SECOND ANNUAL REPORT—SOILS. 
45 
some exceptions, been grouped into three series and correlated with 
similar soils elsewhere in the coastal plain. Since a detailed descrip¬ 
tion of the soils cannot be given in this report, no attempt will be 
made to discuss the various series represented in the State. Aside 
from the general types of soils which have been grouped into series 
and correlated with similar soils outside of the State, there are the 
Gainesville sand, the Gadsden sand 1 and some other types which have 
not yet been correlated. 
The clay and loam soils of Florida cover a very limited area, and 
are not of great importance. The clay soils are largely restricted to 
small tracts in the neighborhood of streams and are not tilled. In this 
connection, it should be borne in mind that much of what is commonly 
called clay in northern and western Florida is to be classified as a 
sandy loam, because, while it is more or less plastic, sand is the most 
important constituent. The greater part of Florida has either a sandy 
or sandy loam soil, and while these soils may be subdivided into a 
large number of types, they possess, as a whole, certain general char¬ 
acteristics. When brought under cultivation, they commonly have a 
low natural productivity, but they respond quickly to proper treat¬ 
ment, and can be made to produce large crops which grow rapidly 
and mature early. These characteristics, when linked with a sub¬ 
tropical climate, make the production of early fruits and vegetables 
very profitable. In order to procure the best results, it is necessary 
to exercise skill and judgment in the treatment of the soils, and, in 
some instances, considerable money must be expended for fertilizers. 
There is apt to be a deficiency of moisture on some of the sands and 
sandy loams, and hence irrigation is sometimes practiced. 
Fertilizers are used in nearly all parts of the State, the amount and 
kind of fertilizer required in the different localities being governed by 
the nature of the crops grown and the experience of the most success¬ 
ful farmers. A striking example of the productivity of a sandy soil 
properly tilled is furnished by the yield of pineapples which are grown 
upon the ridge of sand near Fort Pierce. The value of barnyard 
refuse and legumes as fertilizers is recognized in some localities, but 
their use should be much more extensive. Some recent experiments 
of the Department of Agriculture 2 are of interest, since they show 
that lime, which is not generally used on Florida soils, may add greatly 
1 Names applied by Bureau of Soils, of the Department of Agriculture, to 
certain soils in this region; not geologic subdivision. Soil survey of the Gaines¬ 
ville area, Florida; soil survey of Gadsden county, Florida, U. S. Dept. Agricul¬ 
ture Field Operations Bureau of Soils, 1904, pp. 269-286. 
2 Soil survey of Escambia county, Florida, Field Operations of the Bureau 
of Soils, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1906, pp. 348. See also “Soil Studies” 
by the Florida State Experiment Station, Bulletins 87 and 93. 
