The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-01

found out what was in 1t. He early dis
 covered the fascination of the soil, its
 powers for creation, it's variety of creative powers and it's responsiveness to various scientific combinations.
 That one soil will grow better potatoes
 than another appealed to him as some thing very interesting and important. He wanted to know why one soil will grow alfalfa and another soil, apparently as
 fertile, will not. The subject appealed to
 his scientific mind. It was poetry to him,
 and while other students studied the stars and the mystery of evolution he looked
 upon the soil beneath his feet and dls- covered immense and inexhaustible fields
 of fascinating research.
 Kindled by the fires of one of the most
 beautiful sciences in the world, this boy
 bent every effort of his life in it's pursuit.
 It was not labor to him. The revelations
 that rewarded his research was the thrill
 that the prospector feels when he un-
 earths a fabulous pocket of gold gilt
 tering diamonds.
 Jay A. Bonsteel stands today at the head of his particular line. He has not
 consumed many years in getting there,
 either. He has risen more rapidly. per
 haps. than any other man in the service
 of the agricultural department. His pres ent place was created for him, l under
 stand, because of the necessity that his skill and work in the department created. MT. Bonsteel has just issued pamphlet.
 the first of series on Soils of the East ern United States and Their Use," that
 gives some idea of the scope and import
 ance of the good work that is being done in his particular department.
 This pamphlet deals with the Norfolk fine sandy loam that abounds in the south Atlantic and gulf states, and is one of the most important of the soil types found Fin the south. His summary and con- clusions are. of course, based on the soil | surveys that have been made in the ter
 ritory covered. After the actual surveys
 have been made MT Bonsteel summarizes the types, describes their virtues and | advises with the farmer as to the best method of using them for the most prof.
 able crops-a most essential part of the
 departments obligation to the p/ople. In other words, MT. Bonstee interprets the soil maps for the people who may not un- derstand them.
 He can turn to the soil map of Jeffer- son county. and it is in easy reach of his fingers, and tell the inquirer what crops may be most profitably grown in cer- tain sections of the county under certain conditions that the man on the spot can
 easily and best determine for himself Of the Norfolk fine sandy loam sum- marized in the bulletin just issued by
 Mir. Bonsteel, 4.S46,672 acres have already been surveyed and designated in the nine states along the coast extending around from Virginia to Texas. This is the only section of the United States in which this type appears to any extent. This type of soil is specially adapted to the grow ing of truck, fruits. fine tobacco and
 oceans. In the gulf section it is the
 best type of soil for the growing of syrup cane.
 The largest area of this type of soil in
 Alabama appears In Baldwin county which has -2S6,912 acres. There is none of this soil in Jefferson county, though a large area is found in Lamar county Sumter county has total area of 4S12S
 acres of the Norfolk fine sandy loam This soil also appears in Autauga, But Ter, Coffee. Dallas. Hale, Henry, Macon, Mobile and Montgomery It is in other counties that have not yet been sur veyed, but mainly in the southern sec tion.
 This soil Is very responsive to scientific fertilization. is easily cultivated and re- spends readily to scientific cultivation.