer grained and more retentive soils. 



The table of occupation acreages is in close accord with what 

 might be expected from the table of soil type acreages. The general 

 farm crops occupy 42 per cent of the area, while truck and fruit 

 crops occupy 41.5 per cent. The large area of land not under culti- 

 vation results entirely from the fact that the greater part of the Col- 

 lington sand is more profitably worked to furnish molder's and 

 builder's sand than as an agricultural soil. A porous sand of this 

 character is too unretentive of moisture to support even the early 

 truck crops to good advantage. 



The percentage of crop acreages established by the figures for all 

 types constitutes a normal for the area and region. When compari- 

 son of the individual percentages of crop occupation of the different 

 types is made with this standard it is evident that the Sassafras 

 loam is more extensively used for growing the general farm crops 

 than is any other really important type in this locality. It supports 

 general farm crops to the extent of 52.6 per cent of its acreage, as 

 compared with 42 per cent for the entire area and with 36.8 per 

 cent on the Sassafras sandy loam, which is the next most extensive 

 type of soil. 



With respect to special or truck crops, the Sassafras loam sup- 

 ports them to the extent of 36.8 per cent of its area as compared 

 with 31.2 per cent for the entire area and 34.6 per cent on the Sassa- 

 fras sandy loam. 



Among specific crops, it is notable that hay occupies the largest 

 area of any single crop for the entire area for the Sassafras loam, 

 CoUington sandy loam, and Elkton loam, while it is relatively unim- 

 portant as a crop on any other soil type within the limits of this 

 survey. 



The potato crop ranks second to hay in total acreage and leads 

 corn slightly. There is a marked concentration of the potato acre- 

 age on the Sassafras loam and a slight excess in proportionate 

 acreage on the Sassafras sandy loam. This fact supports the results 

 as obtained from the survey of the detailed area near Freehold. 

 These two types are recognized as especially suited to tlie growing 

 of the crop. It is known in the Hartford area that the Irish Cob- 

 bler matures at a slightly earlier date on the Sassafras sandy loam. 



