CONTENTS. Som Survey or Jounston County, NortH Caroma. By W. Epwarp HEARN, OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, and L. L. Brinx- Ley, or THE NortH CARoLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Norfolk coarse sand. .....--- Norfolk sand.....-.--.-- ee Norfolk coarse sandy loa Novfolk sandy loam... Norfolk fine sandy loam. Norfolk silt loam. ... Portsmouth sandy loam Portsmouth fine sandy loam. Wickham sandy loam Susquehanna coarse sandy loam... _ Altavista fine sandy loam Wehadkee silt loam Issued September 12, 1913. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF SOILS—MILTON WHITNEY, Chief. 1 IN COOPERATION WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, é W. A. GRAHAM, COMMISSIONER; B. W. KILGORE, STATE CHEMIST AND DIRECTOR TEST FARMS. SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. ILLUSTRATIONS. BY PLATES. ; < ; ia : W. EDWARD HEARN, or tue U. S. Department ofr AGRICUL- LATE By ate crop of corn on Portsmouth soil drained by ditching........ 16 ; TuRE, AnD L. L. BRIN KLEY, or tHe Norra Carovina - Fig. 1, Poor crop of cotton on the Norfolk sand east of Smithfield. ; DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Fig. 2. A good crop of cotton, fertilized and properly cultivated, on a smoother and better area of the Norfolk sandy loam, 25 miles sonntheast Of Clayton su os socc ss ocaeeee oe FIGURE. ; HUGH H. BENNETT, Inspector tn Cuarce SourHeRN Division. Fig. 1. Sketch map showing areas surveyed in North Carolina................ 5 > MAP. Soil map, Johnston County sheet, North Carolina, [Advance Sheets—Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils, 1911.] WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFIOE. 1913, LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U. S. Derarrment or Acricutrure, Bureau or So1ss, Washington, D. C., November 27, 1912. Str: During the field season of 1911 the survey of Johnston County. North Carolina, was completed. The selection of this area was made after conference with the State authorities, with whom the Bureau of Soils is cooperating. I have the honor to transmit herewith the manuscript report and map covering this work and to request their publication as advance sheets of Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils for 1911, as authorized by law. Very respectfully, Mitton Wurrney, Chief of Bureau. Hon. James Witson, Secretary of Agriculture. 2 a aaa SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. By W. EDWARD HEARN, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and L. L. BRINKLEY, of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA. Johnston County is situated in the east-central part of North Caro- lina. It is bounded on the northeast and east by Nash, Wilson, and Wayne Counties, on the south by Wayne and Sampson Counties, on the west and southwest by Harnett and Sampson Counties, and on the north and northwest by Wake County. It has an area of 7 78 square miles, or 497,920 acres. 1) FP (wi Uji tijd we | ZZZ2, Zam KEW jj ej» ijl qe ZS Way, Y Z PAA Yi ENE SON COdf tow Y AB) 2, OS Pe ee a SE eS SS Sa SS ee Fic. 1.—Sketch map showing areas surveyed in North Carolina, The surface features consist of high, rolling uplands and gently undulating, broad interstream areas in the wide, level stretches. There is a fairly well-defined slope to the point where the Coastal Plain merges into the Piedmont Plateau, the entire Coastal Plain sec- tion throughout the county being gently sloping. Elevations vary from about 350 feet through the central part of the county to about 80 feet at the southeast corner, where the Neuse River leaves the area. In the northern section of the county and extending southwest 5 6 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911. across the Neuse River, including the Durham and Cecil types of the Piedmont Plateau, and along the western border near the larger streams, the surface consists of gently rolling to rolling areas which become hilly and broken as the streams are approached. ‘The greater part of the rough topography is embraced in this section. The general surface of the Coastal Plain section consists of flat, undulating to gently rolling interstream areas, in places becoming rough and hilly as the streams are approached. Some of the more prominent of these areas lie to the southeast of Benson; others are found around Princeton, to the northwest of Kenly, between Moores Crossroads and Hares Crossroads, and to the east and south of Clay- ton. The more level bodies of upland occur along the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad near Smithfield, extending to within 4 miles of Selma on the northeast and thence in an easterly direction to Oliver. The lowest land in the area is commonly known as “The Neuse River flats,” embracing a strip some 4 miles wide extending along the Neuse River from a point about 14 miles below the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad bridge to the county boundary. The general elevation of this section varies from 105 to 80 feet. The Neuse River, except over the area known as “ The Flats,” and the other streams of the county have cut deep channels, leaving rather narrow bands of level bottom land with contiguous rolling slopes and hilly to broken escarpments. The surface drainage of the area is effected through the Neuse River and the numerous tributaries which empty into it, either in the county or at a few miles distant on the east. This river enters the county about midway on the northwest boundary line, following a general southeasterly course and leaving the area at the southeast corner. The southern half of the county is drained by a network of creeks, the majority of which head in Wake County, flowing east and emptying into the Neuse River within the area. Of these the most important are Swift, Middle, Black, Hannah, Stone, and Mill Creeks. These, with their numerous tributaries in the form of branches and streamlets, afford excellent drainage for all of the county lying south of the Neuse River. The northern and eastern sections are drained by Little River and its tributaries, Buffalo, Cat Tail, and Little Creeks, Long Branch, and Moccasin Creek, the lat- ter forming part of the northeast boundary of the county, and by Moccasin Swamp and Bowdy Creek, which flow through the south- eastern section. All of these waterways furnish ample drainage for that part of the county lying to the north of the river. The county, with the exception of a small area lying along the lower part of the Neuse River, possesses excellent natural surface drainage. Many of the streams in the county are swift flowing, and con- siderable water power has been developed along their courses to operate cotton gins and sawmills, ee ee ee ee err SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 7 Johnston County has a population of 41,401, of which nearly 90 per cent are native born. The population in 1900 was 32,250, show- ing an increase for the decade of 9,151. There is a large negro popu- lation. Smithfield, the county seat, with a population of 1,347; Clayton, with 1,441; and Selma, with 1,331, are the three largest towns. Some sections of the county are thickly populated, the farms in such areas being small. Other sections are composed of large individual holdings owned by wealthy planters, and in some localities there are large tracts of undeveloped land. The county is traversed by the main line of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and by the Greensboro and Goldsboro branch of the Southern Railway. A branch of the former line, known as the Midland Railroad, runs from Smithfield to Goldsboro. The Neuse River is navigable as far up as Smithfield for small boats at certain seasons of the year. Large quantities of logs are floated down this stream. Clayton Township possesses the best roads in the county. The central highway leading from Beaufort, on the coast, to the western end of the State, passes through the county. Five townships are now working the public roads by special tax. Good sand and clay or gravel roads can be constructed cheaply and maintained at a low cost. Rural free-delivery routes have been established through- out the county and telephone lines are being extended to the rural districts. The bulk of the cotton grown in the county is shipped to outside points, only a small proportion going to local mills. Clayton is the most important cotton market in the county, from 12,000 to 15,000 bales being sold here annually. Smithfield, Selma, Benson, Kenly, Princeton, and Pine Level are also cotton markets. Smith- field is now the center of what tobacco business there is in the county. CLIMATE, ’ The climate of the area as a whole is mild and equable, the mean annual temperature: being 60° F. The average snowfall is about 8 inches and the rainfall about 50 inches, fairly well distributed throughout the year, the heaviest precipitation occurring during June, July, and August. The eastern and southern portions of this county are low and flat, as compared with the western side near Raleigh, the rainfall being slightly heavier and the temperature a little higher in the former region. The humidity is also greater, particularly in the flats along the Neuse River. The growing season is long enough for maturing ‘all crops. Cover crops, cabbages, and a few other crops can be grown during the winter months, and considerable farm work can be car- ried on during this period. Complete crop failures are rare. 8 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911. The excellent drainage and high, rolling country make the county salubrious. The use of water from driven or bored wells in the lower areas, especially on the Neuse flats, has greatly improved the health conditions of those sections. Good well water can be secured in all parts of the county. There is no established Weather Bureau station in Johnston County, but the accompanying table, compiled from the records of the station located at. Raleigh, represent in a general way the local conditions: Normal monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature and precipitation at Raleigh. Temperature. Precipitation. Month. Total T Mean, |.Absolute | Absolute | 4, amount. haces Snow, * |maximum.| minimum. ans for the | for the wet-| 2Verage driest year.| test year. | Cepth. it A be 4! bi Inches Inches. Inches Inch December... 02.22.62... 43 45 9 2.9 2.6 tafe ivan Janwarys..ciccce ss 555.0 41 76 2 3.6 2.2 4.0 2.3 RaDPURRY.. . - » 4055-0.--5 43 80 2 4.4 4.4 6.1 4.1 Winter. i e.heeicws $8 1th si goad lt.|: bios kondnd 10.9 9.2 | 10.3 7.9 Mareh..000.0000c0ee.- 50 89 16 4.3, 4.8 7.2 0.3 py ee rg ral 58 95 30 3.6 4.7 3.0 0.3 1 PERAK ei Oe aa 68 98 38 5.1 2.8 9.2 0.0 Soring..; «32 azsea PDAs 666245 %. Odd. t cad ant OE 13.0 12.3 19.4 0.6 Fens. iS 94..40.. ae 76 101 46 4.6 3.4 4.1 0.0 Fubby (i. 833... peas ti: 79 103 54 6.3 4.9 11.0 0.0 ATRUR AS. <- 5 > ods ie a7 99 52 5.8 1.9 10.4 0.0 Summer.......... PO hE CNG Lb GIES 16.7 10.2 25.5 0.0 September... .... aa 71 100 39 3.2 0.7 1.8 . 0.0 Ontober ysns ai aca2sa-3? 60 89 31 3.8 2.6 2.6 ae PIOVOMDOE 5.63 ses 22k 51 82 17 2.3 3.4 3.7 0.1 P| Saapa F saree | Cie Pets RR ei 9.3 6.7 8.1 0.1 ro | —=|——— = (* ro te ats 60 103 —2 49.9 38.4 63.3 8.6 ———— Et ee AGRICULTURE. Johnston County was one of the first to be settled in the State, its original territory being much in excess of the 778 square miles which constitutes its present area. The crops of the early settlers consisted of corn, wheat, oats, barley, and rye. Hogs, sheep, and a few cattle were kept, the sheep for wool and the stock for sale on the hoof at nearby markets. The census of 1880 showed 45,000 acres devoted to corn, 3,000 to cats, 4,000 to wheat, and 32,000 to cotton. In 1910 there were 61,639 iin iit ica nt SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, 9 acres in corn, producing 951,441 bushels; 53,037 acres in cotton, from which 34,795 bales were secured; 5,862 acres in tobacco, yielding 3,960,831 pounds of leaf; and 3,853 acres in sweet potatoes, which produced 475,483 bushels. Cotton has been the main dependence of the planters as a money crop since the Civil War. The turpentine industry flourished until a few years ago, and the yellow-pine forests have been extensively cut over for lumber. The growing of bright-yellow tobacco on a commercial scale assumed considerable importance about 1897, the industry reaching its highest point in 1902. By 1905 a reaction set in and a marked decrease in acreage was noted. The growth and decline of tobacco production is accounted for in part by fluctuations in the price of cotton. The tobacco acreage was extended during the period from 1893 to 1896, when the price of cotton was low. When the price again advanced planters once more turned their attention to the cotton crop. At present cotton is the money crop, the output for 1911 being in the neighborhood of 55,000 bales, the largest in the history of the county. The business of the area depends practically on this crop, financial transactions from year to year being liquidated at the season of its harvesting. Corn is the second crop in importance. It is grown in all parts of the county, and in most cases with uniformly good results (see Pl. I). Cowpeas are extensively grown, most of them being sown broadcast in the corn after the last plowing or after small grain and truck crops. Some are planted in hills between the corn, and in such cases the peas are usually allowed to mature for seed. A large quantity of cowpea hay is annually cut and cured. A considerable quantity of oats is grown, but practically none of the crop is thrashed, being cut for forage and fed to the work stock during the late spring and sum- mer months. Wheat is grown to a limited extent in the northern section and along the northwest border of the county. In 1911 tobacco was grown to a small extent as compared with the previous years. The prices, however, were high, and its production on this account promises to be increased in the near future. The principal varieties are the Warn, Hickory, Prior, Tilley, and Gooch. These bright tobaccos are used in the manufacture of cigarette and pipe tobacco. Of the miscellaneous crops peanuts are grown to some extent, and their production will in all probability increase. Watermelons are produced particularly in the vicinity of Clayton. From this point more than 100 carloads are shipped annually to the northern and western markets. The Tom Watson and Rattlesnake are the favorite varieties. Cantaloupes are grown to a small extent, and shipments 69766°—13——2 10 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911. are made to outside markets from various points in the county. Sweet potatoes form a crop on every farm for home use, and some are grown for market. Crimson clover, chufas, rape, soy beans, vetch, velvet beans, and rye are other crops giving profitable yields. Irish potatoes and garden vegetables are found on nearly every homestead. Sorghum is grown in patches throughout the county, and the juice is manufactured into sirup for home use. Apple, peach, pear, and cherry trees and a large number of fig bushes are scattered throughout the county. Scuppernong, James, and Misch grapes are found in practically all parts of the county, and some of these are marketed or made into wine. Some nursery stoek is grown, particularly in Cleveland Township. ~ In many localities practically all the above-mentioned crops are grown upon the same type of soil without regard to adaptation. It is generally recognized, however, that the heavier soils of the Cecil types are better suited to wheat, oats, corn, cowpeas, and clovers than are the types of other series. Tobacco is grown most extensively on the Durham soils and upon the Norfolk sandy loam, Norfolk fine sandy loam, and Orangeburg sandy loam, though to a small extent also upon the Cecil sandy loam. It is claimed by some that the heavier Cecil soils cause the leaf to freckle and show openings known as “ frog eyes.” Peanuts * give excellent results upon the mellow sandy loams where well drained and given applications of lime and manure. Peanuts could be advantageously rotated with tobacco and cotton. The truck crops, watermelons, and cantaloupes, are found to do best upon the light sandy loams or loamy sands. Cotton, although grown upon every upland soil in the county, seems to reach its best development upon the Norfolk sandy loam, in- cluding its shallow phase, Orangeburg sandy loam, and Ruston coarse sandy loam. The King’s Improved and Simpkins are varieties exten- sively planted. The soils of Johnston County are adapted to a large number of crops, and to secure the best results suitable crop rotations should be established and maintained and the practice of one-crop farming abandoned. Some farmers now rotate cotton and corn, sowing cow- peas at last plowing of the corn or planting them in hills between the corn. A few others plant tobacco, cotton, and corn alternately, while some work in wheat, and other crops with the cotton, but in general more attention should be given to this question. A practical rotation for the Norfolk, Orangeburg, Ruston, and Susquehanna soils would be cotton, peanuts, or tobacco, sowing cowpeas after the tobacco crop is gathered and crimson clover after peanuts, followed the third year by corn, sowing cowpeas at last plowing. A good three-year rotation 1 Farmers’ Bul. No. 25, U. S. Dept. of Agr., ‘* Peanuts: Culture and Uses.” ee SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 11 for the Cecil and Durham types would be wheat or oats, sowing cow- peas after the crops are harvested and following with a winter cover crop of rye or clover; second year, cotton or tobacco; and third year, corn, sowing cowpeas at last cultivation. In this rotation cotton, which is a clean cultivated crop, would follow a leguminous crop. On some of the large plantations and many of the small farms the agricultural methods in practice are good, but on many others, where the tenant system is followed, there is room for considerable improvement. Much improved labor-saving machinery is now in use. Disk plows and harrows, stalk cutters, cotton and corn planters, fertilizer distributers, horse cultivators, weeders, and manure spreaders are operated on some of the better farms. The surface features and the mellow character of the soils over the greater part of Johnston County allow the use of all kinds of machinery. The heavier types of the Cecil, Durham, and Norfolk series are not plowed to a sufficient depth to secure the most profitable returns, as the one-horse plow is still used on many farms. The light sandy loams and sands, owing to their loose structure, do not require such deep plowing and are handled in a very satisfactory manner. Large sums are spent annually for commercial fertilizer. It is applied to various crops and upon the different soils, regardless of any peculiar requirements they may have. The common fertilizers in use are 8-3-3 and 8-2-2 mixtures, in addition to which top dressings of nitrate of soda are also used. Some of the more progressive farmers buy acid phosphate, potash, and cottonseed meal, and do their own mixing. This method, in some instances, is preferable. Better results can be secured than with the complete fertilizer where the individual needs of the soils have been determined through ex- perimentation. For the small farmers the complete, ready-mixed fertilizer is more convenient. Upon the light sandy loams and sands it is best to give the fertilizer in two applications, from one-half or two-thirds at time of planting and the remainder at the second eul- tivation. In buying or mixing fertilizers for tobacco it should be borne in mind that muriate of potash, owing to the presence of chlorine, has a bad effect on the burning quality of tobacco. For this crop the potash should be supplied in the form of sulphate only. A good fertilizer for tobacco on the Norfolk soils would be 800 pounds of an 8-3-3 mixture and 100 pounds of sulphate of potash. Cantaloupes and watermelons require from 600 to 1,000 pounds of high-grade fertilizer, approximating a 7-8-5 or 8-5-5 mixture. By using large quantities of barnyard manure, or planting on land where cowpeas have been previously turned under, the proportion of nitrogen may be lessened, 12 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911. Sweet potatoes need large quantities of phosphoric acid and potash and a small quantity of nitrogen to insure a proper start in growth. A good fertilizer for this crop is secured by mixing 400 pounds of cottonseed meal, 1,200 pounds acid phosphate, and 400 pounds of sul- phate of potash. Acreage applications of this mixture should not exceed 500 pounds. Peanuts will probably become an important crop in Johnston ’ County in the near future. The first requirement of this crop upon any soil is lime. Tf this is not by nature present in the soil it must be supplied in sufficient quantity to give a slightly alkaline condition. When this is done, from 300 to 500 pounds of a 10-41 fertilizer will give good results. Cowpeas, also being a nitrogen-gathering crop, require but a small quantity of nitrogen in the fertilizer. A good mixture would be 300 pounds acid phosphate and 25 pounds muriate of potash per acre. For corn from 300 to 500 pounds of a 4-8-2 mixture gives good results. Where crimson clover has been grown and turned under in the spring 400 pounds of acid phosphate and 50 pounds of muriate of potash, with a side application of nitrate of soda in midseason, will insure larger yields. Cotton requires a complete fertilizer. From 400 to 600 pounds of an 8-3-3 mixture, with a side dressing of nitrate of soda, has proved satisfactory. When cotton follows crimson clover or a heavy crop of cowpeas, about 400 pounds of acid phosphate and 25 pounds of muriate of potash will usually insure good yields. Wheat and oats, in order to make their best development, should have a complete fertilizer, unless the land has been fairly well ma- nured, and then only a small quantity of nitrogen is necessary. From 60 to 100 pounds of nitrate of soda applied to the oats in the spring increases the yield greatly. Crimson clover is, perhaps, the best winter cover crop for the soils of Johnston County. Being a legume, it is a good crop to precede cotton and corn, and if plowed under in the spring the yields of the staple crops are greatly increased. For clover the soil should. be limed at the rate of 1,500 to 2,000 pounds per acre and inoculated with soil from a field where clover has been grown. About 15 pounds of seed per acre should be sown between the middle of September and the middle of October, using from 200 to 400 pounds of acid phosphate and 50 pounds of potash per acre. Bur clover can be handled in practically the same manner as the crimson. It can be sown, however, as early as the last working of the corn and cotton. It improves the soil, but does not make good hay. Hairy vetch is also another legume which fills the soil with humus and supplies nitrogen. Soy beans make a good growth on SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 13 the sandy land, stand up well, and are easy to cut and cure. They also add nitrogen to the soil. The Mammoth Yellow is a good variety. Rape (the Dwarf Essex variety) makes fine winter grazing for hogs, becoming available in 8 or 10 weeks. Farm labor is scarce throughout the county. Most of the laborers are negroes. A considerable part of the work of the farm is done by the women and children. Day laborers receive from 75 cents to $1.25, while the monthly rate varies from $15 to $20. Women re- ceive about 60 cents a day. It is a difficult matter to secure a suffi- cient number of hands to pick the cotton. The usual price paid at the beginning of the season is 50 cents a hundredweight. This price is gradually increased to 75 cents, and even $1, before the season ends. There is a desire on the part of the farm laborers to become tenants as soon as possible. A large number of the smaller farms throughout the county, par- ticularly around Kenly, Princeton, northeast of Selma, and south- east of Benson, are operated by the owners. Upon many of these farms no help is hired at all, the men being assisted by the women and children. Very few of the farms are operated entirely by hired labor and an extensive tenant system is developed in many sections of the county. Under this system the landowner furnishes the land and one-half of the fertilizer and receives one-half of the crop. Sometimes, instead, one-half the fertilizer, the stock, feed, and im- plements are supplied. A few of the farms are operated on a cash rental basis or for a stated rent, say 1,000 pounds of lint cotton for 80 acres, or a one-horse farm. The farms in Johnston County vary greatly in size, the smaller ones containing from 30 to 50 acres and the larger ones from 100 to 300 acres. It frequently happens that one person owns several farms, their aggregate holdings amounting to 1,000 acres or more. In a few cases from 5,000 to 10,000 acres are held in this way. There is a large undeveloped section lying along the Neuse River southeast of Smithfield, and here the individual holdings are large. All land in Johnston County has increased in value within the last 8 or 10 years. According to the assessed valuations the cheapest lands lie in Bentonsville Township, where the average is about $5 an acre. In Selma Township it is $16.50 an acre. In some of the more remote sections of the county the poorer kinds of soil are held at $8 to $15 and the better kinds at $15 to $30 an acre. Near Kenly and Princeton the price ranges from $30 to $60 an acre, and in the vicinity of Selma, Clayton, Smithfield, and Benson from $30 to $100 an acre. : The natural resources of Johnston County are great and the soils capable of sustaining a highly developed intensive form of agricul- i\ . 14 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911. ture. One farmer about 2 miles north of Hares Crossroads produced nearly 3 bales of cotton upon one acre of Norfolk sandy loam. His methods should prove instructive. In March the land was plowed to a depth of 15 inches and given a liberal application of barnyard manure. Prior to planting the seed 800 pounds of an 8-3-3 fertilizer was added to the soil. About the second week in June 400 pounds of the same mixture and 200 pounds nitrate of soda were added, and July 1, 400 pounds of fertilizer and 200 pounds of nitrate of soda, thus making a total of 1,600 pounds of 8-8-8 fertilizer and. 400 pounds nitrate of soda. The rows were 6 feet apart and the stalks from 2 to 3 feet apart. King’s Improved seed was used. About three-fifths of Johnston County has no stock law. This includes the greater part of the eastern side and practically all of the southern half of the county. In this no-stock-law section cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats run at large over all the land that is not fenced. Under such conditions no improved strains of cattle or hogs can be raised. There is also no means of controlling disease. Large quantities of hay, corn, oats, and meat are brought into the county for local consumption. All of these products can easily be grown and should be grown at home. More live stock should be kept, and there are plenty of crops suited to the soils and climate to provide feed not only for hogs, but for beef cattle, and sheep as well. Increasing the number of farm animals fits in nicely with the plan of rotating crops, which has already been shown to be necessary to a proper development of farming. On the Cecil soils and portions of the Durham and Norfolk types deeper plowing, subsoiling, and a thorough pulverization of the soil are essential. Most of the cultivation should be done before planting. A deep, loose seed bed insures better drainage, more moisture, and a better stand than can possibly be secured upon a cloddy and shallow-plowed soil. Careful and systematic rotation of crops should be more largely practiced, so that a nitrogen-consuming crop will follow a legume. In this section winter cover crops should be grown extensively. In the cultivation of cotton geese are very useful in keeping down the grass. Three geese suffice to keep the grass eaten out of two acres of cotton and upon some soils one goose to the acre will be enough. Low woven-wire fences, which can easily be moved from place to place, will keep the geese within bounds. This method of keeping down the grass is less expensive than the use of hired labor. SOILS, Johnston County lies on the border of the Piedmont Plateau and Coastal Plain provinces. Approximately one-sixth of the county, setae tu dana ee a male alele CRONE SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 15 embracing the northern end and parts of the western side, belongs to the Piedmont Plateau region. Tongues of this province also reach down the Neuse River and some of the larger streams for a distance of several miles, mingling with areas of Coastal Plain material which extend farther inland on the ridges and high interstream areas. Such alternating ridges of Coastal Plain material and rolling slopes and hillsides of Piedmont material occur along the western border of the county. This intermingling of the two regions is due to the removal of a surface covering of the Coastal Plain material along the line of contact with the uplands, where it was comparatively shallow. The streams have cut through this material and have also eroded the rocks to a considerable depth. bin The soils of the Piedmont Plateau section are of residual origin, i. e., derived from the weathering of the underlying rocks. Coarse- grained granites predominate, with small quantities of gneiss, schist, diabase, diorite, and slate. Two distinct soil series have been formed from these rocks, the Cecil and the Durham. The Cecil soils are characterized by gray to red surface soils, with stiff red clay subsoils, and are formed largely through the weathering of granites and to a less extent of gneiss, schist, diorite, and shale. These rocks carry iron-bearing minerals which, upon oxidation, impart the red color to the soil and subsoil. Slate is seen only in the extreme northeastern corner of the county, so that its influence upon the soils of this county is slight. The soils of the Durham series, with light-colored to gray surface soils and yellow, friable, and sometimes sandy clay subsoils, are derived from coarse-grained granite, slightly more siliceous and usually lower in iron-bearing minerals than the rocks giving the Cecil soils. The Coastal Plain section of the county includes unconsolidated sands, clays, and gravel of sedimentary origin, brought down from the Piedmont and Appalachian regions and deposited while the pres- ent area was a part of the sea floor. These sediments have been more or less altered by weathering agencies since their deposition. The Norfolk, Portsmouth, Orangeburg, Susquehanna, and Ruston soils are formed from this material. The Norfolk soils have yellowish-gray, light-gray to white surface soils and yellow, friable sandy clay or sand subsoils. These soils are usually well drained. The Portsmouth series is derived from the same materials as the Norfolk, but modified by very different condi- tions since emergence above the sea. They occupy flat areas in the uplands that have been in a semiswampy condition for a long time, thus favoring the accumulation of large quantities of vegetable matter, which is one feature that distinguishes them from the Nor- folk. The swampy condition has also prevented weathering through = PAS SRE a Tee a eek Pa bE NaN ever en enw O SS en ee 16 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911. aeration. These soils are dark gray to black, with gray, sandy clay subsoils, mottled with brown or yellow. Mottled subsoils are not found in the true Norfolk types. The Orangeburg, Susquehanna, and Ruston series, although small in extent, are typically developed. The Orangeburg series is repre- sented by only one member, the Orangeburg sandy loam. This soil differs from the Norfolk soils mainly in the distinctive red color of its subsoil. Two members of the Ruston series were mapped. The soils are gray to grayish brown and the subsoils are brownish to reddish in color. The Susquehanna series presents one well-devel- oped type, the coarse sandy loam, derived from the clays underlying the beds giving rise to the Norfolk, Portsmouth, Orangeburg, and Ruston series, and possibly representing the weathered product of the Potomac formation. The surface soil has the appearance of Nor- folk, the subsoil being a dull-brown, tough, plastic clay, showing considerable mottling in the lower portion. Along the contact of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain there are en- countered areas where a thin covering of sandy or gravelly sedi- mentary material lies upon residual clay. This condition has given rise to the Bradley soils, which consist of gray to reddish-colored surface soils, containing rounded quartz gravel and stones, under- lain by a stiff red clay subsoil. The Bradley series is intermediate between the Cecil and Norfolk soils, and it was difficult in many places to locate definite boundary lines. The alluvial deposits along the streams, and particularly in the Neuse River flats, are the most recently formed soils of the county. These sediments have their origin in both the Piedmont Plateau and Coastal Plain, but have been reworked and redeposited by the streams. They constitute the first and second bottom lands, which include several distinct and important types of soil. Many of the soils mapped in Johnston County are widely dis- tributed throughout the Coastal Plain and Piedmont sections of the State. The Durham and Cecil types are but the beginning of prom- inent areas extending across the Piedmont Plateau. The Norfolk and Portsmouth series comprise familiar types of the Coastal Plain. The Orangeburg, Ruston, and Susquehanna, on the other hand, are seldom found in the Coastal Plain in North Carolina. The Bradley types have been encountered elsewhere along the contact between the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions, Report of Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1911. PLATE lI. (portion of stalk above ears) have been cut for forage.] ‘tops [The + A GooD Crop OF CORN ON PORTSMOUTH SOIL DRAINED BY DITCHING. Report of Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1911. Fic. 1.—Poor Crop oF COTTON ON THE NORFOLK SAND EAST OF SMITHFIELD. [The type is better suited to early vegetables and watermelons than to the general farm crops. ] Fic. 2.—A Goop Crop oF COTTON, FERTILIZED AND PROPERLY CULTIVATED, ON A SMOOTHER AND BETTER AREA OF THE NORFOLK SANDY LOAM, 2.5 MILES SOUTH- EAST OF CLAYTON. PLATE Il. SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 17 The following scheme shows the general grouping of the soils according to origin: Origin. Material. Drainage In part residual from underlying | Residual; derived from underlying rocks. rocks. | | | | Sedimentary; | Coastal Plain | deposits. \Ictay beds under- 69766°—13 Granites, gneisses, and schists inter- spersed with little diorite, dia- base, and slate. Coarse - grained granites; little gneiss. Soils from Coastal Plain material; subsoils granite, gneisses, schists, and slates. U nconsolidated sands and clays. lying unconsoli- dated sands and clay beds of Nor- folk, Orangeburg, and Ruston soils, Good surface drainage. Good surface drainage. Good surface drainage. Drainage well es- tablished for most part. Drainage well es- tablished. Drainage well es- tablished. Drainage poorly established. Drainage well es- tablished. Color. Type. Gray to red soils; stiff red subsoils. Gray soils; yellow fri- able clay subsoils. Gray to reddish soils; stiff red clay subsoils. Gray to yellowish- gray and white soils; yellow friable sandy clay orsand subsoils. Gray to brownish soil; red friable sandy clay subsoil; oxida- tion more complete than other Coastal Plain soils. Gray to brownish soils; reddish-yellow to dark-red friable sandy clay subsoils; oxidation advanced to stage between Norfolk and Orange- burg. Dark-gray to black soils; gray or mot- tled gray, yellow and brownish subsoils; oxidation very in- complete. Gray soil; stiff, mot- tled red and gray clay subsoil. Cecil stony sandy loam. Cecil coarse sandy loam. Cecilsandy loam. Cecil fine sandy loam. Cecil clay loam. Durham coarse sandy loam. Durham sandy loam. Bradley gravelly sandy loam. Bradley sandy loam. Norfolk sand. Norfolk sand. Norfolk coarse sandy loam. Norfolk sandy loam, Norfolk fine sandy loam. Norfolk silt loam. coarse Orangeburg sandy loam. Ruston coarse sandy loam. Ruston gravelly sandy loam. Portsmouth sandy loam. Portsmouth fine sandy loam. Susquehanna coarse sandy loam. 18 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911. Origin. Material. Drainage. Color. Type. Wickha: coars yellowish-brown to 2 x Brown toreddish soils; d. Well drained......|} reddish-brown sub- ~ Material 1 1 soils; usual coarse bypbaayrenn Sane Oldalluvial;stream|[~ 8" “OTBe'Y : loam. washed down substratum. terraces above from Piedmont normal overflow. Gray soil; mottled yel- ils. low, and b - - ails Rather poorly ilthesicni ex: git Altavista fine Bead ish subsoil; oxida- dente leas Rvs tion notso complete = x as . ickham. i ish soil; mottled Ks Largely. from |[ oP ooty | Grayish soil; mottled |} akee edt . established; gray, yellow. and Piedmont. < loam. overflows. brown subsoil. | Dark-colored brown to Material wholly | Wet land; over- ‘3 i = - reddish undifferenti- oralmost wholly flows at every i Meadow. . = ated soils of variable from Piedmont. rain. 3% Recent alluvial; : ature. first bottoms sub- |{ Material partly z ject to overflow. from Coastal ||Covered with wa- bladk:ctindigerentt: | Plain and part- ter greater part Swamp. ated soils of variable ly from Pied- of year. | texture. mont. Black to dark-brown Material largely {Drainage poorly soil; mottled yellow, Coastal Plain. established. gray, and brownish subsoil. Johnston loam. Grayish, brownish, and | The following table gives the actual and relative extent of the several soils mapped in Johnston County. Their distribution is shown by means of colors on the accompanying map. Areas of different soils. Soil. Acrss. | Per cent. Soil. Acres. | Percent. Norfolk sandy loam........... 146, 496 } 33.7 Durham coarse sandy loam... 8,576 if Shallow phase... 21,440 é Portsmouth fine sandy loam. 7,616 1.5 Norfolk sand........ 38, 784 7.8 || Portsmouth sandy loam...... 7,616 1.5 31, 104 6.3 || Durham sandy loam.......... 6,912 1.4 30,080 6.0 || Cecil coarse sandy loam....... 6,720 1.4 28, 864 5.8 || Johnston loam................ 6, 528 1.3 21,376 4.3 || Orangeburg sandy loam...... 5,440 a1 Wickham sandy loam........ 5, 248 i 19, 136 3.8 || Bradley sandy loam.......... 4,480 9 18, 560 3.7 || Altavista fine sandy loam... . 3, 968 8 17,408 3.5 || Ruston coarse sandy loam... . 3,392 oe. 12, 544 2.5 || Wickham coarse sand......... 2,816 -6 Norfolk silt loam... .......... 11, 456 2.3 || Ruston gravelly sandy loam. . 1,728 «4 Norfolk eoarse sand........... 10,112 2.0 || Cecil clay loam............... 768 -2 Cecil stony sandy loam....... 9, 664 1.9 Sees, Bradley gravelly sandyloam..| 9,088 L8 Total....-.-.---++++---- 497,920 |.......-.- a — nh Dice aeennngpitanipn SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, 19 CECIL COARSE SANDY LOAM. The surface soil of the Cecil coarse sandy loam consists of a_yel- lowish-gray to light-brown loamy coarse sand to coarse sandy loam, ranging in depth from 5 to 12 inches. The subsoil is a stiff red clay, continuing to a depth of 36 inches and varying frequently in color from slightly yellow to reddish yellow to red. These variations are not typical, but represent a gradation toward another type, possibly the Appling coarse sandy loam.t Over some areas the surface soil consists mainly of fine sand mixed with silt and clay, with sufficient coarse sand and gravel to justify the classification of the type as a coarse sandy loam. Spots of gravelly sandy loam too small to be separated on a map of the scale used were included with the type. The largest bodies of this type are situated in the northern and western parts of the county. It is well developed northwest and south of Hocutts Crossroads, to the south of Sealey Mill, northwest of Clayton, and on the south side of Swift Creek, in Cleveland Town- ship. The type occurs as gently rolling upland areas in the vicinity of Hocutts Crossroads and as slope and hillside areas in other sec- tions. Surface drainage is excellent, no ditching being necessary. Terracing to prevent erosion is needed on the steeper slopes. This type is derived from the weathering of coarse-grained granite and gneiss. On the slopes erosion has been active, and much of the weathered material has been washed off, leaving the bedrock exposed in places or within 3 feet of the surface. , The type is suited to cotton, corn, oats, wheat, clover, and cowpeas. On the more sandy and deeper areas peanuts, rye, melons, and truck crops would do well. Corn ordinarily yields from 15 to 25 bushels per acre, but as high as 40 bushels can be obtained. Cotton produces from one-half to 1 bale when fertilized with applications of 400 to 600 pounds of an 8-3-3 mixture. A little sorghum is also grown. Peaches, pears, and cherries, while grown to a limited extent, can be made profitable around the home. Oats, cowpeas, and sweet potatoes do well. A few bodies of the original timber growth remain, consisting of white, red, and post oak, some hickory, pine, and poplar. Some of the cut-over areas have grown up to old-field pine. ‘Land values range from $15 to $40 an acre, depending upon loca- tion and improvements. CECIL SANDY LOAM. The soil of the Cecil sandy loam consists of a yellowish-gray, light-brown or reddish-brown, medium to fine sandy loam, ranging 1See description of the Appling soils in the soil-survey reports on Columbia County, Ga., and Fairfield County, S. C. Le ey ee ae ee ee a ne ee 20 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911. in depth from 6 to 10 inches. The subsoil of the typical areas is a bright-red stiff clay, continuing to a depth of 3 feet or more, sticky when wet, and inclined to bake and crumble when dry. Over many areas quartz fragments and rounded gravel are present in small quantities in the surface soil. “Galled spots” of red clay loam ex- posed by surface washing are also occasionally noted. This type as a whole is mellow and easily tilled and in many situations lies well for the use of machinery. In a few places on the slopes a yellowish to reddish-yellow and sometimes mottled clay is encountered in the subsoil. Such areas are uot typical and represent patches probably of the Appling sandy loam too small to map. The Cecil sandy loam is most extensively developed in the northern end of the county and along its western border. Large bodies of this soil are found around Emit, to the north and west of Bethel Church, on the south side of Buffalo Creek, in the vicinity of Barnes Crossroads, north of Clayton, along Whiteoak Creek, and to the east and south of Mount Zion Church. Other areas are encountered throughout this general region. The topography is gently rolling to rolling and hilly. The more level and gently rolling areas occur around Emit and to the south. The greater proportion of the areas in other parts of the county are more or less sloping, hilly, or broken. Surface drainage is good and practically no ditching is necessary. On some of the hillsides terracing is practiced. Means to prevent washing should be more generally employed. The Cecil sandy loam owes its origin largely to the disintegration and weathering of granite and gneiss. To some extent schistose rocks enter into its composition and in local areas diorite or diabase have had some influence. Outcrops of these rocks are found on slopes and in road cuts. The rocks are composed chiefly of feld- spar, quartz, with a small quantity of mica, and their weathered product is a medium to fine sandy loam or loam. Surface wash has changed somewhat the texture of this soil in many places. The red color of the subsoil is due to oxidized iron compounds. A considerable proportion of this type is cleared and cultivated, although many bodies are still forested wsth pine, oak, hickory, and other hardwoods. The deeper and more sandy areas are suited to truck crops, berries, and peanuts, while the heavier areas are better adapted to corn, cotton, tobacco, grain, clover, and cowpeas. Cotton yields from one- half to 1 bale per acre, corn 15 to 25 bushels, and tobacco from 600 to 1,000 pounds. Oats, wheat, cowpeas, sweet potatoes, sorghum, and garden vegetables all give satisfactory returns. Apples, peaches, cherries, and figs are grown for home consumption. The larger at. SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. ot yields of tobacco and cotton are secured by heavy applications of com- mercial fertilizer. Farmers use practically the same fertilization for this type and other soils of the Cecil series as for the Norfolk types. Some of the yields of cotton, corn, and tobacco indicate what this soil and the associated types of the Cecil series are capable of pro- ducing under favorable conditions. When properly manured, fer- tilized, and cultivated these respond readily in increased yields, the improvement being quite lasting on account of the clay subsoil, which prevents leaching. By plowing a little deeper each year, thoroughly pulverizing the soil, and by turning under leguminous crops or coarse manures to supply the much needed organic matter, a better seed bed can be formed. The soil will thus become more retentive of moisture and much larger yields will be the result. The decay of the organic matter will furnish, to a large extent, the needed nitrogen, while the fresh material brought up from the sub- soil will supply additional plant food. By this method the expendi- tures for fertilizers may be reduced. Systematic crop rotation thould be practiced upon this type. A good three-year rotation would be, cotton, followed by.corn, sowing cowpeas at last plowing, und oats, sowing cowpeas or clover after this crop is cut. This would allow cotton, a clean cultivated crop, to follow a nitrogen-gathering. crop. By deeper plowing and the use of winter cover crops these soils will not erode or wash to any great extent and terracing may be largely eliminated. The Cecil sandy loam is considered a good general farming soil and sells at prices ranging from $20 to $40 an acre. CECIL FINE SANDY LOAM. The surface soil of the Cecil fine sandy loam consists of a yellow- ish-gray to light-brown, mellow, fine sandy loam, extending to an average depth of 8 inches. The subsoil consists of a bright-red, stiff, brittle clay, 36 inches or more in depth. It is generally somewhat greasy to the touch and in a few localities a slight sand content is noticed. Spots of light-colored very fine sandy to silty loam are encountered near the base of the slopes and also in the vicinity of Moccasin Creek. These areas are not shown as a different type on the map as they are too small to be indicated without great ex- aggeration. Gravel and fragments of rock are occasionally found seattered over the surface of the type. In places the subsoil is reddish yellow and even yellowish in color, but such areas represent zones of gradation toward another type rather than a phase of this soil and are also too small to map. Small scales of mica are of frequent occurrence in the subsoil. 22 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911. This type is confined to the western and northern parts a county, the most important areas lying to the east of Emit, a nF the county line, to the north of the Iron Bridge on Neuse River, ie Little Creek south of Clayton and scattered throughout the nor western section of the county. ; and The topography is gently rolling to rolling, becoming pe aa" i hilly near the larger streams. This is particularly noticeable 2 a ni Moccasin Creek, in the northern part of the county. The type ma good natural surface drainage over its entire area. Terracing is 2 . ag- essary on some of the steeper slopes to prevent extensive and damag ing surface washing. . . . e- This soil is derived from the decay of mica schist, gneiss, and fin ts grained granite. In the northern part of the county a few sp? derived from shales have been included. ; A less The native forest growth consists of oak, hickory, and a few important hardwoods, is soil. Corn, oats, wheat, clover, cowpeas, and cotton do well on yen Corn produces from 10 to 25 bushels per acre, but yields of 4 . le bushels have been reported. Cotton yields from one-third to 1 ba per acre, Apples, peaches, and figs do well. potatoes, soil treat this type. Cowpeas give good returns. se sorghum, and garden vegetables make good yields. oa ment outlined for the Cecil sandy loam applies equally Land values range from $15 to $50 an acre. CECIL STONY SANDY LOAM. The surface soil of the Ceci to light-brown fine sandy 10 inches. 1 stony sandy loam consists of a sid to silty loam, varying in depth he: or The subsoil is a bright-red, stiff, brittle clay, 36 ies more in depth and changing in spots to reddish yellow. pot Pe fragments of quartz and of the underlying rocks are mixed with a soil in proportions varying from 15 to 40 per cent. Rounded pees in considerable quantities and a medium to coarse textured soil ¢ AY acterizes a few small areas included with this type, and in the nor ae ern part of the county a red silty clay loam surface soil 15 agi countered. Here and there, where erosion has been active, the su i i ) epi ee Fee ts peel ea 3.4 | 6.8 6.8 17.6 7.3 19.5 38.6 MEADOW. Meadow includes a variety of soil materials, occupying such small areas as to make separation impracticable on a map of the scale used. The texture ranges from coarse sand to heavy loam. Along Buffalo Creek and some of the other larger streams in the northeastern part of the county the soil consists of a grayish very fine sand to silty loam, underlain by a yellow to brownish or mottled subsoil, slightly heavier in character than the surface soil. , In some of the broader bottom areas along Swift and Middl Creeks a light-brown medium sandy loam or fine sandy loam about 10 inches deep is encountered. The subsoil under such areas is com- monly a yellowish-brown to reddish-brown medium sandy clay. 0 RRs 50 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911, In the extreme northeast corner of the county along Moccasin Creek a red to reddish-yellow silty loam about 10 inches deep is found. This is underlain to a depth of 36 inches by a red silty clay. Both soil and subsoil contain a noticeable content of mica. In many places, particularly on Neuse River, and along Swift, Whiteoak, and Middle Creeks, the surface soil is a brown or gray silty to very fine sandy loam. This material varies in depth from several inches to 2 or 3 feet before passing into a light-brown silty loam or clay loam. Along the Neuse River and some of the larger creeks narrow bands or strips of fine to medium sand, varying in color from nearly white to light brown, are found. This sand usually extends to a depth of 3 feet or more, and is sometimes underlain by coarse sand and gravel. Frequently a fairly heavy loam is encountered at 1 to 2 feet. Throughout Meadow, as a rule, finely divided particles of mica are present in varying quantities. Meadow occurs as long strips of various widths up to one-half mile on Middle, Swift, Buffalo, and Cat Tail Creeks and the upper portions of Little and Neuse Rivers. The lower-lying areas of this material occupy a position which corresponds in many respects to the swamp areas in the southern portion of the county. Meadow finds its greatest development in the first bottoms of streams. A large part of it is subject to frequent overflow and some of it is in a semiswampy condition the year round. Some areas, however, lie sufficiently above normal high water to be subject only infrequently to overflow. The surface is flat and level in the lower- lying areas and undulating in the higher portions. It is upon these higher places that crops can be cultivated and harvested with safety. Open ditches are necessary on such areas in order to drain them for crop production. Meadow is of alluvial origin, being formed from materials washed from the Cecil types and deposited by streams. It is modified in a few localities by the washings from the Norfolk types and by col- luvial deposits. The areas which have been in a swampy condition for a long time contain considerable organic matter. Practically all of this type is fertile and would be very productive when drained and reclaimed. Only a very small area of this soil is under cultivation. The larger bodies are forested to gum, oak, hickory, pine, beech, poplar, and maple, or are used as summer pasture for cattle. It makes excel- lent pasture lands. Upon the cultivated areas corn and oats are the common crops. Corn yields from 25 to 50 bushels per acre and oats from 20 to 40 bushels. When this soil is reclaimed it will be found well suited to corn, oats, and grasses. The sandy ridges will produce excellent watermelons. SOIL SURVEY OF JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, 54 SWAMP. The areas mapped as Swamp in Johnston County consist of a heterogeneous mixture of soil material, of which no definite textural classification was possible. A few of the more noticeable bodies are described in detail and the remaining portions are considered a mixture of or gradation from them. : In many places a black sandy loam, loamy sand, or mucky loam high in organic matter is encountered at a depth of 1 to 3 feet, but frequently the material below 1 foot becomes lighter in color, with more sand or clay. Again, spots of fine sandy to silty loam are found which have a. gray subsoil mottled with yellow and brown. Along Black Creek narrow bodies and strips of this type are noticeable. These have a gray surface soil, about 8 inches deep, of very fine sandy to silty loam, underlain by a yellowish, brownish, or mottled loam to clay loam. In many places spots of coarse sandy or gravelly material containing, in some places, considerable organic matter are encoun- eo especially where the Swamp areas are bordered by the sand ypes. The Swamp occurs, for the most part, in the southern half of the county. The most extensive areas are located along Black, Hannah Stone, and Mill Creeks. There are also extensive strips in the wistiin section of the county along Little, Little Buffalo, and Buffalo Creeks, Spring Branch, Bowdy Creek, and Raccoon and Moccasin Swamps. Many narrow strips border the smaller streams and branches having their origin in the Norfolk and Portsmouth types. Most of the Swamp is saturated with water or inundated during the greater part of the year, and all of it is subject to overflow when the streams rise above normal water level. Much of the Swamp could be drained and reclaimed by straightening and deepening the natural drainage ways and cutting open ditches. The forest growth consists of gum, water oak, beech, hickory, cypress, poplar, and a few large pines. Gallberry and huckleberry are characteristic plants of smaller growth. Part of the Swamp area is used for pasture and furnishes excellent grazing during the summer and fall months. Hogs run at large over the larger bodies and secure a living during the fall months from the mast. None of the area included as Swamp is cultivated. Some of this soil, however, particularly the black loamy and fine sandy loam areas and also spots of mucky material which have a clay sub- soil, are naturally very fertile and when drained and reclaimed would produce large crops of corn, oats, and grasses with very little fertili- zation. At present, however, this land is valuable mainly for its merchantable timber. RR: PATE ROR epee TT ar — SSS 52 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911, SUMMARY. Johnston County is situated in the east-central part of North Carolina, about 15 miles southeast of Raleigh, the State capital. It is one of the largest counties in the State, with an area of approxi- mately 778 square miles, or 497,920 acres. The topography is rolling to hilly in the western and northern parts, and level, undulating, or gently rolling country, becoming rolling and slightly broken as the larger streams are approached, in the eastern and southern sections. The general slope of the county is toward the southeast. The drainage waters are carried by the Neuse River and its various tributaries. The soils of Johnston County belong both to the Piedmont Plateait and Coastal Plain provinces. In the northern section and along part of the northwestern boundary the soils have been derived from the weathering of the underlying rocks. Over the remainder of the area they owe their origin mainly to the weathering of sedimentary deposits of the Coastal Plain, consisting of sands and clays. The overlapping of the sedimentary déposits upon the Piedmont rock formations has given rise to a number of soil types not found in many areas in this part of the State. Twenty-eight soil types, including Meadow and Swamp, were mapped in this survey. Of these the most prominent type is the Norfolk sandy loam. This soil is well adapted to truck crops, cotton, corn, and tobacco, all of which give good yields. In this same series five other soils were mapped—the coarse sand, sand, coarse sandy loam, fine sandy loam, and silt loam. The Cecil soils, of which the coarse sandy loam, sandy loam, fine sandy loam, stony sandy loam, and clay loam are found, are well suited to the production of oats, wheat, corn, clover, cowpeas, and, to some extent, to tobacco and cotton. The Durham soils, including a coarse sandy loam and sandy loam, will also grow cotton, corn, and the minor general farming crops, but are best adapted to bright tobacco. The Orangeburg soils, of which one type, the sandy loam, was mapped, and the Ruston coarse sandy loam are well suited to the production of cotton. Tobacco and peanuts can also be grown with good results. The light sandy loams and sands constitute the best soils for early truck crops, water- melons, chufas, rye, and peaches. Land values vary widely throughout the county, ranging from $10 an acre for the less productive and remote areas to as high as $100 to $150 for some of the better cultivated and more productive soils located near the towns and suited to intensive cultivation. A fair range for land now under cultivation may be given as $20 to $60 an acre.