The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-23
soil Is not too sandy of the drainage
too poor. and gives some pasturage.
Tobacco Would Pay.

Tobacco Would Pay.
Tobacco, the report continues,
could probably be made paying
crop on the small farms. as It Is
grown successfully upon the soil
types in other parts OF West Virginia.
Irish potatoes are grown for the local
but are not produced on an
extensive commercial scale. The eli
matte conditions and soils seem to be
favorable to this industry however.
and II might be made one OF the best
paying In the section. The yield OF
sweet potatoes on the sandy bottom
lands are fair. but the potatoes are
not of the best quality. Beans. peas.
cabbage tprnips, tomatoes. onions.
parsnips. kale, carrots. spinach. rad
ishes. squash and cucumbers are the
vegetables which are grown most ex-
tensively for local markets. An
early truck crop may be succeeded by
corn. or after late crop volunteer
growth OF crab grass may be allowed
to take possession OF the field, and
later cut for hay.
There are few commercial apple
orchards. but those of the farm
orchards which are well cared for
bring good returns. Peach orchards
also are rare. and pears. plums and
grapes are not grown on a CONNER
cial scale. A large number. OF per-
sons devote great part OF their time
to gathering wild medicinal herbs
and roots.
Beef Cattle.
The raising OF beef cattle Is more
important than any other form OF
animal husbandry. Many of the cat
tie men have pure bred or good grade
Shorthorn bulls. The sheep which
are used for mutton are mainly scrub
stock and little attention is paid to
breeding. This Is true to certain
extent Of hogs, though many farmers
keep pure bred boars and breed to
grade or native stock sows. The Pol
and China crossed with the native
mountain hog produces a type that Is
a good ranger and can be fattened
when confined.
Little attention Is paid to the
adaptation of the various soils to
particular crops. Much of the corn
crop, for example. is grown on soil
that produces not more than ten
bushels per acre, and that would give
much better returns II put in grass
and grazed. Leguminous crops are
not generally grown, although cow
peas. soy beans and vetch would do
well over most of the area.
Peanuts for Hogs.
Sweet potatoes and peanuts, which
do well on the sandy bottom lands,
could be grown to advantage for fat
tening hogs. The ridge soils are we'll
suited for Irish potatoes, and with
moderately heavy applications OF
commercial fertilizer good yields can
be obtained. Most OF the soils OF the
area are in need of lime. which is
within easy reach OF the farmers of
this area.
No special form OF rotation "
and some farmers grow one
crop year after year in the same field.
A rotation which has proved success
full In other counties with similar
Is corn: oats followed by
wheat, timothy and clover:
hay two years: buckwheat. II past
ure is desired, blue grass may be
sowed with wheat following buck
wheat.
Soils.
Twelve distinct soil types are found
in Wyoming and Mcdowell counties,
classified according to their color,
origin. and general characteristics
into five soil series. Two OF these
series occupy the uplands. one the
second terraces. and two the bottom
lands Of the area. The upland soils
belong to the Dekalb and Upshur
series. In addition, there is an area
OF rough stony land occurring on the
steep slopes along the streams.
The Dekalb soils have gray to
brown surmaces with yellow to yell
lowish brown subsoils. Five types
are found in this area-the fine sandy
loan, the stony silt loan. the loan.
the silly clay loan, and the silt loan.
OF these, the stony silt loan Is by far
the most extensive. occupying seven
ty-two per cent OF the total area and
approximately eighty per cent of the
uplands. The area covered by this
type is steep and broken and the soil
is Of little agricultural value. Its
best use is for forestry or pasture.
Over the western half of the two
counties 1t covers almost the entire
uplands. On the small portion that
Is under cultivation. corn is the primo
ipal crop. yielding from ten to forty
bushels to the acre. Wheat, buck
wheat. oats, and hay are not grown
to any important extent because of
the difficulty Of harvesting. Brier
berries grow wild and abundantly,
and undoubtedly could be very sue
cessfully grown under cultivation.
Tobacco is grown in small patches
for home use. On this soil in other
counties in West Virginia, Burley
tobacco Of excellent quality. Is pro-
duced.
Extensive Soil Type.
The Dekalb silt loan is the second
most extensive soil type in the area.
1t occurs upon the hill tops and
ridges over the eastern half of the
territory and small strips in the west
ern half, occupying altogether about
sixteen per cent OF the area. The
drainage is good and the soil is easily
cultivated, requiring only compar-
atively light draft stock and equip
ment. Altogether not exceptionally
strong, It is readily susceptible to i'm
provement. The principal crops are
corn. oats. wheat, buckwheat, hay.
sorghum. and vegetables. II Ia about