BULLETIN" 
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 yields of the many 
different vegetables are not available. There is a tendency toward 
the increased use of commercial fertilizer, 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 fertilizer, a large amount 
of stable manure is bought in Louisville and hauled to the truck farms. 
• Table V. — Comparison of crop yields in Jefferson County, Ky., during 4 census years. 
Crop. 
Yield per aero. 
1890 
1900 
Corn... 
Wheat- 
Rye... 
Barley. 
Oats. . . 
Hav. .. 
.bushels 
....do.. 
....do.. 
....do.. 
....do.. 
tons 
Tobacco pounds 
Irish potatoes bushels 
Sweet potatoes do. . 
27.3 
12.9 
9.5 
23.7 
14.3 
.7 
447.4 
(a) 
118.7 
31.2 
16.8 
10.1 
18.5 
12.0 
1.0 
738.7 
157.2 
143.3 
30.1 
13.2 
15.2 
30.4 
15.6 
12.0 
22.9 
1.2 
790.7 
136.0 
138.0 
20.2 
1.1 
978.4 
238.3 
157.8 
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. While 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 rim of mountains above mentioned enters 
the county, the topography is generally level. Much of the region 
might be termed river-bottom land. 
