14 BULLETIN 677, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
This large area of heavy loam soil is sharply contrasted with areas 
of more sandy land to the north and east, on which the type of agri- 
culture adopted is in no less marked contrast. Upon the sandy soils 
early market tomatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, corn, and clover 
predominate. Upon the heavy loam corn, wheat, mixed grasses, and 
Irish potatoes occupy nearly all of the acreage. Yet the climatic 
surroundings are essentially the same, and so also is the accessibility 
to market of different portions of the two areas. | 
Thus, even among the most desirable soils of southern New Jersey, 
experience has proved that careful attention must be paid to the in- 
herent properties of the soils of any locality in order that the most 
profitable kind of cropping and the best adjusted system of agricul- 
ture may survive upon them. 
These observations markedly illustrate the fact that the character 
of the soil, other things being equal, determines not only the character 
of the crops which may be grown successfully and the class of farm- 
ing which will result but also the fact that extreme differences in 
soil condition will determine the major fact as to whether soils may 
be occupied for agriculture at all. 
DETAILED SOIL AND CROP MAPS. 
In order that an exact estimation might be made of the actual 
uses to which soils are put in southern New Jersey, several very de- 
tailed soil and crop surveys were made of selected areas within the 
territory. 
One survey was made immediately south of Freehold, in a highly 
specialized potato-growing section. Another was made in the vicinity 
of Hartford, another around Thorofare, and a fourth immediately 
to the north of Swedesboro. All of these areas are located within 
an intensively farmed belt, and the four areas include within their 
limits some portions of all of the more important agricultural soils 
of the section. They are all well supphed with transportation 
facilities and all are readily accessible to markets capable of absorb- 
ing considerable quantities of all the products which may be grown 
under the existing climatic conditions. 
It is safe to say, therefore, that existing differences in cropping are 
measurably capable of correlation with the differences in soil charac- 
teristics which are found to exist. 

1 More detailed statements with respect to these major matters of the distinctive uses of 
soils for the growing of particular crops may be found in the various reports upon the 
areas of which soil surveys have already been made in southern New Jersey, a list of 
which is given in a footnote on page 5. A similar correlation of soil and crop facts has 
been made and published for a portion of the territory under discussion in Farmers’ 
Bulletin 472, of the United States Department of Agriculture, “Systems of Farming in 
Central New Jersey,’ by Geo. A. Billings and J. C. Beavers, 
EE —— 
