The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-18
SOIL SURVEY OF COFFEE COUNTY
Report is Now Completed and Is Ready for :
 Distribution
By WAITER HARPER

Fly WALTER HARPER
 Washington, July T.-(Speciai.)-Con gressman Henry D. Clayton of Alabama has received for distribution the official report of the soil survey of Coffee county. Alabama
 The survey was made by Lewis A. Hurst of the United States department of asr- culture and A. D. Cameron of the Ala bama department of agriculture and in- dustries.
 summary of the report Is as fol- lows:
 Coffee county, area 439,6sO acres, or 6s7 square miles, Is situated in southeast ern Alabama and wholly within the coastal plain province The population of the county is 26,119 Elba, the county seat, has a population of 1O79. The larg- est town is Enterprise, population over 1922. Other towns are Pink New Brock ton and Richburg.
 Transportation is afforded by branch line of the Atlantic Coast Line rafr- road and by the Louisville and Nashville.
 The climatic conditions favor di-
 versifed agriculture. The mean annual
 rainfall. .51 inches, is ample for maturing all crops. A long growing season favors crop rotation.
 Cotton and corn are the principal crops, with oats, sugar cane, potatoes, | cowpeas, and peanuts secondary products grown chiefly for home use "rhe acreage in farms has increased
 from 56,612 acres in 1860 to 1S1,O93 acres
 in 1900 Value of farm property in cluding live stock in 1900. $2,0S1,575. Eighteen types of soil, including meadow, are found in the county. All but one ofe.these are derived directly or in- | directly from the sands and clays of the
 Lafayette formation One type, the Sus- quehanna fine sandy loam, is derived from a tertiary formation underlying the La | fayette
 vile, Kalmia Myatt, Norfolk, and Sus- quehanna series occur.
 "Of the Orangeburg, three types are mapped, the sand fine sand, and sandy | loam. The sandy loam is the best for cotton, the sand and fine sand for corn. The last named soil is well adapted for peach growing.
 @The Greenville soils are the most pro- ductive upland soils in the county. Four types of this series are found; the sandy | loam, clay loam, loamy sand and fine | sand. The heavier type under the best methods of cultivation and fertilization will yield one bale of cotton per acre. The lighter types are better for corn than cotton and also give good results with cowpeas, velvet beans and peanuts
 Of the Norfolk series, the sand and fine sand occur prominently in the north ern part of the county, the sandy loam and fine sandy loam in the piny woods or southern section The lighter types are and fine sandy loam are well adapted to cotton and certain of their phases to tobacco culture.
 "Of the Susquehanna series, the fine sandy loam Is the only type mapped in the county, but areas of Susquehanna clay too small to map occur. The shal- llowSp phase of the fine sandy loam is well suited to cotton, but upon the deeper phase, corn, cowpeas and velvet beans are better crops.
 "The Myatt sand and fine sandy loam occur as low-lying, poorly drained soils upon the first and second terraces along the larger streams, particularly along Pea river. With proper drainage these soils are capable of producing fair yields of corn, oats and certain truck crops.
 "The Kalma series is represented by the sand, fine sand, and fine sandy loam. It comprises the better drained bottom lands along the larger streams and is most typically developed upon the second terraces along Pea river and White Wa ter creek. The Kamia sand and fine sand are particularly well adapted to corn, watermelons, muskuelons, cucumbers, po- totaes, and other early truck crops. The Kalnlia sand is more subject to drouth and in general is not considered so strong a soil as the fine sand. The fine sandy loam, if well drained, Is fairly well adopt ed to cotton but is especially suited to Bermuda grass, Jonson grass and other grasses and should be used more exten- svey for pasture land. {.
 ''The price of land in Coffee county or- dinarily ranges between BIO and $2O an acre. Some areas close to towns can not be bought for less than $50 to $75 an acre. Little is offered anywhere for less than s to S10 an acre"