The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-09

i'll these activities is that the depart faent os agriculture has accumulated .t is constantly adding, showing the vast amount of information, to which great soil wealth of the south.
 The latest official figures show that Ire areas mapped and surveyed by the fureau of soils in southern states are approximately as follows: Alabama 47,000 square miles Arkansas, F 000 square miles Delaware. e.000 square miles; Florida, 12,o00 miles; Georgia, 2e,000 miles; Kentucky. 4,200 miles, Louisiana, 14,000 miles; Maryland, 1000 miles; Mississippi, 25 900 miles; Mis- souri. 32,o00 miles: North Carolina. 30,- roo miles; Oklahoma 6.60o miles South Carolina, 22,0O0 miles; Tennessee. 5000 miles; Virginia. 10000 miles; West Vir- sinia. 16, 900 miles.
 In view of the results obtained in the soil survey work in the southern states. Dr. c. r. Marbut, one of the leading soil experts O. the government says.
 Tt is entirely superfluous to say that the bureau of soils does not regard the soils of the south as poor Produc- tivity Is matter de ending on many factors and 8 high or low content of organic matter and lime carbonate con- stltute a small factor in the sum total of these factors. The valuable crops "t the south-cotton, cowpeas, velvet "eans. peanuts, corn and many others --do not require high percentage of lime carbonate in order to give high rselds. Neither do they require a per- manently high percentage of organic matter, since the relatively low per centage of this constituent in some southern soils is compensated for to a great extent by .he ready availi,. hility under the clinatic conditions there prevailing to the amount that is present"
 Government experts declare that the soils of the south. which are largely sandy or sand loam, especially in the coastal plain area, are suitable in view q their still relatively low prices. com bined wt9 climatic conditions and oth- CT factors. for producing not only large and valuable crops, but successive crops like cotton and tobacco. legumes Ike peanuts, cowpeas, soy beans. vel vet beans, burr clover, Japanese clover etc; other forage crops and grasses from various parts of the world grains sorghum, sugar cane. fruits. vegetables and truck crops, according to govern ment scientists.
 Men like former Secretary of the In terior Franklin K. Lane. H. T. Cory, former consulting engineer of the united States reclamation service; FL wood Mead who has record of achievement in connection with land settlement in California and Australia: Clarence J. Blanchard. statistician of the reclamation service; Dr. c. V. Piper, oilef astrologist of the bureau of plant industry, department of agriculture; Jay Bonsteel. of the bureau of soils; George R. Rommel. chief aniaml hus- oandman of the department of agricul- tCre; Dr. L. c. Gray land economist of the bureau of farm management in that department. and others of equally high reputation, have all been irn- pressed by the possibilities presented by southern lands and the soils of the south.
 Dr. Bonsteel says that many south ern soils of large area can be made to produce crops for i2 months in the year, cash staple crops in the summer and winter grains or legumes in the cooler months; that in the warmer To- calitfes in hundreds of cases, these soils produce in rotation early potatoes dug by May 30. cotton picked by the last of November winter oats or vetch, and in the second year corn or cow Feas. winter cabbage, etc, followed by cotton; five crops being grown in 24 months, or a little more. Such rec ord of constant succession of profi- table crops cannot b maintained any where else outside of certain specially favored irrigated districts in the west, 1t is declared.