310 



SANDS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT 



melons and pineapples; (c) they are easy to till; (d) they can be 

 worked readily during wet seasons or when wet; (e) they respond 

 quickly to proper fertilization; (/) they are profitable in pro- 

 portion to their valuation. 



Sand Problems. — ^The main problems encoxmtered in cropping 

 sands may be summarized as follows: 



Problems in Sand Management and How to Solve Them 



Problems 



Low in nitrogen and organic matter 



Soils usually acid 



Deficient in phosphorus and potassium 



Too loose seed-bed 



Moisture supply uncertain 



Subject to wind-action 



Solution 



Apply manure; grow legumes 



Lmie the soil 



Apply mineral fertilizers 



Roll the land, increase organic matter 



Conserve moisture; increase organic 

 matter 



Wind-breaks; proper field manage- 

 ment 



Nitrogen and Organic Matter. — The need of nitrogen and 

 organic matter is of the greatest importance in sand farming. For 

 this reason, the growing of legumes such as soybeans, cowpeas, 

 velvet beans/ mammoth clover, etc., should be given the greatest 

 attention. Many times sands are so poor that winter rye is the only 

 crop that can be grown. This rye should be plowed under in the 

 spring, andsoybeans, mammoth clover or some other suitablelegume 

 planted. The entire legimie crop should be plowed imder when still 

 green. Following this a short rotation may be put into practice, 

 not only to provide an income, but to improve the soil as well. 



Increasing the organic matter and maintaining it constitutes 

 a big problem. The whole program in sand farming should center 

 on this problem. Agricultm-al lime, manure, commercial fertil- 

 izers, and green manure crops should be used particularly to 

 increase the growth of clover and other legimies, these being 

 necessary to assure good jdelds of other crops. 



Manure for Sands.—Since sands are usually deficient in the 

 three important plant-food elements, manure is an excellent 

 fertilizer to use. When well decomposed, its application as a top- 

 dressing on plowed ground into which it is disked seems to give 

 best results for corn. It is advisable, however, to apply much of 

 the manure as a top-dressing on the clover fields. 



1 Velvet l>eans and cowpeas are important legumes for soil improve- 

 ment in the South. 



