The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-02-04
SOIL SURVEY WORK : PUSHED IN ALABAMA Underwood Gets Letter from
 Agricultural Department 9682 SQUARE MILES MAPPED One Survey Has Been Made In Con- gresslonal plstrlot--Aorloultura Soil
 Receives AttentIon-Tralned
 Experts Furnished.
9682 SQUARE MILES MAPPED

l Washington, February 3.-(Special.)- Representative Underwood has received the following letter from the agricultural l department, with reference to soil sur vey work in the state of Alabama
 Hon. o. w. Underwood, House of Rep
 resentatives.
 Sir;-In reply to your inquiry concern ing the status of soil survey work in Alabama and the possibility of co-operat- 1 ing with the state authorities to the end of securing rapid completion of the work in the state. I have the honor to submit herewith a memorandum show l ing the status of the work and copies of the correspondence with Commissioner Wilkinson.
 The soil survey work in Alabama has already been pushed to the limit of the i funds available to the bureau of soils and total area of 6982 square miles has been mapped or is in progress. At least one survey has been made in each con- gressionel district and the work has also been so distributed that the more im- portant agricultural and soil provinces have each received some attention.
 So far & distinct types Of soil, exclusive 
 encountered and these soils fall within twelve soil series and four widely dis tinct soil provinces. By far the larger part of the state is occupied by soils 1 derived from the unconsolidated sands, loams, and clays of the coastal plain. These soils are all formed from marine sediments elevated to form a portion of the land surface. The soils of this prov ince are separable into three chief groups or soil series. The yellow and gray sands, loams, and clays fall fin the Norfolk se- ries of soils which have wide dis tribution along both the Atlantic and gulf l coasts. The heavier soils in this series are well adapted to the production of cotton, corn, winter oats, cowpeas and other general forage and money crops. The moro sandy members of the series | constitute some of the best truck and market garden soils of the eastern states. Upon such soils there are produced, along the Atlantic seaboard and at some points near the gulf coast, nearly every va l riety of truck crops known to the north ern winter markets Small fruits, early | vegetables, peas, tomatoes. sugar corn, l and early potatoes are adapted to produc- ton upon the different types of soil in- cluded in this series The trucking in- dustry upon these soils in Alabama is partially developed in the vicinity of Mo bile and the other gulf coast counties might easily become large producers of these profitable intensively farmed crops.
 orangeburg Series.
 The Orangeburg series of soils differs materially from the Norfolk series. The former are all distinguished by rather heavy red sand, sandy loam or clay sub soils the latter by the distinctly yellow subsoil materials. It Is upon the Orange burg sandy loam that the production Of cigar filler tobacco closely approaching the best Cuban brands has recently been introduced by the bureau of soils. The largest yield secured on these soils in Alabama in 1905 was $50 pounds of tobac- co per acre. This was produced at a cost of cents per pound or S5l per acre. The crop sold for 15~ cents per pound, realizing the grower a net profit of $76.50 per acre or several times the value of the land upon which the crop was raised. This crop exceeds cotton In it's value as a money crop and 1t may be successfully produced upon many thou sands of acres of such lands which the soil surveys have shown to exist in Ala bama not only in areas of which surveys have already been made but also upon the same soils in contiguous unsurveyed areas. This tobacco may not be suc- cessfully grown upon soils of other se- rleS nor upon all types III llle OlaAiBe- burg series and the extension Of tobacco culture in Alabama must follow the soil surveys by means of which alone may the proper soils and localities for to- bacco culture be selected.
 Among other important partially devel- oped soils of the Alabama coastal plain may be mentioned the Houston black clay of the prairie region. Upon this alfalfa may be grown with an ease and success only known upon the irrigated arid lands of the far west. This forage crop Is of the utmost importance to a state which imports large quantities of hay and grain for the feeding of work stock on ! the cotton plantations. Not only will its extensive production add another staple crop to the list of Alabama productions
 but the home grown hay will serve tC decrease the cost Of cotton production
 and thus render greater the profits in d related line of agriculture.
 ; Alfalfa as Fertilizer.
 In addition alfalfa as a feed for hogs
 and cattle will render profitable botl
 these lines of animal industry, increasing
 the local meat supplies and at the same
 time rendering much more easy of solu.
 tion the problem of securing cheap an6 , effective fertilizer for cotton and grair fields. In Texas where large areas oi Houston black clay are farmed to a TO- . tation of cotton and alfalfa, the land is , held at a value of ss5 to sl0o per acre , and little Is for sale. Tn Alabama large
 areas of the same soil may still be pur ! chased at S10 to s35 per acre. . Alabama
 lands will have far higher value as soor , as their location. extent and capabilities i are generally known. This the soil sur. , vey can accomplish.
 In contrast with the coastal plains soi