beaufortNC1919

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 BEAUFORT COUNTY,
NORTH CAROLINA.
BY
W. B. COBB, IN CHARGE, AND E. S. VANATTA, of THE U. S.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND L. L. BRINKLEY, S. F.
DAVIDSON, AND F. N. MCDOWELL, OF THE NORTH
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
W. EDWARD HEARN, INSPECTOR, SOUTHERN DIVISION.
[Advance Sheets —Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils, 1917.]
WASHINGTON:
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
1919.

BUREAU OF SOILS.
MILTON WHITNEY, Chief of Bureau.
ALBERT G. RICE, Chief Clerk.
SOIL SURVEY.
CuRTis F. MARBUT, In Charge.
G. W. BAUMANN, Executive Assistant.
COMMITTEE ON THE CORRELATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF 80IL8.
CiURTIS F. MARBUT, Chairman.
HUGH H. BENNETT, Inspector, Southern Division.
W. EDWARD HEARN, Inspector, Southern Division.
THOMAS D. RIcE, Inspector, Northern Division.
W. E. McLENDoN, Inspector, Northern Division.
MACY H. LAPHAM, Inspector,. Western Division.
J. W. MCKERICHER, Secretary.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL.
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
BUREAU OF SOILS,
Washington, D. C., March 3, 1919.
SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith the manuscript report
and map covering the survey of Beaufort County, N. C., and to
recommend that they be published as advance sheets of Field Opera-
tions of the Bureau of Soils, 1917, as authorized by law. This work
was done in cooperation with the North Carolina Department of
Agriculture.
Respectfully,
MILTON WHITNEY,
Chief of Bureau.
Hon. D. F. HOUSTON,
Secretary of Agriculture.

S FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1917.
Places along the south side of the Pamlico River points of the upland
terminate in low bluffs at the edge of the water, and the small streams
have out rather deep channels, forming comparatively steep valley
slopes.
The larger level areas in the western part of the county occur as
swamps, or pocosons, having a relatively high elevation. The most
important of these are Great Swamp and Dismal Swamp, to
the west and east of Pinetown in the north -central part of the county,
and Big Pocoson, in the southern part of Chocowinity Township.
The two former extend into Washington and Martin Counties, on the
north, while Big Pocoson extends into Craven County, on the south.
The topography of the Pamlico terrace in the eastern part of the
county is practically level. Along the rivers and some of the small
streams there are some undulating areas, but in many places the
surface is flat to the edge of the water. In a number of instances
the streams are bordered by areas of tidal marsh or swamp but very
little lower than the adjacent upland. In other instances, however,
'there are intermittent strips of higher, usually sandy soil between the
level upland and the water.
The bottom lands of the county are represented by narrow swampy
strips along the upper parts of the streams. These occur chiefly in
the western half of the county.
The slope of the northern part of the county is in the same general
direction as the course of the Pamlico River. The highest point
in the county north of the Pamlico River is at Woolard Crossroads, in
the northwestern part near the Martin County line, where the eleva-
tion is 61 feet above sea level. The slope from that point eastward
is more gradual than westward toward Tranters Creek and southward
to the Pamlico River. The elevation along Tranters Creek and at
Washington is about 10 feet, while the elevation of the extreme
eastern part of the county, in the vicinity of Belhaven and Leechville,
varies from 2 or 3 to 5 feet above sea level. South of the river the
slope is chiefly eastward, except in the extreme western part of the
area, where it is northward toward the river. The range in elevation
is approximately the same as on the north side of the river. The
highest point, which occurs about 3 miles north of the Craven County
line on the Vanceboro Road, is 67 feet above sea level, according to
a United States Geological Survey bench mark.
The drainage of Beaufort County as a whole is poor. Near the
streams, especially in the western part of the county, there are strips
of well -drained land, but back a few hundred feet or sometimes a
few feet from the stream the country is flat and the drainage poor.
The drainage of the county is effected by the Pamlico River and its
tributaries, the most important of which are the Pungo River, which
forms a part of the eastern boundary of the county; Pantego and
Pungo Creeks, tributaries of the Pungo River; North, Bath, Upper

12 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1917.
than 400 acres. In the 1890 census corn is reported on about the
same acreage, while the acreage devoted to cotton had increased
to about 16,000 acres, the oat acreage had nearly doubled, and the
growing of sweet potatoes and rice had increased. The acreage
devoted to wheat had been reduced considerably.
By 1900 the corn acreage had increased to about 26,000 acres,
while the cotton acreage had declined. The acreage in oats was
slightly decreased, the crop being reported on about 2,000 acres. Rice
occupied about the same acreage as in 1889, while the acreage in
sweet potatoes increased somewhat. Tobacco, Irish potatoes, cow -
peas, and peanuts had become important crops, and hay and forage
crops occupied a combined area of nearly 2,000 acres. In the 1900
census the value of live stock and live -stock products is given as
$188,684.
In the 1910 census corn is reported on about 26,000 acres, with a
yield of 531,000 bushels, and cotton on 15,000 acres; with a produc-
tion of 9,000 bales. Hay and forage crops occupied a total of approxi-
mately 4,500 acres, 3,900 acres of which were devoted to grains cut
green. Somewhat less than 1,000 acres were in oats, about 1,100
acres in peanuts, and 1,800 acres in cowpeas. Sweet potatoes are
reported on about 2,800 acres, and Irish potatoes on 1,200 acres.
About 1,700 acres were in tobacco. A total of 16,700 apple trees and
15,500 peach trees is reported, and nearly 3,000 grape vines. The
same report states the number of farm animals sold or slaughtered
as 106 calves, 1,856 other cattle, 18,492 hogs, and 501 sheep. There
were in this year 2,432 dairy cows on farms. The following table gives
the value of farm products of the county as given in the 1910 census:
Value of all products arranged by classes.
Cereals.....................•---.-.....---.-------------.--------------
$405,628
Other grains and seeds--------------------------------------------------
46,861
Hay and forage---------------------------------------------------------
70,141
Vegetables-------------------------------------------------------------
239,289
Fruits and nuts -------------------------------------------- ----------
25,118
All other crops (chiefly cotton and tobacco) ------------------------------
1,050,075
Live stock and products:
Animals sold or slaughtered---------------------------------------
202,638
Dairy products, excluding home use--------------------------------
21,295
Poultry and eggs --------------------------------------------------
87,412
Wool, mohair, and goat hair .........................................
531
Total value ..................................................... 2,148,988
Since the last census was taken Beaufort County has undergone
considerable agricultural development. New land has been opened
up and the acreage of a number of crops has been considerably in-
creased. About 35,000 acres are now devoted to corn.' The cotton
acreage probably is less than it was in 1910, while Irish potatoes have
1 Estimates of the acreage of different crops were obtained from the county agent, Mr. J. F, Latham.

SOIL SURVEY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY) NORTH CAROLINA. 17
that the iron -bearing minerals in the soil have been Qnly partly
oxidized. The elevation and drainage in different parts of the
county have caused considerable difference in the soils.
All of these factors acting upon the original material have pro-
duced a number of different soils and varied soil conditions. The
soils are grouped broadly into soil series, the soils of each series
being similar in origin, color of the surface soil, color and structure
of the subsoil, and in topography and drainage. The soil series is
divided into soil types on the basis of texture. Seven soil series
including 15 soil types are recognized in Beaufort County. In addi-
tion to these normal soils three miscellaneous types, Muck, Swamp,
and Tidal marsh, are mapped.
The surface soils of the Norfolk series are prevailingly gray. Di-
rectly below the surface there is a lighter gray or yellowish -gray
layer which passes into a yellow friable sandy clay or sand. These
soils occupy undulating to slightly rolling uplands throughout the
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain. The series is represented in Beau-
fort County by three types, the fine sand, fine sandy loam, and very
fine sandy loam.
The Ruston types have a grayish or brownish surface soil, and a
yellowish -red, reddish -yellow, or dull -red, friable sandy clay subsoil.
Occasionally the lower part of the subsoil is mottled slightly with
gray or yellow. The subsoil is generally less friable in structure
than the subsoil of the Norfolk series. One member of this series,
the Ruston sandy loam, is mapped in Beaufort County.
The Dunbar series is characterized by a gray surface soil, passing
into a yellow, compact upper subsoil which below a depth of 15 to 20
inches is mottled with red and gray. The series is intermediate in
position between the Norfolk and the Coxville series, being slightly
less well drained than the former and better drained than the latter.
The Dunbar very fine sandy loam is mapped.
The Coxville series comprises dark -gray to nearly black soils, with
subsoils ranging from mottled yellow and gray clay, tough or mod-
erately friable in the upper part to plastic, compact clay of a mottled
drab or gray, red, and yellow color in the lower part. The topo-
graphy is prevailingly flat, with frequent sparsely timbered areas.
Two types, the very fine sandy loam and silt loam, are mapped in
Beaufort County.
The soils of the Bladen series are characterized by gray or brownish
to nearly black surface soils. The subsoils consist of mottled brown,
yellow, and drab or bluish -gray, heavy, plastic clay. The series evi-
dently is intermediate between Tidal marsh and the Coxville soils.
It differs from the latter in not being so well drained and in
the absence of red in the subsoil. Artificial drainage is neces-
1100940-10-3

18 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1917.
nary in most areas before the Bladen soils can be utilized for agri-
culture. Four types, the fine sandy loam, very fine sandy loam,
loam, and silt loam, are mapped in this county.
The surface soils of the types included in the Portsmouth series
are dark gray to black, and high in organic matter. The subsoils
are light gray to mottled gray and yellow, and in the heavier types
are always plastic, though usually carrying a noticeable quantity of
sand. These soils occur in flat to slightly depressed, poorly drained
situations, and require ditching before they can be used for agri-
culture. The series is developed in the flatwoods or the low, seaward
portion of the Coastal Plain. Scattered areas also are found in the
poorly drained depressions of the higher Coastal Plain country. The
Portsmouth series is represented in Beaufort County by the fine
sand, fine sandy loam, and loam types.
The surface soil of the Hyde series is characterized by its black
color and high organic -matter content. Typically the soil is black
and uniform to a depth of 3 feet or more, but in places it grades into
a gray sandy clay. The Hyde series is developed in flat or slightly
depressed, poorly drained areas and usually is forested with a heavy
growth of hardwood. The soil is very productive, but artificial
drainage is necessary before it can be used for crop production. The
Hyde loam is mapped in this county.
Large areas of Muck and smaller areas of Swamp and Tidal marsh
are mapped. Muck consists of dark -brown or black, well -rotted
vegetable matter containing varying quantities of mineral material.
It occurs in swampy areas. The areas mapped as Swamp are low-
lying, wet or swampy areas composed of miscellaneous material,
principally Muck or Peat, generally mixed with varying quantities of
soil material washed from near -by slopes. Areas mapped as Swamp
in Beaufort County are of little value for agriculture, but usually
support a growth of merchantable timber. Tidal marsh consists of
flat, grassy areas bordering streams, subject to inundation by tides.
The surface material is generally Peat, and the underlying material
clay.
Some marl occurs in the county in the vicinity of Terra Ceia and
near Blount Pocoson and Gum Swamp. It occurs at depths varying
from 3 to 6 feet or more, and does not materially influence the soil.
It is dug and used on acid soils to a small extent.

26 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911.
School and near Surry small areas of the Coxville fine sandy loam
are included with the type.
The Coxville very fine sandy loam is one of the more extensive
types in the county, being well distributed over the western part.
It occurs chiefly as flat, imperfectly drained, or poorly drained areas.
It seldom borders drainage ways, generally being separated from the
streams by strips of Dunbar or Norfolk soil. Both the surface drain-
age and underdrainage are deficient. The impervious character of
the subsoil prevents the free downward movement of water, and in
periods of excessive rainfall the soil frequently becomes water-
logged. The type gives an acid reaction with litmus paper. Arti=
ficial drainage is an essential factor in the preparation of land of this
type for the growing of crops.
The Coxville very fine sandy loam is a relatively unimportant
soil type agriculturally. Only a very small percentage of it is
cultivated, and the cultivated areas usually occur as parts of fields
which are largely on better drained types of soil. Some cattle and
a few hogs and goats are grazed on the uncultivated areas, which
ere forested mainly with pine and in some areas with sweet gum and
black gum. There is an undergrowth of gallberry bushes. Broom
sedge is a characteristic growth in thinly forested areas and in old fields.
The principal crops on this type are corn and cotton. Corn
yields from 15 to 40 bushels per acre and cotton from one-third to
three -fourths bale. The same fertilizers are used for these crops
as on the Norfolk soils.
Land of this type sells for $25 to $40 an acre. The value of
uncultivated land is generally determined by the amount and quality
of the standing timber.
More of this soil could be profitably farmed if it were properly
drained. Fairly heavy applications of lime are beneficial, and
the growing and plowing under of winter cover crops increase its
productiveness.
COXVILLE SILT LOAM.
The surface soil of the Coxville silt loam in forested areas is an
almost black silt loam to a depth of 3 to 4 inches, underlain by a
gray or yellowish -gray silt loam to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. In
cultivated areas the immediate surface soil is much lighter in color
than in forested areas, being gray and in some cases light gray.
The subsoil is a mottled yellow and gray silty clay which becomes
heavier and more plastic with increase in depth. Below a depth of
24 to 30 inches the material is a mottled yellow, gray, and red
plastic clay, which continues to a depth of 3 feet or more.
The Coxville silt loam occurs rather extensively throughout the
western half of the county, and a few small areas are mapped east
of Aurora. The type occupies nearly flat and level areas in which

SOIL SURVEY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 27
drainage channels have only partially been developed. Where it
occurs near small streams the topography frequently is slightly
undulating, although the slopes to the streams occasionally are
very gradual. Both the surface drainage and underdrainage are poor,
and it is necessary to provide artificial drainage in preparing the
land fer cultivation.
This type is not extensively cultivated, being utilized chiefly
for grazing and lumbering. Probably 95 per cent of the type is
in forest, consisting of loblolly pine, sweet gum, and black gum, with
gallberry bushes and broom sedge in comparatively open areas.
A few scrub oaks grow on the better drained areas, and just east
of Big Pocoson there is some young longleaf pine.
The Coxville silt loam is handled and fertilized in the same manner
as the very fine sandy loam type. Corn is the most important
crop, while cotton and soy beans are grown to some extent. Oats
are sometimes grown, principally for forage.
This type is held at $25 to $40 an acre. For its improvement it
requires the same treatment as the Coxville very fine sandy loam.
BLADEN FINE SANDY LOAM.
The Bladen fine sandy loam, to a depth cf 10 to 15 inches, consists
of a brownish -gray or gray fine sandy loam, somewhat darker colored
soil occurring in virgin areas. The subsoil generally is a mottled gray
or drab and yellowish -brown or ocher -yellow, rather plastic clay. In
places where the type lies near streams or forms slight elevations
the subsoil may be a gray or drab and yellow plastic fine sandy
clay. In better drained patches the yellow mottling of the subsoil
is more pronounced than in the more extensive level and less well
drained areas.
The type occurs in the eastern part of the county, or that part
lying south of the Pamlico River, chiefly in the vicinity of Aurora
and Vinegar Hill. The topography is level, except for a few slightly
undulating areas near streams, and the natural drainage is for the
most part poor. Cultivated areas, except these lying along the
stream courses, are drained by open ditches. The type is productive,
and about 80 per cent of it has been cleared and drained and is in
cultivation. The principal vegetation in the uncultivated areas
consists of sweet gum, maple, pine, poplar, and black gum, with an
undergrowth of briers, myrtle, and gallberry.
Irish potatoes, corn, cotton, and soy beans are the leading crops.
Some tobacco is grown in the better drained areas near Aurora,
and vegetables are produced forhome use and for local markets. Pota-
toes yield from 50 to 80 barrels per acre, corn 30 to 80 bushels, cotton
three -fourths to 1 bale, and soybeans from 15 to 40 bushels. The soil
is generally handled either with 1-horse or 2-horse implements, plow-

SOIL SURVEY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 31
The Bladen loam in forest is held at $25 to $35 an acre. When
cleared, thoroughly ditched, and in a high state of cultivation,
it brings $100 to $200 an acre.
The Bladen loam in its natural state is generally in need of lime,
an acid condition having resulted from poor surface drainage and
underdrainage. Themore extensive development of drainage systems
would largely avoid the occasional decrease in crop yields due to
wet seasons and would make such crops as potatoes more certain.
The fertilizer elements most needed on the type are phosphorus
and potash.
The following table gives the results of mechanical analyses of
samples of the soil and subsoil of the Bladen loam:
Mechanical analyses of Bladen loam.
Number.
Description.
Fine
Coarse
Medium
Fine
Very fine
Silt.
Clay.
gravel.
sand.
sand.
sand.
sand.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
.Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
234732............
Soil........_
0.1
1.1
1.0
39.2
17.5
26.7
15.2
234733............
Subsoil ......
.0
.1
.3
40.2
12.4
17.7
28.6
BLADEN SILT LOAM.
The surface soil of the Bladen silt loam consists of a gray silt
loam, from 6 to 12 inches deep, varying in color from dark gray in
forested areas to comparatively light gray in areas that have been
cultivated for some time. The subsoil is a rather impervious mottled
drab or gray and yellow silty clay loam or silty clay in the upper 6
or 8 inches, passing into a drab or gray, plastic clay mottled with
yellow or yellowish brown.
A variation in this soil occurs east of Winsteadville. Here the sur-
face soil is typical, but the upper subsoil is lighter in texture, being a silt
loam, and the heavy clay subsoil is encountered at greater depths,
ordinarily 30 to 36 inches below the surface.
Near the Pungo River, in this area, the clay subsoil is encountered
at a depth of 18 to 22 inches, and passes into a fine or very fine sandy
loam at 30 to 36 inches.
The Bladen silt loam occurs in the eastern part of the county
north of the Pamlico River. The most extensive areas lie north of
the Pamlico River from Gaylord to Pamlico Beach around Winstead-
ville, Yeatsville, and Pantego, and between Belhaven and Leechville.
The type occurs as level pocoson or swamp areas, and its natural
surface drainage and underdrainage are poor. It has a situation very
similar to that of the Bladen loam, from which it differs not only in
texture but in containing less organic matter and having a lighter
color. About 25 per cent of the Bladen silt loam is in cultivation;

32 FIELL OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911.
the remainder is forested chiefly with sweet gum, black gum, pine,
poplar, and maple, the natural vegetation being very much like that
of the loam type.
The same crops are grown on the silt loam as on the loam, but the
proportion of the planted area in corn is not quite so large, the acreage
devoted to cotton and corn being about equal. The yields on the
Bladen silt loam are slightly lower than on the loam. The soil is
cleared and handled in the same manner as the loam, but requires
heavier applications of fertilizer for best results. On the fields that
have been cultivated longest it is frequently necessary to stimulate
growth by relatively heavy applications of cottonseed meal or nitrate
of soda.
The Bladen silt loam is held at $25 to $100 an acre, according to the
proportion of cleared land, the improvements, and location with
respect to markets.
This type frequently is in need of organic matter, and better crops
could be obtained in many instances by the more extensive growing
and plowing under of leguminous winter cover crops. In other re-
spects the type requires about the same treatment as the Bladen
loam.
The following table gives the results of mechanical analyses of
samples of the soil and subsoil of the Bladen silt loam:
Mechanical analyses of Bladen silt loam.
Number.
Description.
Fine
gravel.
Coarse
sand.
Medium
sand.
Fine
sand.
Very fine
sand.
Silt.
Clay.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
234730............
Soil .........
0.1
0.8
1.4
10.2
20.4
57.9
9.2
234731............
Subsoil..___.I
.0
.3
•8
6.8
18.0
37.3
36.3
PORTSMOUTH FINE SAND.
The Portsmouth fine sand is characterized by a dark -gray or
black surface soil which varies in depth from 6 to 12 inches. The
texture varies from a typical fine sand to a loamy fine sand, the latter
condition being due to the admixture of organic matter. The
subsoil consists of a light -gray, or in places almost white, fine sand,
which continues without change to a depth of several feet. In a
few places, as south of Core Point and west of Bonnerton and in the
vicinity of Acre, small patches having a brown hardpan from 12 to
15 inches below the surface occur within typical areas of this soil.
The largest area of the Portsmouth fine sand lies in West Dismal
Swamp north of Acre. Other areas are mapped along the Pamlico
River, southeast of Washington, along the Vanceboro Road in the
southwestern corner of the county, in and around Pantego Swamp,

3$ FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911.
two places the Muck is underlain by marl, but at depths of more
than 3 feet.
Muck occurs in East Dismal and Pantego Swamps in the north-
eastern part of the county and in Gum Swamp south of Aurora. It
is naturally poorly drained.
The soil is not extensively farmed, but much of it is being drained,
and about 5 per cent is now in cultivation. Uncultivated areas are
generally heavily forested with hardwood. The most characteristic
growth consists of black gum or swamp gum, maple, and cypress.
The undergrowth is characteristic of the swamps of the region.
Corn is the only crop extensively grown on Muck. This land
produces about the same yields and is handled in about the same
way as the Hyde loam. It is, however, not quite so strong a soil.
It sells for $20 to $200 an acre, its value depending on location,
drainage, state of cultivation, and improvements.
Muck, shallow phase. —The shallow phase of Muck consists of a
black organic layer 10 or 12 inches thick, underlain by gray fine
sand. Areas of this description occur in the southern part of Pantego
Swamp. They are not so well suited to agriculture as areas of the
typical Muck. They support a scattered growth of pines, with an
undergrowth of bay, briers, and reeds. Moss and ferns are of com-
mon occurrence. The phase is valued at about $10 an acre.
swanzr.
Swamp as mapped in Beaufort County consists of strips of alluvial
land along streams.. These areas are subject to frequent inundation,
and are covered with water the greater part of the year. The
surface material generally consists of Peat or Muck or dark -colored
sandy loam or loam, and varies in depth from an inch or two to 2
or 3 feet. It is underlain by a grayish fine sand, a mottled yellow
and gray clay, or less frequently by a drab clay with some brownish
mottlings. In many instances the surface material, which is com-
posed largely of vegetable matter in varying stages of decay, has
been modified considerably by material washed down from more
elevated areas of various soils. The quantity and texture of this
material vary greatly in different areas, being determined largely
by the type of the soil from which it has been washed. In Creeping
Swamp, along the Pitt County line, the Swamp material is a drab clay.
The Swamp areas are generally so low that it would be impracti-
cable to drain and cultivate them. Many of them are elevated only
a foot or two above sea level. Areas of Swamp occur along nearly
all the streams in the county. Along the larger streams the areas
are more or less discontinuous, and in some places they are broken
by areas of Tidal marsh.
Swamp is not utilized, except to a small extent for the grazing of
cattle. It is valued chiefly for its timber.

40 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1911.
implements and work stock are generally employed in farming oper-
ations. No definite crop rotation is practiced extensively in the
county. Commercial fertilizers are used in large quantities on most
of the crops, although on certain soils only small amounts are applied.
About 70 per cent of the farms are operated by the owners. The
selling price of land varies from $20 to $250 an acre, depending in
case of the poorer soils on the value of the timber, and in case of
the more productive types on the improvements and state of culti-
vation.
The soils of Beaufort County are derived from unconsolidated
sands and clays of sedimentary origin. The normal soils, of which
there are 15, are classed in 7 series. In addition there are the
miscellaneous types, Muck, Swamp, and Tidal marsh.
The soils of the Norfolk and Ruston series are naturally well
drained and are especially adapted to tobacco, cotton, corn, soy
beans, potatoes, and truck crops.
The Dunbar soil is intermediate between the Norfolk and Coxville
soils in drainage and color and in the structure of the subsoil. With
the exception of potatoes and truck crops, it is adapted to very
much the same crops as the Norfolk soils.
The Coxville soils are poorly drained and are used very little for
crop production. Lumbering is at present the principal industry
on these soils as they occur in Beaufort County.
The Bladen soils are generally very productive. On account of
their flat topography they have to be artificially drained before they
can be used for farming. The heavier types are best adapted to
corn, cotton, soy beans, and oats, while Irish potatoes are grown
extensively and successfully on the sandy types.
The Portsmouth soils are flat and frequently swampy. The sandy
types are used principally for trucking, while the heavier types are
especially adapted to corn.
The Hyde series is represented in Beaufort County by the loam
type, which is very rich in organic matter. This soil occurs in
swamps and requires drainage before it can be farmed. It produces
yields of corn considerably above the average for the region and is
one of the most valuable soils in the county.
Muck consists largely of deposits of finely decayed vegetable
matter occurring in swamps. Very little of it is farmed, although
good yields of corn are obtained near Terra Ceia.
Areas mapped as Swamp consist of strips of alluvial land along
streams. Swamp is composed of miscellaneous material, usually
an admixture of varying qualities of soil with Muck or Peat.
Tidal marsh consists of grassy, marshy areas subject to tidal
inundation by salt water. It affords some grazing, but is otherwise,
in its natural state, unsuited to agriculture.
Al