6 



BULLETIlSr 678, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The history of crop yields since 1880 (see Table V) shows that for 

 cereals the yield has been about stationary, while for intensive 

 crops such as tobacco and potatoes the tendency seems to be toward 

 an increased yield. Figures for determining the 3delds of the many 

 different vegetables are not available. There is a tendency toward 

 the increased use of commercial fertihzer, which is undoubtedly 

 a factor in the increased yield of potatoes especially, and no doubt 

 the yield of other vegetable crops has been increased thereby. The 

 1900 census gives the value of fertilizers used as $90,300, while that 

 of 1910 gives $148,582. Besides commercial fertihzer, a large amount 

 of stable manure is bought in LouisviUe and hauled to the truck farms. 



Table V. — Covtparison of crop yields in Jefferson County, Ky., during 4 census years. 



Crop. 





Yield per acre. 





1880 



1890 



1900 



1910 



27.3 



31.2 



30.1 



30.4 



12.9 



16.8 



13.2 



15.6 



9.5 



10.1 



15.2 



12.0 



23.7 

 14.3 



18.5 

 12.0 







22.9 



20.2 



.7 



1.0 



1.2 



1.1 



447. 4 



738.7 



790.7 



978.4 



(«) 



157.2 



136.0 



238.3 



118.7 



143.3 



138.0 



157.8 



Com bushels. 



Wheat do. . . 



Rye do . . . 



Barley do... 



Oats do. . . 



Hay tons. 



Tobacco pounds. 



Irish potatoes. bushels. 



Sweet potatoes do . . . 



a No data available. 

 SOIL AND CLIMATE. 



No soil survey has been made of Jefferson county. The soil in the 

 northeastern part of the county is a clay loam similar in character 

 to the bluegrass soils farther east. While much of the soil in this 

 portion of the county is fundamentally of limestone origin, there is 

 a large mixture of river deposit, especially where the land is level. 

 This deposit from the ancient overflow of the river has given the 

 soil a dark color and a different texture from that of purely limestone 

 origin. 



Along the river south of Louisville there is a strip of land 15 to 20 

 miles in length and 1 to 7 miles in width which has more of the char- 

 acter of a sandy loam. This section is lower in elevation than the 

 section east of the city and in some places is swampy. Wliile it is 

 productive and capable of maturing vegetables earlier than the 

 heavy soils east, it has not been in as much demand for residence 

 property. Thus the market value of land along the river and south 

 of the city is lower in price than land of equivalent agricultural value 

 toward the eastern portion of the county. 



The southeastern part of the county has relatively the poorest 

 quality of soil, besides a portion of it being hilly or mountainous. 



Except where the low run of mountains above mentioned enters 

 the county, the topography is generally level. Much of the region 

 might be termed river-bottom land. 



