The farmer and mechanic., 1915-06-15


sibilities Of the Old North State are
only lust being discovered, said Mr..
Il. f. Rice general industrial agent
Of the Norfolk Southern Railroad, IN
an address recently at the semi an
nual convention of the National Asso-
citation Of Railroad Industrial Agents, |
held at St. Paul, MINI.
The subject of Mr.. RiceS address !
was. Intensive Farming In the Drain |
age Belt Of North Carolina, and an |
interesting fact was that as com
panion piece to his address the con-
vention heard an address from an
other Industrial agent on lrrlSaton
work in one of the Western States.
In the course Of his address Mr..
Rice gave some facts about the fertil-
ity Of North Carolina soil that were
eye-opener to the railroad men from
other States. He said in part:
Frcm the Carolina coast line, the
soil area for an average of so miles
inland represents an almost absolutely
level surface. as indicated by the loca-
ton of the sounds and broad rivers
which intersect this entire east coast
territory at intervals SO frequent that
they give To the country the appear
ance Of gigantic spider web.
In this Costal region there exists a
queer condition, in the fact that the
dividing or watershed areas, the
lands with the greatest elevation, rep
resents the richest type of soils, and
are locally known as swamp lands
OF a truth it may be said that the
swamps of eastern North Carolina are
the hill tops, as such is the veritable
fact The lands lying near to the
streams or waterways, and which
are of a lower lever are almost in
variably the light gray Soils and are
OF sandy clay type. These do not
contain more than the ordinary
amount of humus usually found in
soils of that type, but as the surface
level gradually increases, back from
the water line there is a change in
the soil condition from gray to black,
and the surface humuS and black
soil depth increases in proportion to
the elevation increase, until at the
dividing watershed this black soil
accumulation will be found to meas
ure from six to ten feet in depth.
This accumulation represents cen
turies of decaying vegetation, grown
on the original silt and deposit soil
brought down from higher lands to
the west. The humuS in this black
soil will vary from 40 to 40 per cent
the greater portion of the areas rep
resenting from so to rs per cent OF
vegetable matter in various stages OF
decay
Swamp Lands In Demand.
Only within recent years has The
State of North Carolina had practi
cal effective drainage laws hence
the rich soil areas of the cOStal plaiI
section have so long remained undis
covered and unappreciated. The Law
of supply and demand, the rush 0
farm land settlement in the Unitet
States, now brings this area int
prominence. This is due to the grea
possibilities for ready drainage an
easy development. The quicknes
with which these newly drained land
come into production and the 10,
cost Of development and operating
averaged against the valuable Gro
yield. show ready cause for those land
coming into good demand.
As a rule the greater portion of tn
level or drainage areas are covere
with thick timber. Frequently lare
areas have been burned over by dc
structve forest fires. the greater POI
tion Of the timber growth bein
eliminated and easy development cor
ditiOn presented. With the inStalla
tion of main canal drainage in thes
open land areas. development b.
comes only a question of clearing tf
land OF reeds and brush and the r,
mOval of burned logs and stumps su
ficient for rough plowing. This clea
ing usually requires a per acre co
ranging from $4 To $40. after whiC
the land can be rough broken with
fruDDlnS ploW at cost OF from
to $4 per acre. The land becom
Immediately available for plantin
corn usually being the best and mo
successful first crop.
Black Soil Easily Conquered.
The development wonder of the ne
lands however. is the subjugation
the more thickly timbered portions
the black soil areas. In the ha
wood districts of the Northern al
Western States the converting of tir
bered lands into cultivated fields r
Qulres several years between the a
and the plow, time sufficient f
stumps and logs to rot away. In CO
frast we find that the black soil ii,
ber lands Of the Carolina drama
districts are covered almost who
with gum and other soft wood var
ties. quick to decay and nearly all