56 BULLETIN 677, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTUEEe 



tion of special truck crops, especially sweet potatoes, tomatoes, can- 

 taloupes, asparagus, Avatermelons, and peppers, than to the produc- 

 tion of the inajority of general farm crops. Corn and hay may be 

 grown in a supplementary way, and several of the sandy loam 

 types are inherentlj'^ suited to corn growing. Other types, not so 

 well adapted to general farming under normal conditions have 

 been so well supplied with organic manures in the form of green 

 cover crops plowed under and also stable manure, generously ap- 

 plied, that they are capable of growing com crops far above their 

 normal capacity. 



Both of these areas are representative of considerable regions in 

 southern New Jersey and, so far as reconnoissance observations 

 could be depended upon, they were but intensified illustrations of 

 what may be accomplished upon the same soils wherever they occur 

 in the general region. 



HARTFORD AND THOROFARE AREAS CONTRASTED. 



Certain contrasts between the Hartford and Thorofare areas have 

 been drawn in part. 



In the Hartford area the dominant soils are the Sassafras loam 

 and sandy loam, covering 70.8 per cent of the tilled area. Their oc- 

 cupation by crops is comparable to that of the Freehold area, al- 

 though differing somewhat in detail. The area as a whole supports 

 42.0 per cent of general farm crops and 31.2 per cent of truck crops, 

 of which 18 per cent is credited to Irish potatoes. ' Other truck crops, 

 aside from tomatoes and cabbage, both of which are suited to loam 

 and sandy loam soils, are decidedly unimportant, although the other 

 soils of the area are capable of truck-crop occupation. 



In the Thorofare area 69.3 per cent is occupied by the Sassafras sand. 

 The Sassafras sandy loam is the most retentive soil found within the 

 limits of the survey. It occupies 18.3 per cent of the cropped area. 

 The truck crops not only cover 62.9 per cent of the occupied land of 

 the Thorofare area, but four of them — asparagus, sweet potatoes, to- 

 matoes, and cantaloupes — lead all other crops in acreage, ranking 

 in extent in the order named. The acreage planted to asparagus 

 nearly equals that given to the combined area of corn and hay. 



Such facts mark the Thorofare area as one of the most highlj' 

 specialized trucking areas in southern New Jersey. This specializa- 

 tion has been made possible by the existence there of the Sassafras 

 sand. 



The general facts shown by the comparison of the Hartford and 

 Thorofare areas are: (1) The areas are equally well situated with 

 respect to climate, markets, and transportation. (2) Loam and 

 sandy loam soils dominate the Hartford area and general farm crops 

 are there more extensively grown than truck crops. Among the lat- 

 ter, potatoes and tomatoes are by far the most important. (3) Sand 



