The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-17
NEWS AND
 GOSSIP FROM WASHINGTON
BY WALTER HARPER


 brimmed slouch hat was standing on footboard at the rear of the engine. He was holding on for dear life with one hand and with the other was jerking at cord that ran across the egnie to the front 10 ring the gong very much as the fireman rings the bell on his locomotive.
 On another fire wagon few days ago I saw a man sitting on the top of the truck ringing a big hand bell something like the kind the scissors grinder car ries.
 J A. Bonsteel, scientist in soil survey of the United States agricultural depart rnAnt, has just issued a bulletin on the Norfolk sandy loam that should be of interest and value to the farmers of the south Atlantic and gulf states
 In the soil surveys that have been made in this section an aggregate area of 9,co0- S5N acres have been mapped. A large DOT tior of this is located in Alabama l This is one of the predominating types 1 of soil in the south coastal states. It is l capable of large production of almost all l crops adapted to that climate and it's study in a scientific way should be of great benefit to the farmer who has to deal with it.
 This soil has already been located in the , Alabama counties of Autauga, Baldwin. Ribb, Coffee. Henry, Lee, Macon, Mont gomery and Tallapoosa. It exists in many other counties, but surveys have not yet been made. With the description that is given by Dr. Bonsteel in fns Circular No 45 of the bureau of soils, which your congressman can get for you. you can bo able to identify the soil for most prac- tieable purposes if it appears on your farm.
 The summary of the report is as fol- lows:
 'The Norfolk sandy loam is an exten- sive soil type developed within the lower lying portions of the Atlantic and eastern gulf coastal plains
 'It lies at varying attitudes from sea level up 10 l50 or POO feet above tide, bat the greater part of the type is proo- ably found between attitudes of 50 and 150 feet.
 "The surface of the Norfolk sandy loam is nearly level, undulating or gently roll ing, and there are no steep slopes or marked differences of elevation within the diffeernt areas of the type.
 "The surface soil of the Norfolk sandy loam is a gray or a pale yellow medium sand, having depth of about F inches. l This is underlain to a depth of nearly tive feet by a loamy sand or sandy loam Of a yellow color which grades down. ward into friable yellow sandy clay. 'The surface and subsoi drainage Of the Norfolk sandy loam is usually com plete and adequate
 tThe Norfolk sandy loam may be char acterized as fair general farming soil l in all of the areas where it occurs, and l is particularly well suited to the produc- tion of medium upland cotton in the more 1 southern states. It is also a type which | may be utilized for the production of the main truck crops of mid-season maturity.
 For the improvement of crop yields upon the Norfolk sandy loam greater at tention should be paid to the growing of the legumes, to be used as green ma nures. For this purpose crimson clover is available in the more northern states, and cowpeas, winter Vetch, and the vel vet bean in the more southern states. Rye or winter oats may be used for the same purpose.
 Among the truck crops, the Norfolk sandy loam is particularly well adapted to the production of extra early Irish po- tatoes for the northern market It is also well suited to the production of sweet po- tatoes, either as general crop in the more southern states, or as a special market garden crop in the northern states. Water melons. cantaloupes, cu- cumbers tomatoes and asparagus are well suited to the type. while cabbage ant squash are grown to a limited ex- tent
 Among the fruits, peaches and grapes are best suited 10 the Norfolk sandy leam.
 1 Tn certain localities, peanuts bright cigarette tobacco, and sugar cane are
 grown upon the Norfolk sandy loam to
 good advantage.
 Tn the more northern trucking region, lnearly all of the available surface of the
 Norfolk sandy loam has been occupied
 for the production of some classes af crops. In more southern localities, where
 transportation facilities are adequate con.
 siderable areas of the Norfolk sandy loan
 have been occupied for trucking purposes
 ard in more remote districts the soil i:
 extensively used for general farming In
 the eastern gulf region there are large
 areas of the type still available for agii.
 culture.
 ''Ihe farm equipment upon the Norfoil
 sandy loam is usually of the lighter type
 and is well suited to the tilage of sucl
 d friable, easily moved surface soil