The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-09-07
THE SOIL SURVEY
0F TERRELL COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULT-
TIRE ISSUES INTERESTING RE-
BORT ON COUNTY's SOILS.
lands ARE NATURALLY FERTILE

,r,o Report Attributes Terrell's Lead
mo Position to the Natural Fertili-
- Of Soils and Large Proportion
of Good Farmers.
wAsHINGTON, D. C.-In agricult-
.,ro1 development Terrell is said to be
ono Of the foremost counties in South
Georgia in a report of the soil survey
= tho county which the United States
donartment of agriculture has just
1nbIished. This report, which covers
90 nrinted pages, is accompanied by
large map showing in colors the
aifprent types of soils encountered
n tbe county and location of rail-
uovs highroads, churches, schools,
streams, etc.
The report attributes Terrell's lead
inc position to the natural fertility of
4bo soil and an unusually large pro-
norton of good farmers. Varied
coils and a favorable climatic condi-
tion make a wide range of crops pos
sble, and the people are showing a
tendency to return to the system of
agriculture practiced in the earlier
neriod in the county's history when
the farms were more nearly self
snpporting. Cotton, however, is
still the main crop, occupying about
a. per cent of the improved land.
Corn is second in Importance, and
then come oats and cowpeas.
At the present time nearly all of
the well-drained uplands in the coun-
~ are cleared and titled. The vicin-
4 itv of Yeomans is described as one
Of the best developed rural districts
in the southern part of the state, and
3 the public road system is pronounced
n excellent.
Cotton is grown on all the upland
soils in the county, but the high
& Yields appear to be obtained chiefly
on the Triton sandy loan and the
Norfolk sandy loan. The crop appar-
emily wristbands drought better on
these soils than on the red soils of
the Greenville and Orangeburg Sc
ries. Sandy soils, such as the Green
vile loamy sand, Norfolk sand, Rus
ton sand and Orangeburg sand pro-
q duce, as a rule, small stalks with few
Ell bOlls. Commercial fertilizers are uni
yersally used in quantities ranging
from 200 to 700 pounds, and in rare
cases to as much as 1000 pounds
per acre. The usual amount is from
400 to 500 pounds made in two ap-
III pliCatiOnS. The last census figures
available give the average yield for
the county as AS of a bale an acre.
This is one of the highest county
averages in the state.
The cOunty's average in corn is
Vi only 1878 bushels per acre and for
~ this the tenant system of farming is
i held responsible. On the best farms
81 70 to so bushels per acre are fire.
quently obtained. These high yields
L are on deep, sandy soils with a clay
3 subsOil, On the heavy Greenville or
B Orangeburg soils corn is more sus-
M cepuble to injury from drought.
More and better attention is being
4 paid each year to oats because of the
II movement for greater Investigation
ana the prevailing high prices of feed.
nj wore feed, it is said, can be produc-
II ed per acre by growing oats followed
ny eowpeas than from growing corn.
on the best farms yields of oats from
" 10 6O bushels per acre are obtain
ga, but the deep sandy soils are less
81 productive. 1t is customary to follow
n oalS with coWpeas although the lat
.eI are not as yet as important crop
III Ine county as they should be.
mere IS a certain tendency to take
hi up again the production of wheat,
% men once played an important part
VI lne county, but rye is still neglect
Gu Because of the heavy rainfall
nuIIng the first three months of the
ear cover crops are highly desirable
'nd rye would be useful for this pur-
09 ~ ana for winter pasturage.
Two hundred and seventy acres in
ne county are in peach orchards, the
.u.t oelng Of high quality and re-
II g.,ed for fancy trade The orch
GS are on the Norfolk sandy loan
E." a. Ureenville stony clay loan.
OIL G5 me 2,741 farms that existed in
NV only 1877 per cent were operat-
ny their owners, and it appears
9aI there is a tendency for tenant
8 %,ullag to increase. The average
1e Of the Terrell county farm is put
own as $40 acres. with 48.1 acres
improved land. Altogether IA per