SOILS OF SOrTHEEX XEW JEESEY AXD THEIE "TSES, 67 



There are onlv a fevr unimportant areas of trtie clay soils in south- 

 ern Xew Jersey. The Sassafras loam is the only soil of any great 

 extent within the region which is even popularly known as a clay. 

 This type contrasts rather strongly with the associated sandy soils 

 and has come to be known as a " clay loam "' or '" clay " in some 

 localities. 



It is probable, therefore, that all of the answers designating a 

 preference for a '* clay "' soil should be added to the loam column to 

 secure exact accuracy. 



There is also a local tendency to consider any sandy soil which 

 is not absolutely incoherent .as a sandy loam. This is true of many 

 localities where sandy soils prevail. In general, the popular classi- 

 fication of soil textures in this region corresponds fairly well with the 

 more detailed classes used by the soil survey and based upon the 

 physical analyses of the soils. 



SOIL PREFERENCES FOE TRUCK CROPS. 



The tabulated summary of expressed preferences for the different 

 classes of soil for the growing of truck crops shows that the 14: crops 

 eniunerated fall into four rather distinct groups. In making the 

 arrangement, a percentage basis was used in order that the widely 

 differing numbers of answers for the different crops might be equal- 

 ized. Thus, the percentage of answers expressing a preference for 

 sandy soils for the growing of watermelons is comparable with the 

 percentage of expressed preferences for sandy soil for sweet potato 

 production, although 151 answers were tabulated in the first case and 

 245 in the latter. 



Also, in the first two groups the ranking within the groups is 

 made with respect to the sums of the percentages preferring sand and 

 sandy loam soils, while in the other two groups the ranking is with 

 reference to the sums of the percentages preferring loam or " clay " 

 soils. In both the absolute preferences among the four classes of 

 soils are displayed in detail. 



It is evident from this table that the great preponderance of 

 opinion favors the growing of sweet potatoes and watennelons on 

 soils which are distinctly sandy. In the case of sweet potatoes there 

 was no dissent from the preference for soil of these two classes, 

 while the preference for straight-out sand is marked. For water- 

 melons a majority prefer sand. 



The second group, including crops for which sandy loam soils are 

 preferred, includes 8 out of the 14 crops for which answers were 

 received. In all cases within this group the sandy loam soils are 

 preferred to any other class, and in three instances — asparagus, can- 

 taloupes, and eggplant — the sandy soil is second to sandy loam in 

 preference. In the other cases, while a sandy loam soil is preferred, 



