MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 
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bilities of the coast region. With proper care they grow faster and come into 
bearing earlier here than in any other part of the country. 
Going back from the coast, ->as the lands become higher and dryer, but with 
no very sharp line of demarcation, we enter the great cotton belt. It is much 
the largest of our three areas and includes everything between the coast 
lands and the foothills of the mountains, or say from one hundred to eight 
hundred feet in elevation. The topography of this great area is necessarily 
quite varied. It is often hilly and sometimes- quite broken, but low flat 
topped ridges or table lands frequently afford large areas of comparatively 
level land. The soil also varies widely, but for the most part it is more or 
less sandy, well drained and easily worked. It is usually, somewhat lacking 
in lime and in phosphoric acid, and after a few years cropping in cotton or 
corn it becomes very deficient in nitrogen and in vegetable matter. Such 
soils, though poor, respond readily to fertilizers, and especially to green 
manuring. To the westward in Alabama and especially in Mississippi are 
considerable areas of strong lime soils including the black prairie lands. 
These and the rich alluvial region along the Mississippi river are not included 
in this discussion, as their horticultural possibilities are but little known. 
The southern part of this region was originally covered by continuous 
forests of long leaf pine. The areas of this valuable timber that still remain 
‘ are being rapidly encroached upon by the lumberman, thus opening up new 
lands for cultivation. These pine lands were formerly considered valueless 
for farming purposes, but they are found to respond readily to modern meth- 
ods of fertilization, and they are being utilized extensively for both fruits and 
cotton. Farther north the lands are more variable, and there are frequent 
admixtures of hardwoods and short leaf pines. The better part of these lands 
are stronger than those of the pine belt proper, but they have been longer ip 
cultivation and are more worn. 
There is no part of this great area where peaches and plums will not grow 
with more or less success, and it is here 'that the largest commercial orchards 
are located. Owing to the abundance of cheap lands well located as to rail- 
roads, and the ease of cultivation, it is probable that peaches can be growm 
in quantity more cheaply here than in any other part of the country; and it 
is altogether probable that in the future as at present, the w r orld’s greatest 
peach orchards will be located here. The area suitable for the purpose is so 
great that the only limit to expansion will be the possibility of finding a 
market. In locating peach orchards in this region care should be taken to 
select only the highest, best drained lands, and those having a red clay sub- 
soil. Where the subsoil is whitish, and wTiere there is any tendency to seepi- 
ness the trees wall be liable to die from that obscure disease called Gummosis. 
These precautions are especially necessary toward the south. In fact it is not 
likely that orchards will prove as long lived in any part of this region as they 
do farther north, and growers should plan to make frequent new plantings 
so as to constantly have blocks coming on to take the place of those that 
begin to fail. 
These remarks on peaches apply equally -well to the Japanese plums. They 
are at home in this region and are taking a prominent place as market fruits. 
The Americanas and domesticas do not thrive here. The Wayland alone 
among the native races gives promise of being of value on account of hardi- 
ness and sureness of crop. True the present varieties of this race are too 
small, but the possibilities of valuable crosses between them and the Japs 
seem, very alluring. 
