— SS ss Ancient inn ae oat i Ges ST ae SgeFETT EET a Gis nea BE PT Te GRE <0 S, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF SOILS—MILTON WHITNEY, Chief.” IN COOPERATION WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT, OF AGRICULTURE, W, A. GRAHAM, COMMISSIONER; B. W. KILGORE, STATE CHEMIST, AND | “DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION; } a £0, Be WILLIAMS, AGRONOMIST.. 5 - SOIL SURVEY OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. BY * BiG, JURNEY, or THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AaRIcunrurE, In Craner, anp S. O. PERKINS, or toe Norto Carorina DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. ° “W. EDWARD HEARN, Insrecror, SourHerN Drier. . eS | WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT ence G OFFIOE. ei 1920 ee BUREAU OF SOILS. Mitton Wuirney, Chief of Bureau. Apert G. Rice, Chief Clerk. SOIL SURVEY. Curtis F. Mansur, In Charge. G. W. Baumann, Heecutive Assistant, COMMITTEE ON THE CORRELATION AND CLASSIFICATION oF SOILS, Curtis F. Marsur, Chairman. Hucu H. Bennert, Inspector, Southern Division. W. Epwarp Hearn, Inspector, Southern Division. THOMAS. D. Rice, Inspector, Northern Division. W. E. McLxnvon, Inspector, Northern Division. Macy H,. Laruam, Inspector, Western Division. M. W. Patterson, Secretary. } 4 Sa ee ee Se U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF SOILS—MILTON WHITNEY, Chief. IN COOPERATION WITH THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, W. A. GRAHAM, COMMISSIONER; B. W. KILGORE, STATE CHEMIST, AND DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION; C. B. WILLIAMS, AGRONOMIST. SOIL SURVEY OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. BY R. C. JURNEY, or tue U. S. DeparrmMent or AGRICULTURE, In Cuaran, anv S. O. PERKINS, or tae Norra CaroLInA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. W. EDWARD HEARN, Inspector, SouTHERN Drviston. [ Advance Sheets—Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils, 1918.] WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFIOE. 1920 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, U. S. DEPARTMENT oF AGRICULTURE, Bureau or Sors, Washington, D. C., Ja Sm: In the extension of the soil survey in a eae ee Carolina during the field season of 1918 a survey was undertaken in Bertie County. This work was done in cooperation with the. North Carolina Department of Agriculture. 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 1918. a authorized by law. bee Respectfully, Minton Wuirnry, Chief of B Hon. D. F. Houston, { of Bureau. Secretary of Agriculture. 2 CONTENTS. Som Survey or Bertie County, NorrH Carorina. By R. ©. JuRNEY, OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT oF AGRICULTURE, IN CHARGE, and §. O. PER- KINS, OF THE NorTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE_________ Description of the aréa_-----------—--—~-—---~——---=_____ Lee Des Norfolk fine sand__- Norfolk sandy loam_---------- Norfolk fine sandy loam-_------ Ruston fine sandy loam_--- Ruston very fine sandy loam—-----------------~--~-----~--——- Dunbar fine sandy loam_—-----------------------=-==-------~- Dunbar very fine sandy loam_----------—---~-------~-----~-- Lufkin fine sandy loam---------------=-----------===-==----= Lufkin silt loam_--------------------- Pa Coxville fine sandy loam-----------~- Coxville silt loam —----—- Bladen fine sandy loam—— Bladen silty clay loam_—--- Portsmouth fine sandy loam_---~----------- poe Portsmouth loam___---------------------- Cahaba fine sandy loam_------------------------------- 2 Kalmia fine sand_-------------- Kalmia fine sandy loam_— Wickham fine sandy loam____-------------------------------- Wickham silt loam _--------~--------------------+----------- Congaree silty clay loam Swamp-_-__-----~------------------- Summary--_------------+---------------------------------------- ILLUSTRATIONS: FIGURE, MAP, Soil map, Bertie County sheet, North Carolina, Page. 32 — SOIL SURVEY OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. By R. C. JURNEY, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, In Charge, and S. O. PERKINS, of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture-—Area Inspected by W. EDWARD HEARN. DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA. Bertie County lies in the northeastern part of North Carolina. - The northern boundary line is about 214 miles south of the Virginia State line and about 70 miles south of Norfolk, Va. The boundary lines on the east, south, and west are formed by streams. The county has a total area of 682 square miles or 436,480 acres. Bertie County lies almost entirely in the flatwoods section of the Coastal Plain, and the general surface is that of a low, flat plain yaried with slight ridges and shallow stream valleys. Within this flatwoods plain the surface features vary in different sec- tions of the county. In the eastern part, along the Chowan River from Salmon Creek to Colerain and then westward to fic. 1—Sketch map showing Powellsville, the topography is gently roll- s carakipr eae County ing to rolling. In the western part of the county, from Roxobel southward through Lewiston to Quitsna, the surface is also gently rolling to rolling. Throughout the central part of the county, from the northern to the southern boundary, the topog- raphy is gently rolling, undulating, or flat. The flat areas are locally called “ pocosons.” The larger of these pocosons are Roquist, Buckle- berry, and Pell Mell. Along the Roanoke and Cashie Rivers there occur broken areas of terrace land. These terraces lie 10 to 20 feet below the uplands and have a gently rolling or undulating surface. Adjacent to the Roanoke River there is one large area of first bottom, varying in width from one-fourth mile to 6 miles. This area is almost level, with a gentle slope toward the stream and in the direction of its flow. With the exception of those along the Chowan River, the slopes to practically all the streams are gradual or well rounded. Along the Chowan River there is an almost continuous, abrupt bluff, 20 to 40 feet in height. There is little difference in elevation in different parts of the county. The highest reported elevation, that at Roxobel, is only 97 feet above sea level. At Kelford, also in the northern part, it is 93 5 wcities c . 6 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1918. feet, and at Aulander 69 feet. At Quitsna, which is situated in the upland only a mile from the Roanoke River lowlands, it is 53 feet. The slope of about four-fifths of the county is southeastward, and that of the remainder is northward. The main drainage divide runs westward from Perrytown to Roxobel. The central part of the county is drained through Cashie River, Roquist Creek, Hoggard Mill Creek, White Oak Swamp, and Con- naritsa Swamp. The northern part is drained by Loosing, Quiocco- son, Barbecue, Cypress, and Chinkapin Swamps. The eastern and southeastern parts are drained by Salmon Creek. The Roanoke and Chowan Rivers receive directly only a small portion of the drainage waters of the county. Tributaries of the main drainage ways extend to nearly all sections, but the county nevertheless is inadequately drained. On account of the incompleteness of dissection considerable areas have poor surface drainage. Considerable areas still retain their constructional flatness, and in areas to which dissection has ex- tended the channels of the smaller drainage ways are very shallow and often not well defined, so that the water movement is slow. The larger streams have cut their channels practically to base level and their flow is consequently sluggish. A few gristmills are operated along some of the creeks. The Cashie River is at “ wind” tide level at Windsor. The more poorly drained areas of the county are included in Roquist, Buckleberry, and Pell Mell Pocosons and in smaller pocosons, in the first bottoms along the Roanoke River, and in the swamps along the Roanoke and Cashie Rivers. The better drained areas occur along the Chowan River and the Hertford County line, and in the vicinity of Roxobel, Lewiston, Quitsna, Windsor, and Woodard. Bertie County was formed in 1738, and Hertford County was formed from part of its area in 1779. The county line has been changed only slightly since that date. The first recorded settlement was made at Colerain, about 1720. The early settlers were Scotch and Scotch-Irish, from Europe. English settlers came in later from Virginia. The population of the county has steadily increased, amounting in 1910 to 93,039. It is all classed as rural, and averages 82.8 persons to the square mile. The present population consists of the descendants of the early settlers, immigrants from near-by counties, and a large number of negroes. There is no foreien popula- tion. The population is unequally distributed over the county, the density varying, to a large extent, with the character of the soil. The poorly drained portions are the most sparsely settled. The more thickly settled parts of the county are in the vicinity of Colerain, inhabitants in the region adjacent to the Roanoke River are prin- cipally negroes, Trap, Roxobel, Lewiston, Windsor, Woodard, and Merry Hill. The © SOIL SURVEY OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. C Windsor, the county seat, is the largest town, with a population in 1910 of 684. Other towns are Aulander, with a population of 543; Roxobel, with 491; Kelford, with 316; Colerain, with 189; Merry Hill, with 140; and Powellsville, with 75. These towns are important as local trading centers or lumbering points. The railroad facilities of the county are inadequate. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad from Norfolk to Rocky Mount crosses the north- western corner of the county. A branch of the Seaboard Air Line extends into the northwestern part as far as Lewiston. The Welling- ton & Powellsville Railroad (narrow gauge) runs through the central part of the county from Ahoskie, Hertford County, to Windsor. The eastern and southern parts of the county do not have railroad facilities. Steamboat lines, however, serve numerous landings and wharves on the Chowan and Roanoke Rivers, and on Cashie River as far as Windsor. Smaller boats ply up Salmon Creek as far as Mill Land- ing and up Cashote Creek to Cashote Landing. All these lines operate from Plymouth or Edenton. Public roads reach into nearly all sections of the county. The highways are kept in good repair during the summer and fall months, but during the winter they are, in places, almost impassable. No improved roads have thus far been constructed. Telephone lines and rural-delivery mail routes serve practically all the farmé. Good churches and schools are located at convenient places throughout the county. Practically all the cotton grown in the county is marketed at Nor- folk, Va. The peanut crop is sold at Suffolk, Va., and the tobacco crop at Rocky Mount, N. C. CLIMATE. According to the records of the nearest available Weather Bureau station, at Edenton, in Chowan County, the mean annual tempera- ture of this immediate region is 60.3° F. The winter mean is 42.5°, and the summer mean 77.5°. The highest recorded temperature is 100° F., reached in July, and the lowest is zero, reached in February. The date of the latest recorded killing frost in the spring is April 26, and that of the earliest in the fall, October 12. The average date of the last killing frost in the spring is April 1, and that of the first in the fall, November 1. This gives an average growing season of 214 days, which is sufficient for the maturing of all the farm crops usu- ally grown. The average annual rainfall is 50.93 inches. This is ample for the production of all the common crops. The precipitation is well dis- tributed throughout the year, being heaviest in the summer, with an average total of 16.94 inches and lightest in the fall, with an average 8 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1918, of 10 inches. The rainfall in the driest year on record (1915) amounted to 35.53 inches, and in the wettest year on record (1906) to 69.34 inches. i The following table, compiled from the records of the Weather Bureau station at Edenton, represents approximately the weather conditions in Bertie County, as Edenton is only about 5 miles from the eastern boundary line of Bertie County. Normal monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature and precipitation at Eden- ton, Chowan County. Temperature. Precipitation. Total Total Month. ic amount amount Means A bsolute | Absolute Meni for the for the maximum. | minimum. ttlo driest wettest year year (i915). (1906). oie °F. one Inches. Inches. Inches. December 43.1 75 12 3.47 2.90 3.80 January... 33 42.6 78 12 8.55 3.60 4.30 February. Se Ree ed 41.7 79 0 4.49 1.55 5.80 Wiinterss33. ter iiis ees 42.5 79 0 11.51 8.05 13.90 March. 51.6 90 17 4,21 2.20 5.50 58.3 93 28 3.36 2.50 1.10 68.3 95 35 4.91 3.00 3.25 Springats scsocnen cos sees 59.4 95 17 12. 48 7.70 9.85 74.8 99 46 4.91 6.00 9.27 79.5 100 52 6, 52 4.45 16.18 78.3 99 50 5.51 1.90 10.38 77.5 100 46 16.94 12.35 35. 83 September 72.3 98 40 3.31 2.60 2.46 October. . . 61.2 88 28 3.98 3.53 6.40 November......-.-- 51.2 84 20 2.71 1.30 90 alleen ses oe an 61.6 98 20} 10.00 7.43 9.76 Vearesausssccsorsvsee------= 60.3 100 0 50. 93 35. 53 69. 34 AGRICULTURE, Agriculture in Bertie County began about 1622, the year of the first land grant. At this period, however, there were only a few set- tlers in this region. About 1720 settlements were made along the Chowan River and later in the vicinity of Windsor and along the Roanoke River. The agriculture at first consisted in the production of wheat and corn and the raising of stock. The manufacture of tar, SOIL SURVEY OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 9 pitch, turpentine, and staves, as well as lumbering and fishing, was an important source of income to the early farmers. The raising of cat- tle, hogs, and sheep for market was continued until a few years after the Civil War. Before commercial fertilizer was introduced farmers used the fields until the soil was “ worn out,” when a new field was put in cultiva- tion. The soil cultivated in this way was to a large extent the so- called “black land” of the county. The old fields now support a growth of pine which is large enough to be of commercial value. The cultivation of cotton upon a commercial scale was begun im- mediately after the Civil: War. Peanuts as a cash crop were intro- duced about 1879, and tobacco about 1898. From 1879 to 1889 corn was the most extensively grown crop, followed by cotton. The acre- age devoted to peanuts increased rapidly, and by 1899 was slightly larger than that planted to cotton. Oats and wheat have gradually decreased in acreage since 1889. The following table gives the acreage and production of the prin- cipal crops for the census years 1880, 1890, 1900, and 1910: ' Acreage and. production of principal crops, 1880 to 1910. Crop. 1880 1890 1900 1910 Acres. | Bushels.| Acres. | Bushels..| Acres. | Bushels. Acres. | Bushels. Corts OL 37,735 | 345,091 | 35,868 | 270,233 | 40,312] 481,080 | 31,818 | 288,370 Cotton. <.s.| 19,455 | 17,200} 21,593) 15,534] 14,411 | 17,406 | 14,17 16,351 Poanntsaatet Ader |osea bed stay -> es tee 528 | 20,922 | 14,499 | 608,220} 26,456 | 974,327 Oats... anes 2,403 20,517 2,862 24,986 423 4,510 235 3,525 Wheat......- Pane 309 2,189 100 1,141 64 570 15 154 Sweet potatoes. 890 94,473 1,481 | 124,315 1,167 | 113,584 1,081 100, 849 Tobacco. .. ORS ae Pas fare ose ad es a ed 552 | 2 379,780 877 | 2570,356 Cowpeas. . . 7 AAD) laos eens 3,635 $44] 11,098 467 4,970 ! Bales. 2 Pounds. Agriculture in Bertie County at present consists in the production of both cash crops and subsistence crops. The leading money crops are peanuts, cotton, and tobacco, and the chief subsistence crops are corn and sweet potatoes. There were 26,456 acres planted to peanuts in 1909, and the pro- duction amounted to 974,327 bushels, or an average of 37.2 bushels per acre. This yield is higher than the average for the peanut-growing section of the South. The Jumbo is the most common variety of peanut grown. Tn 1909 cotton was planted to 14,177 acres and produced 6,351 bales, or an average of a little less than half a bale per acre. This is slightly more than the average for the Cotton Belt. The area devoted to tobacco in 1909 was 877 acres and the pro- duction 570,356 pounds, or an average of 650 pounds per acre. The 158988°—20——2 10 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1918. tobacco grown consists of bright-leaf varieties used chiefly for the manufacture of cigarettes. The acreage in tobacco this year (1918) will be considerably increased, on account of the unusually high price. The principal subsistence crop is corn. In 1909 there were 31,818 acres in corn, producing 288,370 bushels or an average of 9 bushels per acre. The bulk of the corn crop is fed to work stock on the farms. A small part is ground into meal for home use. Not enough corn is produced in the county for feeding purposes, and large quan- tities are imported annually. i Sweet potatoes were planted on 1,081 acres in 1909, and produced 100,849 bushels. The crop is used mainly at home, but a large quantity is sold on the local markets. Oats occupied a total of 235 acres in 1909, and produced 3,525 bushels. The crop is fed to work stock, chiefly in the sheaf. There were only 15 acres in wheat in 1909, and the average yield was only 10 bushels per acre. : : Tn 1909 there were 87 acres sown to tame or cultivated grasses, with a production of 179 tons. Peanut vines are used by many of the farmers for hay, and corn tops and fodder are stored for roughage. The county is not self-sustaining in hay and forage production. The census shows that 1,028 farms spent a total of $38,357 for feed in 1909, or an average of $37.31 per farm. Crops of minor importance grown on nearly every farm for home use are Irish potatoes, sorghum, strawberries, garden vegetables rye cowpeas, and soy beans. Crimson clover and vetch are grown “one i few farms. Practically every farm has a few fruit trees and grape- vines. In 1910 there were 16,893 apple trees, 10,883 peach trees and 1,151 grapevines in the county. There were also a few walnut and pecan trees. ' Bertie County has no stock law, and the cattle are allowed free range. Stock raising is of little commercial importance. The census of 1910 reports a total of 2,810 dairy cows on farms. The better type of cattle are of Jersey breeding. Each farm has three or more hogs the total number reported for the county in 1910 being 13,716. The pork produced is consumed chiefly at home. The hogs of recognized breeds are mainly Duroc-Jersey or Berkshire. There were 280 sheep and goats in the county in 1910. The wool is shipped to mills in the western part of the State and exchanged for blankets or cloth. Every farmer keeps a number of chickens, ducks, and geese. The value of all animals sold or slaughtered in 1909 was $151,256. Dairy products in that year were valued at $6,342, and poultry and eggs at $65,537. The total value of all crops in 1909 amounted to $1,853,488, : SRE. erm SOIL SURVEY OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 11 Agriculture is confined almost entirely to the more rolling areas, where the run-off and internal drainage of the soils are naturally fair or good. There are large areas of land in the county which could be used for farming when reclaimed by drainage, but the problem is one calling for cooperative or State undertakings. The adaptation of the different soils to certain crops is generally recognized. The Ruston fine sandy loam is generally considered the best cotton and peanut soil in the county. The Wickham fine sandy loam, Norfolk fine sandy loam, Dunbar fine sandy loam, and Dun- bar very fine sandy loam are all considered good cotton, corn, and peanut soils. Tobacco does best on the Norfolk fine sandy loam and the more rolling areas of the Dunbar fine sandy loam. The Coxville, Portsmouth, and Bladen soils are not well developed agriculturally, on account of their inadequate drainage. These soils are called “po- coson lands.” The Lufkin silt loam is known to have a less desirable structure than the soils of the Norfolk and Ruston series. Land is usually broken in the early spring to a depth of 4 to 8 inches. A one-horse plow is generally used, but the better farmers use two-horse plows and break the land deeper. Peanuts as a rule are planted on a level seed bed, while corn and cotton are planted on low ridges. The rows in the case of peanuts and cotton are spaced about 3 feet apart, while the corn rows are spaced about 4 feet apart. Cotton is planted with a drill, and the stand is later thinned out with hoes. These crops are cultivated with sweeps, shovel plows, or walking cultivators. Fields planted to peanuts are limed in the early spring, before the ground is broken, and “land plaster” is applied when the vines are in bloom. ‘The nuts are generally harvested by cutting the tap roots with one-horse plows, the vines, with the peanuts attached, being lifted from the loose soil and allowed to wilt. Later the vines are stacked around poles in the field. The peanuts are picked by ma- chinery, the harvest taking place during the fall months. The nuts aré packed in 4-bushel bags, and nine-tenths of the crop is sold as soon as harvested. The vines are either used for hay or are returned to the soil as manure. Hogs are fattened on the peanuts inad- vertently left in the fields. i In harvesting corn the leaves are stripped from the stalk about the time they begin to turn brown, tied in bundles, and hung on the stalk to dry. Later they are stored in the barn to be used as fodder for the work stock. In the fall the ears are pulled from the stalk, husked, and stored in cribs. The shucks are used as roughage for cattle. Systematic crop rotations are seldom practiced in this county. A few of the better farmers follow a rotation which consists of Sernihacaaeeeeeeneatinies ania 12 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1918, tobacco, crimson clover, whose stubble, after the cutting of hay, is turned under,: and corn or cotton. A few farmers plant clover between the rows of cotton or corn, to be turned under the following spring. Cotton and peanuts, corn and peanuts, or tobacco and pea- nuts are alternated by most of the farmers, and the same crop is rarely planted in the same field for two successive years. Rye is grown to some extent as a cover crop, to be turned under during the spring for the purpose of enriching cotton or corn land. Commercial and home-mixed fertilizers are used generally through- out the county. The census shows that 70.5 per cent of the farms used fertilizers in 1909, at a total outlay of $157,807, or an average of $62.33 per farm. Tobacco probably receives the heaviest fertiliza- tion. It is usually given 800 to 1,200 pounds of an 8-44, 9-3-3, 9-4-4, or 8-3-3 fertilizer.’ Cotton land is treated with 400 to 1,000 pounds per acre of an 8-2-2, 8-3-1, 8-3-3, or 9-2-2 fertilizer, and corn land with 400 to 800 pounds of an 8-2-2, 8-3-1, or 9-2-2 fertili- zer. From 100 to 200 pounds of sodium nitrate per acre is also given corn about tasseling time. Peanuts receive no commercial fertilizer, but lime is applied to the land before planting, at the rate of 500 to 1,000 pounds per acre, and the crop is also given an acreage applica- tion of 200 to 400 pounds of land plaster at blossoming time. The land plaster is used on the peanuts to make the pods fill out. Pea- nuts usually follow a fertilized crop. Most of the fertilizers used are ready mixed, but many of the farmers use home mixtures,the necessary ingredients being supplied by suitable combinations of some of the following carriers: Acid phos- phate, kainit, bone meal, tankage, nitrate of soda, and cottonseed meal. A popular mixture consists of acid phosphate and cottonseed meal. Barnyard manure is composted and applied to the land. Soy beans, clover, rye, and cowpeas are grown to a small extent for soil improvement. ‘The most common method of obtaining organic mat- ter for the soil is composting, along the fences in the field, a mixture of ditch-bank earth, pine straw, forest earth, stable manure, and . peanut tops. This composting is done during the winter months, — and the mixture is nearly all applied in the drill at or just before planting. This material not only adds organic matter and mineral plant food but also improves the working qualities of the soil. Most of the farm laborers are negroes. The monthly wage ranges from $30 to $37.50, without board, and from $15 to $20 with board. Cotton pickers receive 75 cents to $1.25 per hundred pounds of seed cotton. The cotton is picked chiefly by women and children, The 1910 census reports the use of hired labor by 49.5 per cent of the farms of the county, at a total expenditure of $147,200, or $93.50 each. 1Containing 8 per cent available phosphoric acid, 3 per cent nitrogen, and 3 per cent potash. wk, SOIL SURVEY OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 33 In 1910 the average size of the farms in Bertie County was 88.7 acres. There are, however, many farms between 100 and 300 acres in extent, and a few holdings comprise 1,000 acres or more. There -were 3,183 farms in the county in 1910, 53.8 per cent of which were operated by the owners, 45.9 per cent by tenants, and 03 per cent by managers. There has been a steady increase in the percentage of farms operated by tenants. Farms are rented mainly on a share basis. When the landlord furnishes the work stock and fertilizer, the tenant receives one-third of the crop. When the tenant furnishes the work stock and half the fertilizer he receives one-half the crop. Cash rent ranges from $3 to $10 an acre, with no additional charge for improvements. The average assessed value of farm land in this county in 1910 was $12.36 an acre. Land values vary from place to place, depending on the improvements and the character of the soil, the acreage cleared, and the location with respect to markets, highways and railroads. Land values range from $20 to $100 an acre. The value of the wooded land depends upon the quantity and quality of the forest growth. SOILS. Bertie County lies wholly within the Coastal Plain province of North Carolina, and within that part of the Coastal Plain desig- nated as the Flatwoods. The upland soils have been formed, through weathering processes, from unconsolidated deposits of fine sandy clay, silty clay, and clay deposited on an ancient sea floor, and sub- sequently elevated above water. The soils thus formed are grouped into series on the basis of differences in character of the soil mate- rial, color, structure, drainage, topography, and crop adaptation. There are two distinct underlying clay formations, which differ in age. The older begins just south of Lewiston and extends in a south- easterly direction across the southern part of the county. It also occurs in narrow strips along stream breaks in the northern part. Tt consists of yellow, brown, and gray, heavy, tough, stratified, fine sandy clay or clay, streaked with red. It is locally called “ white-oak clay.” The soils of the Lufkin and Bladen series are derived from this formation. i In the northern and western parts of the county the underlying formation is composed of mottled yellow, gray, brown, and red fine sandy clay and silty clay. This clay material is not so tough or heavy as that in the southern part of the county. It gives rise to the Norfolk, Ruston, Dunbar, Coxville, and Portsmouth soils. The textures of all these soils are prevailingly fine, and, with the exception of the Norfolk and Ruston series, the subsoils are heavy _ and mottled in color. 1 Each tenancy is tabulated as a ‘“ farm.” a ee a a ee ee Oe 14 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1918. The second-bottom alluvial soils along the Cashie River and the smaller streams of the county are composed of reworked Coastal Plain sediments. The second and first bottom soils-adjacent to the Roanoke River represent reworked material transported from the uplands of the Piedmont Plateau and Appalachian Mountain prov- inces. The soils of the second bottoms are included in the Cahaba, Kalmia, and Wickham series, and those of the first bottoms in the Congaree series. ; The surface soils of the types in the Norfolk series are light gray to grayish yellow, and the subsoils are yellow and friable. Three types, the fine sand, sandy loam, and fine sandy loam, are mapped in Bertie County. The Ruston series includes types with gray to brownish surface soils and reddish-yellow to yellowish-red, dull-red, or yellowish- brown, moderately friable sandy clay subsoils. Two types, the fine sandy loam and very fine sandy loam, are mapped. The members of the Dunbar series have prevailingly gray surface soils. The upper subsoils are yellow.and, in the case of the heavier types, tough and compact. The lower subsoils are tough and slightly plastic clays of yellow color, mottled with bright red, or red and gray. The Dunbar soils represent a gradation between the Norfolk on the one side and the Coxville on the other. ‘Two types are found in this county, the fine sandy loam and very fine sandy loam. The types belonging to the Lufkin series have light-gray surface soils, underlain by impervious, tough clay, mottled yellow and gray. The subsoil is spotted with red in places. The difference in texture between surface soil and subsoil in the case of the sandy members is very marked. Two types are mapped in Bertie County, the fine sandy loam and silt loam. The surface soils of the types classed in the Coxville series are light gray to dark gray. The subsoil is a mottled gray and yellow plastic clay, containing splotches of bright red. Two types, the fine sandy loam and silt loam, are mapped in this survey. The surface soils of the members of thé Bladen series are steel gray, or gray mottled slightly with brown. They ure underlain by steel-gray, plastic clay subsoil, mottled with rusty brown or ocherous yellow. This series is represented in this county by two types, the fine sandy loam and silty clay loam. The Portsmouth series includes types with dark-gray to black surface soils, high in organic matter, and light-gray to mottled gray and yellow subsoils. The heavier members are always plastic, though usually carrying a noticeable amount of sand. Two types, the fine sandy loam and loam, are mapped in this county. The surface soils of the members of the Cahaba series are brown to reddish brown, or gray, and the subsoils are yellowish red to red- ‘# SOIL SURVEY OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 15 dish brown. The members of this:series occupy old stream terraces, lying largely above overflow, and represent the best-drained land of such terraces. Only one type, the fine sandy loam, is mapped in this county. The surface soils of the types grouped in the Kalmia series are gray to grayish yellow and the subsoils are yellow or mottled gray and yellow. In the better drained situations the subsoil is yellow, resembling that of the corresponding member of the Norfolk ‘series. The Kalmia series is developed along streams of the Coastal Plain region on terraces lying largely above overflow. It is represented in Bertie County by two types, the fine sand and the fine sandy loam. The Wickham series is composed of types having reddish or red- dish-brown surface soils, which contain a higher percentage of or- yanic matter than the surface soils of the Norfolk types. The sub- soil usually consists of reddish, micaceous, heavy sandy loam or loam, becoming coarser and looser at a depth of about 30 inches. The soils of this series occupy river terraces in the higher part of the Coastal Plain, near the Piedmont Plateau boundary. Two members are mapped in this survey, the fine sandy loam and silt loam. Both surface soil and subsoil of the types grouped in the Congaree series are brown to reddish brown, there being comparatively little * change in texture, structure, or color from the surface downward. Occasionally grayish and yellow mottlings are encountered in the subsoil of the poorly drained areas. The Congaree soils are de- veloped in the overflowed first bottoms of Piedmont streams and in similar positions in the Coastal Plain region along streams issuing from the Piedmont. The material is derived from the soils of the Piedmont region with some admixture of Appalachian material and, along the courses of the streams in the Coastal Plain, a slight com- mingling of Coastal Plain material. Only one member of the Congaree series is mapped in this county, the silty clay loam. Swamp represents material variable in texture and structure, per- manently wet or covered with water, and occurring in the first bot- toms of streams. New material is constantly being added to the Swamp areas. : In all, twenty-one soil types, in addition to Swamp, are mapped. The following table shows the actual and relative extent of the vari- ous types: Areas of different soils. Soil. Acres. | Percent. Soil. Acres. | Per cent. Swamp.....--.------+-+r2--7+ 67,904 15.5 || Dunbar fine sandy loam...... 28,736 6.6 Coxville silt loam. -.---------- 66, 432 15.2 || Ruston fine sandy loam.....- 27,776 6.4 Dunbar very finesandy loam | 65, 280 14.9 || Norfolk fine sandy loam....-- 27,712 6.3 Lufkin silt loam....-.-------- 40, 832 9.3 || Congaree silty clay loam...... 20,416 | 4.7 Bladen silty clay loam........ 36, 096 8.3 || Lufkin fine sandy loam....... 19, 520 | ae 16 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1918, Areas of different soils—Continued, Soil.’ i Acres. | Per cent. Soil. Acres. | Per cent. L Portsmouth loam.........---- 6,912 1.6 || Coxville fine sandy loam... .. 1,920 4 Wickham siltloam -......--. 3,968 -9.|| Kalmia finesand............. 1 728 4 Ruston very fine sandy loam. 3,904 .9 || Kalmia fine sandy loim...... 1,600 ; 4 Wickham fine sandy loam. ..- 3,776 .9 || Bladen fine sandy loam......- 1,600 ! 4 Portsmouth fine sandy loam. . 3, 520 .8 || Cahaba fine sandy loam... ... 1,344 3 Norfolk fine sand.......-.-:-- 3,392 8 —— Norfolk sandy loam......-.-- | 2,112 5 Totals Si) Ae ae 436, 480°}... NORFOLK FINE SAND, The surface soil of the Norfolk fine sand is a light-gray to yel- lowish-gray fine sand, 6 to 10 inches deep. It is underlain by a pale-yellow, loose, incoherent fine sand extending to a depth of 3 feet or more, Occasionally a loamy fine sand or friable fine sandy clay is encountered at 30 or 32 inches below the surface. Near Quitsna and Jordans Landing the surface soil is a light- brown or yellowish-brown, slightly loamy fine sand, and the sub- soil is a yellowish-red to reddish-brown fine sand. Had this soil occurred in sufficiently large areas it would have been mapped as Ruston fine sand. : The Norfolk fine sand occurs in comparatively small bodies. usually in close association with the Norfolk fine sandy loam. The largest areas are mapped northwest of Windsor and southeast of Spellers Ferry Landing. Small bodies are distributed through the northwestern, northeastern, and southern parts of the county. The type is slightly higher in elevation than the surrounding soils. Its surface is gently rolling to hummocky, with here and there a few ridges and knolls. Both the soil and subsoil are open and porous and permit free | SEE EERO of water, and the type has excellent surface and internal drainage. The Norfolk fine sand is unimportant agriculturally, owing to its small extent. Most of it is farmed, the remainder being forested chiefly with pine. The-principal crops grown are peanuts, Cae and corn. Sweet potatoes and other vegetables are produced for home consumption. Yields on this type are lower than on the Nor- follx fine sandy loam. Peanuts have been found one of the best crops, yielding 35 to 60 bushels per acre. Cotton yields from one- fourth to three-fourths bale, and corn from 10 to 25 bushels per acre. A small total acreage is devoted to the production of bright tobacco. All the crops are fertilized to a greater or less extent, and the better yields mentioned are obtained with the aid of heavy fertilization. SOIL SURVEY OF BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, 187 This type can be greatly improved by the addition of organic matter in the form of stable manure or green-manuring crops, such as cowpeas, vetch, soy beans, or rye. The soil is well suited to the production of truck crops, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, Muscadine grapes, and early vegetables. NORFOLK SANDY LOAM. The surface soil of the Norfolk sandy loam consists of a gray to light-gray, medium loamy sand or light sandy loam, 5 or 6 inches deep, passing into a pale-yellow sandy loam, which extends to a depth of 10 to 16 inches. The subsoil is a yellow, friable sandy clay continuing to a depth of 3 feet or more. Included with this type are some small areas having a coarser tex- ture and a slightly deeper surface soil. In some places also the lower subsoil becomes reddish or mottled with red. Areas of Norfolk sandy loam are found at Lewiston and 2 miles north of Grabtown. It occurs in relatively high interstream areas, whose topography is level to gently rolling. Owing to the porous nature of the surface soil and the friable subsoil, the surface and internal drainage is good. This is an important type agriculturally, although it has only a small extent. Practically the entire type is under cultivation except for a few small areas of pine forest. The type is used mainly for the production of peanuts, cotton, and corn. Tobacco is grown to a small extent, and garden vegetables and melons are produced for home use. Peanuts yield 60 to 80 bushels per acre, cotton one-half to 1 bale, corn 20 to 35 bushels, and tobacco 600 to 1,000 pounds. The type is fertilized with about the same amounts and kinds of fertilizer as are used on the Norfolk fine sandy loam. This type of soil ranges in selling price from $40 to $150 an acre. The Norfolk sandy loam is deficient in organic matter. This can be supplied by the turning under of clover, vetch, or cowpeas. A good system of crop rotation would prove beneficial. The type is well adapted to the production of bright-leaf tobacco, and it is used in other counties for that purpose. It is also well suited to truck crops. NORFOLK FINE SANDY LOAM. --'The surface soil of the Norfolk fine sandy loam is a light-gray or yellowish-gray, mellow loamy sand, passing at 4 to 6 inches into a pale-yellow fine sandy loam or loamy sand which extends to 10 to 18 inches in depth. The subsoil is a bright-yellow, friable fine sandy clay, continuing to 3 feet or more in depth. The surface soil in the wooded areas is usually gray or dark gray, The lower subsoil in the flatter areas and in those adjoining the 158988°—20-——3, 18 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1918. Dunbar soils is slightly heavier than typical and mottled with gray or red and gray. Included in the type are some bodies of fine sand too small to show on the map. The Norfolk fine sandy loam occurs in the northeastern part of the county in the vicinity of Colerain and north of Trap. It is very ex- tensive in the northwestern part around Roxobel and Kelford and north of Lewiston. Rather large areas are situated in the southern part south of Woodard and in the vicinity of Drew and Parker School. The type occurs in the higher and better drained parts of the county. It has an undulating to gently rolling surface, and the surface and internal drainage is good, although some of the flatter areas require ditching. This is an important type agriculturally. About 60 per cent of it is cleared and cultivated, the remainder being forested with pine, dogwood, oak, and hickory.