buncombeNC1923 (2)

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
BUREAU OF SOILS.
IN COOPERATION WITH TIIE NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
AND THE STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION.
SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY,
NORTH CAROLINA.
BY
S. O. PERKINS, IN CHARGE, AND R. E. DEVERELX, of TIIE
IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, AND S. F. DAVID-
SON AND W. A. DAVIS, Or TITE NORTH CARO-
LI'NA DEPARTMENT OF A(`rRICULTURE.
[Advance Sheets —Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils, 1920.1
WASHINGTON:
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.
1323.

[PUBLIC IIPSOT,17TION—No. 9.]
JOINT Rb1SOLLTION -mending public resolution numbered eight, Fifty-sixth Congress,
second session, approved February twenty-third, nineteen hundred and one, " provid-
ing for the printing annually of the report on field operations of the Division of Soils,
0oparlment of agriculture."
Tesolved by the Senate and (louse of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That public resolution numbered eight, Fifty-
sixth Congress, second session, approved February twenty-third, nineteen bun-
dred and one, be amended by striking out all after the resolving clause and
inserting in lieu thereof the following:
That there shall be printed ten thousand five hundred copies of the report on
field operations of. the Division of Soils, Department, of. Agriculture, of which
one thousand five hundred copies shall, be for the use of the Senate, three
thousand copies for the use of the House of Representatives, and six thousand
copies for the use of the Department of Agriculture: Provided, That in addition
to the number of copies above provided for there shall be printed, as soon as
the manuscript cau be prepared, with the necessary maps and illustrations to
accompany it, a. report on each area surveyed, in the form of advance sheets,
bound in paper covers, of which five hundred copies shall be for the use of
each Senator from the State, two thousand copies for the use of each Repre-
sentative for the congressional district or districts in which the survey is made,
and one thousand copies for the use of, the Department of Agriculture.
Approved, March 14, 1904.
[On July 1, 1901, the Division of Soils was reorganized as the Bureau of Soils.]
SI

CONTENTS.
Page.
Description of the area --- :--------------------------------------------
785
Climate-------------------------------------------------------------
787
Agriculture----------------------------------------------------------
788
Soils----------------------------------------------------------------
793
Cecil stony loam-------------------------------------------------
796
Cecil fine sandy loam -------------------------------- --------
797
Cecil loam -------------------------------------------------------
798
Cecil clay loam --------------------------------------------------
799
Cecilclay--------------------------------------------------------
800
Porters stony loam -----------------------------------------------
800
Porters loam -------------=--------------------------------------
801
Ashe stony loam-------------------------------------------------
803
Ashe fine sandy loam---------------------------------------------
803
Burton stony loam----------------------------------------------
804
Davidson clay loam ----------------------------------------------
805
Iredell stony loam ------------------------------------------------
806
Wilkes sandy loam -----------------------------------------------
806
Appling fine sandy loam-----------------------------------------
807
Altavista fine sandy loam -----------------------------------------
807
Toxawayloam ---------------------------------------------------
808
Congaree fine sandy loam -----------------------------------------
808
Congaree silt loam----------------------------------------------
'809
Meadow (Congaree material)-------------------- -----------------
810
Roughstony land --------- --------------------- ------------------
810
Rock outcrop ------- ------------- ---------------------------------
811
Summary----------------------------------------------------------
811
ILLUSTRATIONS
FIGURE.
Page.
PIG. 23 —Sketch map showing location of the Buncombe County area,
North Carolina-------------------------------------------- 785
step.
Soil map, Buncombe County sheet, North Carolina.
III

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH
CAROLINA.
By S. Q. PERKINS, in Charge, and R. E. DEVEREUX, of the U. S. Department
of Agriculture, and S. F. DAVIDSON and W. A. DAVIS, of the North Carolina
Department of Agriculture.
DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA.
Buncombe County is situated in the western part of North Caro-
lina, and equidistant from South Carolina on the south and Ten-
nessee on the north. The boundaries of the county for the most part
follow the mountain ranges, giving it a very irregular shape. Its
greatest length is about 35 miles east
and west, its greatest width 25 miles
north and south, and its area is 612
square miles, or 391,680 acres.
The region in which Buncombe
County lies could be well divided into
two physiographic divisions, intermoun- F4k. 23.—Sketch map showing
uncombe
tain plateau and mountain. The broad location area, North$ Carolin&
valley situated on both sides of the
French Broad River comprises the intermountain plateau, which is
almost surrounded by mountain ranges, the Blue Ridge and Black
Mountains on the east and south and the Newfound Range and the
foothills of the Great Smokies on the west and north. The intermoun-
tain plateau consists essentially of a rather deeply cut but not very
sharply dissected plain somewhat more rugged than some of the Pied-
mont Plateau province. There is very little really level land on the
plateau surface, the rolling topography being more or less continuous.
There are narrow strips of nearly level bottom land, from a few feet to
600 feet in width, bordering most of the smaller streams, and in some
places along the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers and Hominy
and Cane Creeks these bottoms broaden out to one-half mile in width.
The hills range from 50 to 300 feet in height above the streams.
These hills are rounded into singularly even and graceful curves.
The drainage basins of the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers
,a -
nd Cane, Hominy, Newfound, and Turkey Creeks form the greater
art of the intermountain area, which comprises about 70 per cent of
he entire area of the county. The adjacent mountain ranges form a
rather abrupt margin to this intermountain area, though outlying
knobs and higher hills and ridges in some places render this boundary
less apparent. The average elevation of this intermountain plateau
is about 2,300 feet above sea level.
The most rugged and mountainous parts of the county are the
eastern, southeastern, southwestern, western, and northeastern. The
Elk Mountains, commencing just northeast of Asheville, extend into
the Great Craggy Mountains. There are numerous peaks in this
785

788 YmLD oPmUTroxs or THE BUREAU or soms, 1W.
great range, the most important of which are Potato Knob, with an
elevation of 6,419 feet; Blackstock Knob, 6,386 feet; Craggy Dome,
6,105 feet; and Yeates Knob, 5,925 feet. Big Pisgah Mountain is
the highest peak on the western boundary, with an elevation of 5,713
feet. These mountains are very steep and rough.
The United States Congress has recently created a national park
and game preserve, known as the Pisgah National Forest, most of
which lies in North Carolina. The largest area of this forest in
Buncombe County is in the Pisgah Ridge, in the southwestern part
of the county; another area occurs in the Black Mountains and the
Great Craggy Mountains. The total area included in Buncombe
County is 26,769 acres. The United States Government has option
on several thousand acres more.
The French Broad River, the largest stream and the main drain-
ae way, divides the county into two parts, the eastern part being
slightly the larger. The river has a general south to north course
from the Henderson County line to about 2 miles north of Asheville,
and thence flows in a slightly northwesterly direction until it leaves
the county. The streams in the eastern part of the county flow in a
general westerly direction, emptying into the French Broad River.
The largest of these are the Swannanoa River and Reems, Beaver -
dam, and Flat Creeks. The Ivy River drains the northeastern corner
of the county and flows out of the county about 1 mile west of Grant-
ville, emptying into the French Broad River in Madison Countyy.
Cane Creek, in the southeastern part of the county, has a south-
westerly course, crossing the county boundary into Henderson
County, where it empties into the French Broad River. The streams
in the western part of the area flow in a northeasterly direction, ex-
cept Hominy Creek, which runs east, and all empty into the French
Broad River. All the streams except the French Broad River and
Hominy Creek have their sources within the county.
Buncombe County has excellent natural drainage; creeks, branches,
and streamlets ramify all parts of the county, and every farm is
connected with one or more of these outlets. Springs of good water
are found on almost every farm, and many gravity water systems
have been installed. The small streams are swift flowing and have
cut deep ravines. Considerable water power is being developed for
gristmills, sawmills, and roller mills on nearly all the creeks in the
county. The French Broad River has a fall of about 375 feet in its
length of 33 miles across the county. Considerable water power is
being developed on this stream, but thousands of horsepower are
going to waste. The city of Asheville and vicinity is supplied with
power from a hydroelectric plant about 5 miles below Asheville.
Buncombe County was formed in 1791 from parts of Burke and
Rutherford Counties. In 1808 and 1850 Haywood and Madison
Counties, respectively, were formed from parts of Buncombe
County. The first settlements in the Buncombe County area were
made about 150 years ago. Prior to this the region was occupied
by the Cherokee Indians, who were as a rule on fairly friendly terms
with the white settlers. The early pioneers were mostly of Scotch
and Irish descent, and nearly all the present native inhabitants
trace their ancestry to these early settlers.

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTYP NORTH CAROLINA. 787
According to the 1920 census, the total population of the county
is 64,148, of which 35,644, or 55.6 per cent, is classed as rural. In
recent years there has been a drift of population from the rural
districts to the towns and mill centers. The rural population in 1920
averaged 55.8 persons per square mile. In the intermountain pla-
teau section the 'population is rather evenly distributed; in the
mountain region it is confined largely to the valleys of the small
streams.
Asheville, the county seat, with a population of 28,504 in 1920, is
the principal town. Weaverville, the next largest town, has a popu-
lation of 606. Other locally important towns are Black Mountain,
which had a population of 531 in 1920; Barnardsville, Biltmore,
Leicester, Swannanoa, Fairview, Candler, and eat.
The transportation facilities of the county are excellent. The
main line of the Southern Railway traverses the area, entering the
county on the eastern boundary at Ridge Crest, following down the
Swannanoa River, passing through Asheville, and thence. northward
down the French Broad River out of the county. The Spartan-
burff line and the Murphy branch of the same system, extending
south and west from Asheville, afford transportation to the southern
and western parts of the county, The Asheville & East Tennessee
Electric Railway, running from Asheville to Weaverville, is an out-
let to the northeastern part of the county.
The public roads of Buncombe County are as a whole the best
in any county in western North Carolina. Asheville is on the east-
ern branch of the Dixie Highway, and is the terminus of the Asher
ville-Charlotte-Wilmington Highway via Chimney Rock and the
Asheville -Hendersonville -Green 61le-Spartanburg Road. The roads
in almost every section of the county are well graded and kept in
good repair, and roads are being regraded and rebuilt with mac-
adam, asphalt, concrete, or sand -clay. The telephone service is fairly
good throughout the county.
The principal markets far -agricultural products are Asheville and
Black Mountain. Other local markets are Weaverville, Barnards-
ville, Sandymush, Candler, and Swannanoa. All truck crops find
ready sale in Asheville, Weaverville, Black Mountain, and Montreat.
A good many cattle are driven to Clyde, in Haywood County, and
shipped out of the State. All dairy products, poultry, and poultry
products find ready sale in Asheville and other places in the county.
CIai[ATE.
The climate of Buncombe County is favorable to general agricul-
ture. It is characterized by a somewhat lighter annual precipitation
than the rest of the mountain section of North Carolina, and the
rainfall around Asheville is probably much lighter than in other
parts of the county. The county has more fair days and a compara-
tive absence of disagreeable or destructive winds, owing to its posi-
tion with regard to the surrounding mountains.
The mean annual precipitation at Asheville is 41.06 inches. The
rainfall is distributed so that crops seldom suffer from drought or
excessive rain. Even in 1904, the driest year recorded, the rainfall
was 30.07 inches and was about normal during the growing season.

788 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 19M.
7n 1918, the wettest year on record it was 51.08 inches. The rainfall
is distributed throughout the year, but is greatest during the growing
season and lightest during September, October, and November. The
average annual snowfall for the 20 years of record is 9.3 inches.
The mean annual temperature is 54.10 F.; the warmest month is
July, with a mean temperature of 71.7° F. and the coldest is .Tan-
uary, with a mean temperature of 35.4° F. Were is little variation in
the mean temperature of the winter months. The highest tempera-
ture recorded at the Asheville station was 950 F. on August 6, 1918.
The lowest, -60 F., was in February.
The average date of the last killing frost in the spring is April 14,
and that of the first in the fall, October 18. This gives an average
growing season of 187 days, which is adequate for most of the Qfaple
crops grown in the State. The latest recorded date of killing frost in
the spring was May 10, and the earliest in the fall, October S. The
grazing season lasts practically all the year. The prevailing direc-
tion of the wind in the summer is southwest and in the winter
northeast.
The following table gives the normal monthly, seasonal, and annual
temperature and precipitation, as compiledfrom the records of the
Weather Bureau station at Asheville:
Normal monthly, seasonal, and annual temperature dnd precipitation at
Ashevilte.
(Elevation, 2,265 feet.)
Temperature.
Peecipitation.
Month.
Total
Total
snow,
Absolute Absolute
Mom' maximum. minimum.
M
amountfcr
the driest
amountfor
the wettestpe
year QW0.
year (1918).
°F.
F.
F.
India,
IMAM
India
Inches.
December........
37.8
70
-4
3.08
2. 02
4. Td
0. 8
.... _ .
35.4
75
-3
2:95
1.42
4. ,%
3.6
ebn a
F ry.........
. 38.5
77
-6
3.21
2.06
1.98
3.2
winter _
37.2
77
--6
9.14
5.50
11.27
7.6
March.:...
A ra....
May ..............
44.9
53.0
62.6
86
86
91
5
13
31
3. 95
3.20
3.60
4.34 -
1.64
3.17
125
2.74
4.38
6
.1
:O
spring_.. - -
52. 9
01
5
10.76
115
9. 37
.7
Tune... . . . .....
68.7
92
38
A. 20
4.O1
6.53
.0
71.7
94
48
4.75
2 81
2.74
0
70.5
95
47
4.57
3.55
5.07
0
summer....
70.3
95
38
13.52
10.17
14.34
0
gg��pptimber........
65.0
88
32
2.90
2.13
3.OD
.0
Oe�ober. _ ........
53.03
85
20
2.48
02
11.32
.2
November........
45.1
75
9
2.27
3.10
1.78
.8
Fail........
55.1
88
9
7.65
5.26
16.10
1.0
Year........
54.1 1
95
_6 1
41.061
M 07
1 51.08
9.3
AORICITLTUrRE.
The early pioneers settled along the creeks and rivers and began
to cultivate the richer and more easily tilled bottokn land. For

SOIL. SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 789
generations they bought little and sold little because of the distance
to market; there were no railroads and the county roads were poor.
They depended a good deal on hunting and fishing, but the chief
source of income was cattle and hogs. The animals were marked or
branded and turned loose in the mountains. No fences were required,
except around the gardens and corn patches. Cattle and hogs were
driven to markets in South Carolina. As a class, the people of this
section never were wealthy; they were content to make a good living
without accumulating much or keeping pace with the agriculture in
other sections of the State. This region was affected very little by
the Civil War. The county did not really begin to develop until the
railroad reached Asheville.
According to the census of 1880, there were 2,560 farms in Bun-
combe County in 1879, with an average of 38.9 acres of improved
land per farm. Corn, with a total area of 29,108 acres, was the most
important crop, followed by wheat, oats, rye, and hay in the order
named. Tobacco was grown on 947 acres, with a production of
475,428 pounds. The production of sorghum sirup amounted to
43,678 gallons. Buckwheat was grown on 575 acres, with a produc-
tion of 3,981 bushels. The output of potatoes was 19,211 bushels, and
87 acres of sweet potatoes produced 5,872 bushels. Orchard products
were valued at $22,270, and forest products at $47,646.
The acreage of corn, oats, hay, and sweet potatoes increased during
the next decade, while wheat, buckwheat, and rye decreased. The
production of potatoes more than doubled, while the acreage in
tobacco was trebled in this period, 3,409 acres producing 1,482,688
pounds. There were 102,238 apple trees and 33,500 peach trees in
1889.
From the returns of the 1900 census it is seen that the production
of corn, wheat, hay and forage, fruits, and livestock and livestock
products had made the heaviest increases. The value of livestock,
dairy, and poultry products sold in 1899 amounted to $287,244;
forest products were valued at $63,481; and orchard products at
$50,061.
During the decade from 1900 to 1910 the acreage in corn decreased
about 30 per cent, oats about 50 per cent, wheat about 20 per cent,
hay and forage crops about 40 per cent, while tobacco decreased
from 1,178 to 44 acres. There was an increase in the acreage of
Irish potatoes and in fruit and truck crops and a large increase
in the value of livestock and livestock products.
At present corn is the principal crop grown. According to the
1920 census, 671,522 bushels were produced from 28,830 acres in 1919,
with an average yield of 23.3 bushels per acre. Corn is used chiefly
for feeding stock and fattening hogs, and some is ground into meal
for home use. Many farmers have a surplus that is sold in the local
markets. The principal varieties are Cross 182, Biggs Prolific, Tip-
pard, and Boone County White. Most of the corn is produced on the
bottom lands and colluvial slopes, as the higher yields are obtained
on these soils, but in the vicinity of Leicester and Jupiter and
throughout the central and northern parts of the county the best
farmers produce good yields of corn upon the uplands.
Wheat is the next crop of importance, the 1920 census reporting a
production of 123,534 bushels on 14,333 acres, with an average yield
44489°-23-2

790 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1920.
of 8.6 bushels per acre. Wheat is used mainly to supply flour for
the home, but some of the better farmers produce a surplus, which is
sold in the local markets or to millers. Smooth wheats are usually
grown on the uplands and bearded wheats on the bottom lands.
Oats were grown on 2,604 acres, yielding 36,236 bushels, in 1919,
an average of 14 bushels per acre. The principal varieties are Red
Rust Proof, Winter Appler, Ninety Day, and Black Spring. Oats
are sometimes sown with crimson clover and out for hay, and some
oats are fed to stock in the sheaf.
Hay and forage crops occupied 16,149 acres, yielding 20,009 tons,
in 1919. Cultivated grasses, consisting mostly of clover and timothy
mixed, and of clover alone, produced most of the hay crop. Clover
and timothy mixed occupied 4,214 acres and produced 4,301 tons of
hay, while clover alone occupied an area of 2,130 acres, producing
1,993 tans of hay. Clover is a good improver for the land, and many
of the farmers grow the crop for the beneficial effects that it has on
succeeding crops of corn and wheat.
Soy beans are beginning to be important. The crop is cut for
hay, harvested for seed, or turned under for soil improvement.
When cut for hay the yield ranges from 1-1 to 4 tons per acre, and
when harvested for seed, from 12 to 18 bushels per acre. At the
Buncombe County State Test Farm at Swannanoa as much as 48
bushels per acre has been produced on experimental plots.
Sorghum is grown on many farms for the manufacture of sirup.
According to the 1920 census, the acreage in 1919 was 3,085 acres,
from which 46,483 gallons of sirup were produced.
Potatoes are grown throughout the county and good yields are
obtained, the 1920 census reporting 73,551 bushels from 963 acres,
an average of 76.4 bushels per acre. Yields range from 50 to 200
bushels per acre. The potatoes are of excellent quality, the tubers
being smooth and having a mealy structure. Sweet potatoes were
grown on 131 acres, yielding 9,066 bushels. Vegetables are grown
not only for home consumption but to supply the market in Ashe-
ville and other towns. Approximately $500,000 worth of vegetables
are annually sold in the county. The production of tobacco in
1919 was 80,000 pounds. Buckwheat is grown in patches distributed
over the county.
Fruit growing is an important industry, particularly in the moun-
tainous section of the county. Nearly every farmer throughout the
area has a few apple trees, and many of them have extensive or-
chards. New orchards are being set out. The principal varieties
grown commercially are the Winesap, Stayman Winesap, Limber -
twig, Delicious, Grimes, York Imperial, Hoover, Wolf River, and
Gano. Apples do especially well on the mountain slopes, where
the air drainage is good. There is every reason to believe that this
industry will be greatly extended in the future, as the soils and
climatic conditions are favorable for the production of a good
quality of fruit. The 1920 census reports the number of bearing
trees and the yields as follows: Apples, 164,172 trees, 58,886 bushels;
peaches, 37,022 trees, 3,395 bushels; pears, 1,480 trees, 144 bushels;
plums, 1,682 trees, 104 bushels; cherries, 5,758 trees, 3,044 bushels.
All these fruits apparently do well when properly cared for.

SOM SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH mw aiNA. 791
The combined value of all domestic animals January 1, 1920,
reached a total of $1,778,063. On that date there were 10,074 hogs
in the county, 1,333 sheep, 8,829 beef cattle, and 12,381 dairy cattle.
For 1929 the value of dairy products, excluding home use of milk
and cream, amounted to $744,901, and the value of poultry and
poultry products, $300,471.
The cattle are well distributed over the county, though more exten-
sively raised in the mountain sections. The hogs are confined mainly
to the valley section. Sheep are raised chiefly in the mountains.
Part of the live stock is butchered on the farms or sold in the local
markets; the rest is shipped out of the county. There are a few
cattlemen who own large areas of mountain land and handle a con-
siderable number of cattle each year, annually shipping out the
mature and fat cattle and carrying younger animals over the winter.
In addition to the staple farm crops, fruits, poultry, and dairy
products, and cattle, a considerable revenue in the aggregate is
derived from the sale of lumber, crossties, and tanbark. The market-
ing of these products gives employment to people during that season
of the year when farm work is not heavy.
The agriculture of Buncombe County at the present time is typical
of that of a large section of this mountainous country in that no large
and important money crop is raised. Most of the farmers produce a
sufficient quantity of the staple farm products, such as corn, wheat,
clover, oats, potatoes, buckwheat, fruits, dairy products, and all kinds
of vegetables and truck crops to supply home requirements. The
cash income received by the farmers ist chiefly from the sale of the
corn, wheat, fruits, cattle, dairy, and 011tryproducts, and truck
crops, supplemented in many cases by returns from the sale of forest
products, such as lumber, tanbark, acid ood,Y and crossties Pota-
toes and cabbage are the principal source of income in some of the
mountain sections. Some farmers in the county do not produce suf-
ficient grain and hay to feed their work stock, and considerable quan-
tities are shipped into the county every year. Since this area is
well adapted to these crops, every farmer should grow enough for
home use and have a surplus for sale. In the vicinity of Asheville,
Weaverville, Black Mountain, Montreat, and Swannanoa the chief
source of income is from the summer tourists who visit this section
and from the sale of vegetable and truck crops. Truck farms are
found all over the county. With good roads it is possible by use of
motor trucks to place vegetables in the local markets in first-class
condition, and the farmers find ready sale in these markets for all
their produce at good prices.
The soils of the stream bottoms are recognized by the farmers as
being more productive for corn and hay and those of the uplands as
better adapted to wheat and clover. The Porters loam, Porters
stony loam, and the Burton stony loam are known as excellent grass
and orchard land. Corn and potatoes also do well on these soils.
The Davidson clay loam and Cecil clay loam are considered best
for small grains and clover, but corn also is a successful crop on these
soils. The Cecil fine sandy loam and Cecil loam are good general-
= wood used in the production of certain products by distillation.

792 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS9 1920.
purpose soils. Truck crops are grown with excellent results on these
soils.
The farm improvements as a rule are good. The farm houses are
generally roomy and well built and the barns usually large enough
to shelter all the stock. In some of the more remote mountain sec-
tions are found a few one -room houses and inadequate shelter for
the stock.
Among the most extensively used implements on the farms are
binders, threshing machines, mowing machines, one-horse and two -
horse turning plows, three -horse riding plows, both disk and turn-
ing, disk harrows, drag harrows, hillside plows, grain drills, and
corn harvesters. There are a few tractors, silage cutters, corn shred-
ders, and farm motor trucks.
In 1919, according to the census, $56,109 were spent for fertilizer
on 2,059 farms reporting its use, an average of $27.25 per farm re-
porting. Acid phosphate, the principal fertilizer used, is applied at
the rate of 100 to 300 pounds per acre, A mixture of cottonseed
meal and acid phosphate, 100 pounds of meal to 200 pounds acid,
is sometimes used. Corn does not receive much fertilizer, and on
the bottom lands and mountain slopes it is seldom given any. The
same fertilizers are used for all crops except potatoes, on which a
complete mixture analyzing 8-2-2 2 or 8-34 is used. Bottom soils
are not as a rule fertilized. Stable manure is used on the poorest
upland fields, gardens, and truck patches.
Farm labor as scarce and high. Most of the farmers have to de-
pend mainly on their own family for cultivating and handling the
crops. Laborers are usually paid from $1 to $2 per day. When
hired by the month the wage ranges from $20 to $50. Some laborers,
hired for long periods, are provided with house, garden, and cow in
addition to these wages. From 6 to 10 cents a bushel is paid for
picking apples. The 1920 census reports an expenditure of $161,565
for labor on 914 farms, an average of $176.75 per farm reporting.
The farms in Buncombe County vary in size from 10 to 250 acres,
with a few large holdings of 1,200 to 2,000 acres, these large tracts
being mostly forest and mountain pasture land. According to the
1920 census report, the average size of farms is 71.9 acres, of which
48.6 per cent, or 35 acres is improved land. In 1920, 74.7 per cent
of farms were operated > y owners, 24.3 per cent by tenants, and 1
per cent by managers. Under the share system, which is in general
use on the better upland soils of the county, the landlord furnishes
house, implements, and one-half the fertilizer, and receives one-half
of the corn and two-thirds of the wheat. On the bottom lands the
tenant usually receives one-third of the crops.
Farm land varies in price from $10 to $200 an acre, depending
on the state of improvement. Usually the best bottom land brings
the highest price. The average price of good farm land is about
$85 an acre. The average assessed value of farm land as reported by
the 1920 census is $48.82 per acre.
The mountainous portions of the county offer splendid oppor-
tunities for apple growing, stock raising, and forestry. These
mountains contain large areas of virgin hardwood forest.
2 Proportions, respectively, of phosphoric acid, nitrogen, and potash.

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 793
SOMS.a
The soils of Buncombe County are prevailingly brown to reddish
brown, although there are some noticeable areas of gray to grayish -
brown soils, and also a few areas of black soils. The brown to,
reddish -brown soils occupy by far the greater part of the county and
represent most of the agricultural land in the area. They are
forest soils, and therefore contain very little organic matter. The
dominant textures of these soils are loan -is and clay loams with small
areas of fine sandy loam. Most of these soils have a friable or a
brittle structure, and there are only a few small areas of soils that
have plastic subsoils.
A common characteristic of these soils is the absence of free car-
bonates; that is, no carbonates have been accumulated in these
soils, although the original material contains lime. Leaching has
been thorough, owing to the extremely heavy rainfall and the ex-
cellent natural drainage. In the wooded areas erosion is much less
active than in the cultivated fields.
There are four main groups or classes of upland sail in Buncombe{
County. The first group comprises the reddish -brown to red surface
soils that have red, stiff, but fairly brittle subsoils. These occur ex-
tensively in the northwestern part and the west -central part of the
county in the French Broad Valley. They are particularly notice-
able in the vicinity of Asheville and around Leicester and Jupiter,
and also in the southern part of the county around Arden Park.
These soils have been classed as the Cecil types and range in texture
from fine sandy loam to clay. The fine sandy loam and loam are
grayish brown to brown in the surface portions, while the clay loam
and clay are reddish brown to red in the surface soil. These soil types
occupy the smoother upland areas of the county. They occur prin-
cipally on the intermountain areas or along the foothills of the
mountains, and range in elevation from about 2,000 to 2,500 feet.
The second group comprises brown soils with yellowish -brown to
reddish -brown friable subsoils. These are developed in large areas
in the extreme western part of the county, in the southeast corner,
and in the eastern and northeastern parts. They represent typical
mountain soils and have been classed as Porters loam and Porters
stony loam. These soils are typically developed at elevations rang-
ing from 2,500 to 6,000 feet.
The third group of soils comprise gray or brownish -gray surface
soils, with yellow to brownish -yellow friable subsoils. These are the
Ashe soils, which are closely associated with the Porters soils. They
are developed along the high mountains in the northeastern part of
the county and occupy a comparatively small area. The Ashe stony
loam is the most important type.
The fourth group of soils comprises types with black surface soils
and reddish -brown friable subsoils. These soils are represented here
loaThe soils of Buncombe County do not join those of Henderson County. The Cecil
m, Bough stony land, and Burton stony loam of Buncombe County adjoin large areas
of Porters loam of Henderson County. Small areas of Ashe stony loam also join small
bodies of Porters loam and Porters sandy loam. These discrepancies along the county
boundary are due to a better understanding and reclassi@cation of the soils since Pen-
derson County was surveyed in 1907. The Porters series has been revised to include
brown soils with a reddish -brown or yellowish -brown friable subsoil, and the Burton
series has been established to take care of the black soils in the mountains which were
formerly mapped as Porters black loam.

794 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1920.
by the Burton stony loam, which is developed on the high mountains
and along the northern slopes in the northeastern part of the county
on Great Craggy Mountain and in a few small areas scattered else-
where throughout the high mountains.
Throughout the northeastern part of the county are extensive areas
of RougR stony land, which is unsuited for agriculture. There are
also large areas of like nature in the southeastern and northwestern
corners of the county.
In addition to these general groups of upland soils, there are a few
small areas of soils which have distinct characteristics. These are
included in the Davidson, Iredell, Wilkes, and Appling series. There
are also a few strips of first -bottom and second -bottom soils along
the French Broad River and some of the creeks.
Practically all of the soils of Buncombe County are residual in
origin; that is they have been derived from the weathering of the
underlying rock formations. By far the greater part of the county
is underlain by the Carolina gneiss, whicli forms the country rock
in the northeastern, eastern, western, and southern parts of the
county and also in the vicinity of Asheville. This is a light -gray to
dark -gray rock, composed of quartz, feldspar, muscovite, and a little
biotite mica. It has a banded structure. Associated with this rock
is a mica gneiss which differs from the Carolina gneiss in that it
contains more feldspar. This formation gives rise to the Cecil,
Porters, and Ashe soils. In the northern part of the county, from
Grantville to Jupiter and on past Alexander and across the Trench
Broad River, are areas of Roan gneiss. This formation is darker
colored than the Carolina gneiss and probably contains more horn-
blende and biotite mica. It gives rise principally to the Cecil soils.
In the southeastern corner of the county small areas of fine black
schist or slate rock occur. Strips of conglomerate are also developed
in the vicinity of Black Mountain and extending a short distance to
the southwest. To the west of Alexander are small areas of meta-
gabbro. This represents the light and dark colored gabbro rock
which gives rise to the Iredell stogy loam. There are spots of soap-
stone rock between Swannanoa and Asheville. In the extreme west-
ern end of the county are a few spots of Hiwassee slate.
The soils of the county have been classed into soil series on a basis
of similarity in color, structure, origin, organic content, topography,
and drainage conditions. The series have been subdivided into indi-
vidual types on the basis of texture; that is, whether the soil is a
sand, sandy loam, loam, silt loam, clay loam, or clay, which is deter-
mined by the proportions of mineral particles of different sizes of
which the soils are composed.
The upland soils of the county, comprising practically the entire
area, have been classed in the Cecil, Porters, Ashe, Burton, Davidson,
Iredell, Wilkes, and Appling series.
The types in the Cecil series have gray, reddish -brown, or red
surface soils and a red, stiff but brittle clay subsoil. The fine sandy
loam and the loam have gray to brown surface soils, whereas the clay
loam and clay have reddish -brown to red surface soils. Five types,
the Cecil loam, clay loam, fine sandy loam, stony loam, and clay,
were mapped.
The types in the Porters series are characterized by brown surface
soils and a yellowish -brown to reddish -brown friable subsoil. These

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTA CAROL1NA. 795
represent the typical mountain soils and are readily distinguishable
from the Cecil. The Porters loam and stony loam were mapped.
The soils of the Ashe series differ from those of the Porters in that
the surface soil is gray or brownish gray, and the subsoil is yellow
to brownish yellow. They are closely associated with the Porters
soils, and in many places it was difficult to draw any distinct line
between them. Only two types, the stony loam and fine sandy loam,
are developed in the county.
The types included in the Burton series are characterized by black
surface soils high in organic matter and a reddish -brown or yellow-
ish -brown friable soil. Only one type, the Burton stony loam, is
mapped.
The Davidson series includes types with reddish -brown to dark -
red surface soils and a darker red to maroon red, stiff but friable,
smooth subsoil. The soils are derived from diorite and metagabbro
rocks. One type, the clay loam, occurs in the county.
The types in the Iredell series have dark -red to rusty -brown sur-
face soils and a brownish yellow, heavy, plastic impervious clay
subsoil. This series is derived from diorite and metagabbro, and the
type mapped, the Iredell stony loam, is readily distinguished from
any of the other soils in the county.
In the types of the Wilkes series the surface soils are gray to
brownish, and the subsoil is very variable in color and structure, fre-
quently grading into either a yellowish -brown heavy clay or the dis-
integrated rock within the 3-foot section. One type, the sandy loam,
is mapped.
The Appling series includes types with gray to brownish -gray sur-
face soils and a mottled yellow and red or reddish -yellow, compact
but friable subsoil. Only the Appling fine sandy loam is developed
here.
Along the rivers and larger creeks are developed areas of first -
bottom soils and small bodies of second -bottom or terrace soils. These
soils represent materials which have been washed from the uplands
and redeposited by the streams. The Altavista series includes the
second -bottom or terrace material, and the Congaree and Toxaway
series comprise the first -bottom soils.
The types of the Altavista series have gray to light -brown surface
soils and a yellow to brownish -yellow friable subsoil. These soils
are developed on the second bottoms or terraces. The Altavista fine
sandy loam is mapped.
The Congaree series includes types with brown to reddish -brown
surface soils and a light -brown friable subsoil. Both the soil and
subsoil contain a noticeable amount of small mica scales. Two types,
the fine sandy loam and silt loam, occur in this county.
The types in the Toxaway series are characterized by black surface
soils and a black, steel -gray, or brown, friable subsoil. Only the
Toxaway loam is developed.
In addition to the above -described series there are three miscel-
laneous classifications of material, namely, Meadow (Congaree ma-
terial), Rough stony land, and Rock outcrop.
In the following pages of this report the different soils are de-
scribed in detail and their relation to agriculture discussed. The

796 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1920.
following table gives the actual and relative extent of the different
soil types:
Areas of different soils.
Soil.
Acres.
cent
Soil.
Acres.
Pen
Porters stony loam .......... . . . . .
87,104
22.2
Davidson clay loam..............
8,520
0.9
Cecil clay loam ...................
85, 504
21.8
Cecil clay... _ ........ .._.
2,496
6
Cecil loam ........................
Rough land
66, M
17.0
9.3
Apppling fine sandy loam..........
Ashe fine loam
21368
.6
stony . . ......... . ....
Cecil fine loam
36,160
30,464
7.8
sandy .............
ITedell loam................
2, 048
.5
sandy .............
Porters loam .....................
22,592
5.8
stony
Altavista fine sandy loam ........
960
832
.3
.2
Congaree fine sandy loam ........
11,008
2.8
Rock outcrop .....................
832
.2
Burton stony loam ...............
7, 808
2.0
Meadow (Congaree material)......
832
.2
Cecil stony loam ..................
7,744
2.0
Toxaway loam ...................
448
.1
Ashe stony loam . . . .............. .
Congaree silt loam ................
7 680
F.
2.0
1.9
Total.......................
391,680
.......
Wilkes sandy loam. ............. .
7, 040
1.8
CECIL STONY LOAM.
The Cecil stony loam is a grayish -brown to brown friable loam 6 to
10 inches deep, underlain by a red to a brownish -red rather heavy
friable clay, which may extend to 3 feet or more, though locally the
bedrock is encountered at 20 to 30 inches below the surface. In
places the brown surface, soil passes into a pale -red friable clay loam
that, extends to a depth of 9 to 14 inches and gradually passes into a
red, stiff, crumbly clay. Quartz gravel and larger fragmentary rocks
are scattered plentifully over the surface and mixed with both soil
and subsoil. This soil type differs from the Cecil loam chiefly in that
it contains from 30 to 60 per cent of angular rock fragments con-
sisting principally of gneiss. The surface soil on Spivey Mountain
and Deaver View is a reddish -brown stony loam.
The Cecil stony loam lies along the foot of some of the higher
mountains, on knolls, and on the tops of some of the low mountains.
The larggest bodies occur 24 miles north of Liberty Church, around
Spivey (fountain and Deaver View, 21 miles south of Candler, near
Avery Creek, bordering Stony Fork south of Dunsmore, and in other
areas scattered throughout the southern and eastern parts of the
county.
The surface of this type varies from rolling to strongly rolling and
steep. Both surface and internal drainage are good.
The total area of the Cecil stony loam is comparatively small. It
covers less than 8,000 acres and is not of great importance, although
the small areas in cultivation give good results. It is a good soil for
fruit growing, apples and peaches both doing well. The tree growth
on the forested areas consists mainly of oaks, pine, white pine,
poplar, dogwood, maple, sourwood, and a little chestnut. On some
of the smoother areas, where the stones are not too numerous, corn
yields 10 to 40 bushels per acre, wheat 8 to 12 bushels, and other
crops give good yields.
The stone content of this type makes it hard to handle. One-horse
plows are in general use. Fertilizer is seldom used. This land is
always sold in connection with adjoining soils. The same methods of
improvement are followed as on the Cecil loam.

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 797
CECIL FINE SANDY LOAM.
The Cecil fine sandy loam consists of an upper layer of grayy to,
yellowish -gray fine sandy loam, 6 to 9 inches thick, underlain by a
yellowish -red or pale -red fine sandy loam, passing at 10 to 15 inches
into a red, stiff, though friable fine sandy clay to clay, which usually
extends to a depth of several feet. The surface material in places
varies in color from light -gray or whitish to brown or grayish brown.
The grayish -brown and brown surface soil generally rests directly
upon the red -clay subsoils; the light -gray soil has a reddish -yellow to
pale -red substratum passing gradually into the red subsoil. In other
places the surface soil has a reddish -brown or yellowish -red color,
which is due to a higher content of clay, the soil being heavier than
the average. These variations occur in small bodies scattered
throughout the areas mapped as Cecil fine sandy loam. Quartz
gravel and small angular rock fragments appear on the surface in
many places and in a few isolated spots in sufficient quantities to
make a gravelly type. The spots, however, were not large enough to
be mapped separately. The subsoil usually contains some fine quartz
sand or gravel, although in some areas it is practically free from any
grittiness. The subsoil as a rule contains finely divided mica flakes
in the lower depths.
The Cecil fine sandy loam, as mapped in Buncombe County, in-
cludes small areas of Cecil loam, Cecil sandy loam, Ashe fine sandy
loam, and Appling fine sandy loam. Separation of the. areas on a
map of the scale used in the survey is practically impossible.
The largest areas of this type occur just north of Buenavista, south
of Asheville, along the Swannanoa River between Asheville and the
east county boundary, just north and about 1 mile south of Hominy
Creek station, and in the vicinity of Weaverville. Several bodies are
distributed in the southern part of the county just north of Cane
Creek. Smaller spots are scattered throughout the smoother parts
of the county.
The topography ranges from undulating and gently rolling to
rolling on the low ridges and other smoother areas to strongly rolling
on some of the slopes. Both surface and under drainage are well
established, owing to the relief and to the friable nature of the soil
and subsoil.
The Cecil fine sandy loam is an important soil, and about 70 per
cent of it is in cultivation. The type is easy to handle and responds
readily to good treatment. It is not considered as productive for
wheat, clover, and corn as the Cecil clay loam but better suited to
rye, soy beans, sweet potatoes, and all kinds of truck crops. In
practice, the crops common to this section of the State are grown
indiscriminately. Crops mature a little earlier on this soil than on
the heavier soils. Corn yields from 10 to 40 bushels per acre, wheat
8 to 12 bushels, rye 15 to 20 bushels, soy beans 15 to 25 bushels, and
sorghum 60 to 150 gallons of sirup per acre.
Fertilizers are generally used on this type. Wheat receives 200 to
400 pounds of acid phosphate per acre. The application to corn is
less than for wheat and other crops.
The Cecil fine sandy loam sells for $60 to $150 an acre, depending
on improvements and the nearness to towns.

798 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1920.
The type is deficient in organic matter, but this can be supplied
readily at little cost by growing cowpeas, soy beans, crimson clover,
or rye, and turning these under as green manure or by feeding the
forage to cattle and incorporating the manure in the soil.
CECIL LOAM.
The surface soil of the Cecil loam consists of an upper layer
3 to 6 inches thick of grayish -brown to yellowish -brown friable loam
to sandy loam and a lower layer of pale -red loam to clay loam with
a depth of about 10 inches. The subsoil is a red, heavy but brittle
clay, which extends to a depth of 3 feet or more. On some of the
lower mountain slopes, on top of Spivey Mountain and Deaver
View, and in other places in the county the surface soil is brown to
reddish brown and rests directly on the red somewhat friable subsoil.
The type usually contains some gravel and small angular rock frag-
ments. The subsoil carries a considerable amount of mica flakes.
The Cecil loam is the second in extent of the soil types found in
the intermountain plateau. Large areas are situated south of West
Asheville and Buenavista on both sides of the French Broad River
to the Henderson County line and along Beaverdam and Reems
Creeks. Other smaller bodies are scattered throughout the inter-
mountain section and border some of the streams extending up into
the mountains.
The topography of this type in the intermountain areas varies from
undulating and gently rolling to rolling, as on top of the hills and
low mountains, and on the slopes of smaller valleys from strongly
rolling to steep. Both surface and under drainage are well estab-
lished. Owing to the friable nature of both surface and subsoil, the
rainfall is freely absorbed, thus preventing surface wash, so that the
steepest slopes can be cultivated without great danger of damage from
erosion.
The Cecil loam is an important soil in the agriculture of the county,
and about 60 per cent of it is cultivated or in use as pasture land. The
uncultivated areas are forested chiefly with oaks of different species,
walnut, poplar, maple, ash, hickory, and several varieties of pine. A
few white walnut, or butternut, and chestnut trees are found on the
hills and low mountains.
Corn and wheat are the most important crops. Corn yields from
20 to 40 bushels, and wheat about 10 bushels per acre. Oats, rye,
potatoes, sweet potatoes, soy beans, peas, cabbage, and all kinds of
vegetables are grown on this soil. Every farmer raises enough hogs
to supply the home with meat dnd to have some for sale in the local
market. Beef cattle are grazed and fattened, and a few dairies are
established on the type.
This soil is generally plowed with 2-horse turning plows and cul-
tivated with walking and riding cultivators. The surface features
are such that grain drills and other improved machinery can be em-
ployed satisfactorily, and equipment of this kind is found on many
of the farms. Commercial fertilizers are not used generally, but
about 200 pounds per acre of 16 per cent acid phosphate is applied
at the time of sowing wheat. Fertilizer seldom is applied to corn
land.

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 799
The Cecil loam sells for $30 to $200 an acre, the price depending on
nearness of the farm to towns, the situation with respect to transpor-
tation facilities, and the state of improvement.
CECIL CLAY LOAM.
The Cecil clay loam, locally known as " red land," is practically
the same as the red soil mapped as Cecil clay loam of the Piedmont
Plateau. The surface soil in most areas consists of 3 to 10 inches of
red to reddish -brown clay loam or heavy fine sandy clay loam, but in
places the upper 2 or 3 inches may consist of grayish or brownish fine
sandy loam, with the red heavy clay loam immediately below. In
other places where the type is associated with the Davidson clay loam,
and in some places in the northern part of the county, the surface soil
is a rich -brown loam to clay loam. The subsoil is a red, compact,
heavy but brittle to crumbly clay, which generally extends to a depth
of several feet. It commonly carries some quartz sand, but occasion-
ally it is a smooth clay free of gritty particles. The subsoil in local
spots scattered over the area is yellowish red or reddish yellow.
In general the subsoil contains some mica. scales, and in some
places the lower part of the 3-foot section contains a sufficient ad-
mixture of mica to give it, a decidedly greasy feel. There are a
few isolated spots of this type that have also a large quantity of
mica in the surface soil, and had these been large enough. they
would have been mapped as the Talladega clay loam. Included
with this type also are small bodies of Cecil fine sandy loam, Cecil
clay, Davidson clay loam, and Cecil loam.
The Cecil clay loam is the second most extensive type in the
county. It is distributed throughout the intermountain section and
occurs in narrow strips bordering the larger streams leading into
the mountains. This type is typically developed in broad areas in
the vicinity of Jupiter, Leicester, Asheville, and on both sides of
the French Broad River in its course through the county.
The topography varies from gently rolling and strongly rolling
to steep. The greater part of it is suitably located for agricultural
use. Natural surface drainage is good. The run-off on the steeper
slopes in some places is excessive, and the surface soil in many
places is washed off, leaving the red clay exposed. Internal drainage
is fairly well established.
The Cecil clay loam is ,the most extensive soil in the so-called
intermountain plateau of Buncombe County, and it is one of the
best and most extensively farmed upland soils in this section. About
70 per cent of it is in cultivation; the rest supports a forest growth
consisting chiefly of white oak, red oak, black oak, white pine, yellow
pine, hickory, maple, dogwood, and old field pine.
The most important crops on this soil are wheat, clover, corn,
and oats. The yields of wheat range from 12 to 20 bushels per
acre, corn 15 to, 50 bushels, clover 1 to 2 tons, and oats 20 to 35
bushels. Sweet and Irish potatoes, sorghum, buckwheat, soy beans,
and all kinds of vegetables are among the minor crops. Near the
towns and villages truck growing is carried on to a considerable
extent. A large number of apple trees are growing on this soil.

800 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1920.
The farm methods on this soil include fall and winter plowing
with 2-horse turning and 3-horse disk plows. A few tractors are in
use. Many farmers sow wheat after corn, the seed bed in such cases
rarely being well prepared.
Land of this type ranges in price from $35 to $200 an acre, depend-
ing upon location, state of improvement, and proximity to towns and
transportation facilities.
A good deal of the Cecil clay loam has been depleted of its organic
matter and is not in a high state of productiveness. It is, never-
theless, naturally a strong soil and capable of being built up to its
original condition by deeper plowing, the turning under of clover,
cowpea vines, soy beans, and rye for manure. The application of
barnyard manure, if in sufficient supply, will accomplish the same
result. When organic material has been supplied, the soil limed, and
the land thoroughly prepared by plowing and repeated harrowing,
the application of acid phosphate will give large increases in crop
yields.
CECIL CLAY.
The surface soil of the Cecil clay is a red heavy clay loam to clay,
with a depth of 4 to 8 inches. The subsoil is a bright -red, heavy,
stiff, but fairly brittle clay, extending to a -depth of several feet.
There is some variation in the type; the immediate surface in places
consists of 2 or 3 inches of yellowish -brown to reddish -brown loam to
clay loam, and in other small areas of material of the subsoil, the
surface soil having been washed away.
This is an inextensive and unimportant type occupying the slopes
and tops of some of the hills in the intermountain section, where for
the most part the clay loam has been washed off. It is closely asso-
ciated with the Cecil clay loam. The largest body lies about 3 miles
west of Biltmore on the Vanderbilt estate. A few other small spots
are scattered over the central and north central parts of the county.
The topography ranges from gently rolling to strongly rolling.
The natural surface drainage is good and the run-off is excessive, in
some places causing erosion. The underdrainage is impeded by the
close, heavy structure of the subsoil. On the smoother rolling areas
occurring within the Cecil clay loam the Cecil clay is farmed. The
same crops are grown, and the same methods of handling and the
same kind of fertilizer used. The yields on the clay are not as high
as on the clay loam. As a rule, where the type occurs in larger bodies
it is not in a very high state of productiveness. This type is always
sold in connection with the adjoining soils.
The Cecil clay needs deeper plowing, liming, and the incorporation
of organic matter. With proper management it can be brought to a
high state of cultivation. It is slightly more difficult to till than the
clay loam.
PORTERS STONY LOAM.
The surface soil of the Porters stony loam consists of a light -
brown to dark -brown friable loam ranging in depth from 6 to 14
inches and containing a considerable quantity of well -decomposed
organic matter. The subsoil is a yellowish -brown to reddish -brown
friable loam to clay loam. Both the surface soil and subsoil con-
tain from 30 to 60 per cent of mica -schist fragments, Roan gneiss,

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 801
and Carolina gneiss from a few inches to several feet in diameter.
In coves on the north slopes, where the type grades into the Burton
stogy loam, the surface soil is nearly black.
The Porters stony loam as mapped includes areas of Porters loam,
Burton stony loam, Ashe stony loam, and Rough stony land, and a
few small areas of Rock outcrop too small to map. In a few places
patches of a, soil having a red to brownish -red subsoil also, are in-
cluded.
The Porters stony loam is the most extensive soil type mapped in
Buncombe County. It is confined entirely to mountainous parts and
is typically developed on mountain slopes, in most places extending
to the top of the mountains. The largest bodies lie in the south-
western, western, eastern, and northeastern parts of the county.
The topography varies from rolling on the lower slopes through
very steep on the mountain sides to gently Tolling on the tops of
some of the mountains. The drainage is excellent. The porous na-
ture of the subsoil allows the rain water to be absorbed freely, so
that rather steep slopes can be cultivated with little danger of
erosion.
The Porters stony loam is a large and important type, although
only a small proportion of it is in cultivation. The steepest slopes
are almost entirely occupied by forest consisting of chestnut, chest-
nut oak, poplar, spruce, hemlock, sugar maple, buckeye, red, white,
and black oak, ash, and a few white walnuts. Some rather large
areas are cleared and used for pasture and general farming. Its
principal use is for stock raising and fruit growing. Orchards are
generally located in coves and on slopes with northern and western
exposures, although there are a few orchards on the tops of some of
the lower mountains.
Corn, wheat, oats, and potatoes are the main crops. Cabbage, buck-
wheat, turnips, and all kinds of vegetables do well. Cattle raising
is the chief industry. A few small dairies are located on this type;
nearly every farmer keeps one or more milk cows, and some sell but-
ter in the local markets.
Corn, the most important farm crop, yields from 20 to 50 bushels
per acre without the use of fertilizer; wheat on the lower slopes and
on areas of smoother topography produces from 9 to 18 bushels;
oats, from 20 to 40 bushels; and Irish potatoes, from 75 to 200
bushels.
Shallow breaking with hillside plows is the general practice, and
small plows are used for cultivation. The soil is mellow and does
not require deep plowing. Large plows and machinery can not be
used on account of the generally steep topography and the abundance
of loose rocks scattered over the surface and mixed with the soil mass.
These stones hinder cultivation to a certain extent. Fertilizer is not
used on this type, except for orchards and potatoes.
The Porters stony loam ranges in price from $10 to $50 an acre,
depending mostly on its location; topography, and accessibility to
roads.
PORTERS LOAM.
The surface soil of the Porters loam consists of a brown to dark -
brown, mellow, friable loam 7 to 15 inches deep. The subsoil is a
yellowish -brown to reddish -brown friable clay loam to sandy clay

802 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1WO.
extending to a depth of 20 to 36 inches, where it commonly rests upon
bedrock. In some places there is no subsoil, the surface soil resting
directly on rock. The subsoil is usually porous and friable, especially
where the type grades into the Burton stony loam and in coves on
northern slopes. In such areas the surface soil is very dark brawn
and the subsoil is a brownish -yellow to yellowish -brown friable loam
to clay loam. Along the slopes of the mountains the soil is a lighter
brown and the subsoil becomes a reddish -brown to pale -red or orange
color. In other places on the tops of mountains the subsoil resembles
that of the Ashe soils. The slopes on the north side of Sandymush
Creek include some sandy material, and other spots have consider-
able sand in both soil and subsoil. It is not infrequent for the dis-
integrated bedrock to appear at any depth between 18 and 30 inches.
The Porters loam as mapped includes small bodies of Burton stony
loam, Burton loam, Ashe loam, Ashe stony loam, and Porters stony
loam too small to map.
The Porters loam is the most extensive cultivable soil type in the
mountain region of Buncombe County. It is developed along the
slopes, in the gaps, and on the tops of the low mountains, and occa-
sionally on the tops of the higher mountains. The largest areas lie
in the Barnardsville section, east of Stocksville, on Sunset, Britten,
and Hamburg Mountains, and scattered in small patches throughout
the mountainous sections in the western and northwestern parts of
the county.
The topography ranges from gently rolling on the mountain tops
and in the gaps to strongly hilly and steep on the mountain slopes.
The natural drainage is excellent, owing to the sloping surface, the
friable nature of the surface soil, and the porous condition of the
subsoil, which allows the rain water to enter freely.
This type is an important soil, although but a small proportion is
in cultivation. The mountain tops and gaps include in places small
cleared fields used chiefly for grazing; the slopes are used for pasture
and general farming.
The greater part of the Porters loam is forested, principally with
chestnut, white oak, red oak, black oak, pine, maple, buckeye, poplar,
hickory, and spruce. In this forest there is an undergrowth con-
sisting largely of rhododendron and azalea.
Corn and potatoes are the chief crops. Oats, wheat, rye, and cab-
bage also do well. Fruit growing and cattle raising are, however,
the principal sources of income. Vegetables are grown mostly for
home use. Corn yields from 20 to 40 Lushels, and Irish potatoes
from 60 to 200 bushels per acre. Oats, wheat, and all kinds of vege-
tables give good yields.
The methods of handling this soil are essentially the same as on
the Porters stony loam. Fertilizer is seldom used for any field crop
except potatoes. The orchards are fertilized.
Land values of the Porters loam range from $20 to $150 an acre,
depending mostly on the location and the topography.
The Porters loam and Porters stony loam yield to the same treat-
ment. They are the best cattle -raising and fruit -growing soils in
Buncombe County. Apples produced on this type are especially fine
flavored, and there are great possibilities for the fruit grower in this
section.

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 803
ASHE STONY LOAM.
The surface soil of the Ashe stony loam consists of grayish -brown,
yellowish -brown, or light -brown friable loam to sandy loam 7 to 8
inches deep, upon the surface of which are scattered an abundance
of loose rocks, mainly angular gneiss fragments, ranging in size from
pieces 3 or 4 inches in diameter to large bowlders. The subsoil is a
friable sandy clay loain to fine sandy clay, varying in color from
light grayish yellow through yellow to brownish yellow. In some
places the first inch or two is brown to nearly black, owing to the
accumulation of organic matter. Bedrock is reached at a depth of
20 to 30 inches. Both the soil and subsoil contain a considerable
quantity of mica flakes. As mapped the type includes a few small
spots of Ashe loam.
The Ashe stony loam occurs mainly on the tops and on the slopes
near the tops of the mountains and ridges, the areas being scattered
throughout the mountainous sections of the county. The largest
areas lie near Barnardsville, around the head of Reems Creek, and in
the southern part along the Henderson County line.
Owing to the general roughness of the surface and the friable
nature of the subsoil, this type has thorough drainage.
The Ashe stony loam is not an extensive soil and is unimportant
agriculturally. The cleared areas are used chiefly for pasture.
A few patches are used for corn or oats, with yields about the same
as on the Porters stony loam. This type is never sold by itself. It
is best suited to forestry, and nearly all of it is now in a mixed forest
of oak, chestnut, poplar, hemlock, and spruce.
ASHE FINE SANDY LOAM.
The surface soil of the Ashe fine sandy loam is a gray fine sandy
loam, with a depth of 3 to 8 inches, passing into a light -yellow
friable fine sandy loam, which extends to a depth of 12 to 18 inches.
This is underlain by a yellow friable fine sandy clay subsoil, which
in many places is marked with gray or reddish mottling at depths
of 24 to 36 inches. In some places in forested areas the upper inch
or two of material has a dark -gray color, due to the admixture of
relatively large quantities of organic matter. Small spots of Ashe
loam, sandy loam, coarse sandy loam, Appling fine sandy loam, and
Porters fine sandy loam, too small to be shown on the map, are
included with this type. The spots of loam are somewhat more
numerous than the other soils.
All the Ashe fine sandy loam in the area is included in a few small
bodies. The largest of these occur in the vicinity of Liberty Church,
on top of Burney Mountain. Two small areas lie near Inanda and
isolated spots in other places in the county.
The surface over most of this type varies from almost level to
undulating or rolling; in a few places it is strongly rolling to steep.
Surface and internal drainage are well established.
The Ashe fine sandy loam is a type of small extent in Buncombe
County, but is of considerable importance in the mountain sections.
The greater part of it is under cultivation; the rest supports a
forest consisting chiefly of different species of oaks, dogwood, poplar,
maple, pine, hickory, and persimmon.

804 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1920.
Corn, wheat, and oats are the most extensively grown crops. Soy
beans, rye, potatoes, watermelons, and all kinds of vegetables are
successfully grown. Corn yields from 15 to 30 bushels per acre,
wheat 8 to 15 bushels, and oats 12 to 30 bushels.
The Buncombe County State Test Farm at Swannanoa carries on
some experiments on a small patch of this soil, and the crop yields
compare favorably with those on the adjoining Cecil fine sandy
loam. The farm practice is practically the same as on the Porters
fine sandy loam. The two types bring about the same price.
The Ashe fine sandy loam is deficient in organic matter, which
can be supplied most economically by turning under soy beans, rye,
crimson clover, or cowpea vines.
The table below gives the results of mechanical analyses of samples
of the soil, subsurface, and subsoil of the Ashe fine sandy loam:
Mechanical analyses of Ashe line sanely loam.
Number.
Description.
Fine
gravel.
Coarse
sand.
Medium
sand.
Fine
sand.
V�y11ne
sand.
Silt.
Clay.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
Per cent.
235930..... _
Soil, 0 to 3 inches.
2.9
6.9
6.4
32.0
14.9
29.2
7.8
235931......
Subsurface, 3 to 14
1.6
6.4
5.9
27.8
115
29.2
16.6
inches.
235932......
Subsoil,inches. 14 to 30
.8
4.6
4.8
24.2
11.2
22.9
31.5
i
BURTON STONY LOAM.
The surface of the Burton stony loam varies from a dark grayish
brown to black friable loam, containing a relatively large proportion
of well -decomposed organic matter and ranging in depth from 8 to
15 inches. In some of the northward -facing coves in poorly drained
spots it approximates muck. As it grades into the Porters soils the
proportion of organic matter becomes less and the color changes to
a rich brawn. The subsoil is prevailingly a brown to yellowish -
brown friable loam to clay loam, which seldom extends to a depth
of 3 feet, being underlain in most places by bedrock at 15 to 30 inches.
Occasionally the black surface soils rest directly on the bedrock.
Scattered over the surface and mixed with both soil and subsoil are
angular fragments of gneiss and schist, and there are many outcrops
of ledges of these rocks, the Burton stony loam in some places grad-
ing into Rough stony land.
The Burton stony loam is developed almost entirely in the north-
eastern part of the county. One body is mapped on the Pisgah
Ridge in the southwestern part and another on Sandymush Bald in
the northwestern part. It occurs on the tops or near the tops of the
Thighest mountains, chiefly on the northern and northwestern slopes.
he topography ranges from gently rolling an the tops of the moun-
tains to strongly rolling to steep and rough on the slopes. The areas
are well drained.
This is a productive soil, though it is not used for general farming
purposes, as its location makes it almost inaccessible except at great
cost for building roads. Its principal use aside from forestry is for
grazing, and it is considered the best soil in the county for stock

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 805
raising, as grasses thrive upon this soil when cleared. Corn and
potatoes do well in the few smooth areas that have been placed under
cultivation.
A very small percentage of this type is cleared. The forest is char-
acterized by such species as sugar maple, buckeye, chestnut, chestnut
oak, red oak, black oak, poplar, spruce, and balsam.
Land of this type sells at $10 to $50 an acre, depending on the
forest growth, topography, and accessibility.
DAVIDSON CLAY LOAM.
The surface soil of the Davidson clay loam is a brownish -red to
dark -red clay loam 6 to 10 inches deep. The subsoil is a dark -red or
maroon -red heavy smooth clay, carrying a few small soft iron con-
cretions. Along the line of contact with the Iredell soils fine rock
fragments or partially disintegrated diorite and gabbro-diorite rocks
and sometimes iron concretions occur on the surface. In the north-
ern part of the county, around Grantville, the surface carries con-
siderable quantities of sand and small gravel, probably the result of
the incomplete disintegration of hornblendic gneiss of the Roan
gneiss formation, from which the adjoining Cecil clay loam soil is
derived.
Them are only two important bodies of the Davidson clay loam in
Buncombe County. The largest and most typically developed area
occurs west of Alexander; the other is in the northern part of the
county around Grantville. A few other small spots are found in the
area.
The topography varies from gently rolling to, strongly rolling.
The natural surface drainage is good, but owing to the heavy struc-
ture of the subsoil water percolates slowly and subdrainage is some-
what deficient. The type does not erode easily and suffers very
little damage from heavy rains.
The Davidson clay loam is not extensive in the county but is an
important soil for general farming. It is considered the strongest
upland soil of this section, and the greater part of it is in cultivation.
The forest growth on the uncultivated areas consists chiefly of hick-
ory, oaks, dogwood, pine, poplar, and cedar.
Wheat, clover, and corn are the main crops, and soy beans, cow -
peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and all kinds of vegetables are minor
crops. Wheat yields 15 to 30 bushels per acre, clover 1 to 3 tons,
and corn 20 to. 50 bushels.
All this type is used or can be used advantageously for farming or
for pastures. The soil is handled in the same way as the Cecil clay
loam. Acid phosphate is the fertilizer used almost exclusively for all
crops. Wheat receives an application of 200 to 300 pounds per
acre; smaller quantities are used for corn. A little lime is some-
times applied to fields intended for clover.
This type of soil sells at $75 to $150 an acre, depending on the
state of improvements and the transportation facilities.
The Davidson clay loam is a very strong soil and can be built up
to a high state of productiveness by. the incorporation of organic
matter, deeper plowing, and the addition of lime.

806 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1920.
IBEDEXM STONY LOAM.
The Iredell stony loam to a depth of 8 to 12 inches consists of a
dark -gray to grayish -brown mellow loam, drying out to a gray or
a brownish gray, underlain by a subsoil of dingy -yellow to dull -
brown or drab, tough, waxy, plastic clay. The subsoil varies locally
from a yellowish to a reddish brown, the reddish color occurring
where the type grades into the Davidson clay loam. The subsoil
usually grades into the decayed or disintegrated diorite rock at any-
where from 20 to 30 inches. Diorite fragments are abundant on the
surface and throughout the soil mass.
This type is of a very small extent. A few spots of Iredell fine
sandy loam and Davidson clay loam, too small to be shown sep-
arately, are included with it. Also some small areas of stone -free
soil which really represent the loam of the series, have been in-
cluaed with the Iredell stony loam on account of their small extent.
The type occurs on well-rounded knolls. Surface drainage is
usually good, but, owing to the impervious structure of the subsoil,
underdrainage is imperfect.
Very little of this land is farmed. The cultivated areas are used
chiefly for wheat., oats, clover, and corn, of which fairly good yields
are obtained. The forest growth consists of small oaks, hickory,
dogwood, and old field pine.
wILBES SANDY LOAM.
The surface soil of the Wilkes sandy loam consists of two layers,
an upper one of gray to grayish -brown coarse sandy loam to, fine
sandy loam, and a lower one of pale yellow or yellow and gray, mot-
tled with brown, compact sandy loam. The combined thickness of
these layers is 6 to 18 inches. The subsoil, which is encountered at
depths between 7 and 18 inches, is a mottled reddish -brown and
dingy -yellow, friable or plastic clay, or a yellow and gray sandy
clay or sticky clay. As may be seen from the above description, this
type of soil varies greatly in color, texture, and structure. It in-
cludes areas of Appling, Cecil, Davidson, and small intrusions of
Iredell material. In places the range in texture varies from a
gravelly sandy loam to a fine sandy loam; in other places it is
nothing more than a partially disintegrated hornblendic gneiss of
the Roan gneiss formation, with dikes of gabbro diorite and aplitic
granite. The Wilkes sandy loam thus represents more a soil con-
dition than a soil type.
Practically all of this soil lies along the breaks bordering the
streams in the north -central part of the county. The largest areas
occur on both sides of the French Broad River in a broken belt from
the vicinity of Olivette to the Madison County line.
The greater part of this type occupies the steeper and rougher
slopes in the intermountain plateau region. The topography ranges
from rolling to steep and broken. Natural surface drainage is good,
and on the steeper slopes the run-off is excessive, causing erosion, but
in spots in the rolling areas where the subsoil is a plastic clay the
underdrainage is poor.
The smoother areas are considered good land for general agcul-
ture. Probably 20 per cent of the type is under cultivation; the rest

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 807
supports a forest consisting chiefly of hickory, oak, maple, persim-
mon, and old field pine. Corn, wheat, and sorghum are the principal
crops. Oats, tobacco, sweet potatoes, watermelons, and allkinds of
vegetables do well. Corn yields from 10 to 30 bushels per acre, wheat
8 to 10 bushels, and sorghum 40 to 100 gallons of sirup.
The farm practice on this type is practically the same as on the
adjoining soils. Where areas are sold separately the price ranges
from $20 to $40 an acre.
More care should be taken with this soil, as it erodes very easily.
Deeper plowing and the planting of winter cover crops and grasses
would prevent erosion to a certain extent. The smoother areas can
be built up and made to produce good yields of various crops now
grown in this part of North Carolina.
APPLINO FINE BANDY LOAM.
The surface soil of the Appling fine sandy loam consists of gray to
brownish -gray fine to medium sandy loam, passing at 6 to 10 inches
into pale -yellow compact fine sandy loam, carrying some quartz
gravel, which extends to a depth of 15 inches. The subsoil is for the
most part a mottled yellow, brown, and red, heavy, fine sandy clay,
but in many places a heavy, almost plastic clay, yellowish red or
brown in color, appears within the 3-foot section. The type in this
county differs somewhat from the type as mapped in other areas.
The Appling fine sandy loam occurs in small bodies throughout
the intermountain basin, usually along the heads of the small streams
and branches, in the gaps in the low ridges between the heads of
watercourses, and along the slopes near the small branches and creeks.
The largest body lies in a low gap around Arden. The topography
varies from almost level to undulating and rolling. The drainage is
for the most part good, though imperfect in some of the more level
spots.
The type has a small total area in the county and therefore is not
very important for farming, although most of it is in cultivation.
The native forest consists chiefly of oak, old field pine, maple, poplar,
!rsimmon,and dogwood. Corn and wheat are the main crops.
ye,soybeans,and vegetables do well on this soil. The crop yields,
ethods of handling, fertilization, and land values are the same as
on the associated soils.
ALTAVISTA FINE BANDY LOAM.
The Altavista fine sandy loam consists of 6 to 9 inches of a
brownish -gray to yellowish -gray fine to very fine sandy loam, under-
lain by a subsoil of yellow friable fine sandy clay. In places the sub-
soil has a yellowish -red color, and in some places becomes heavy in
the lower part. The surface soil varies in color from light gray to
brown and in texture from fine sandy loam to sandy loam. The
small area 24 miles southeast of Barnardsville has a grayish -brown
surface soil and a brownish -yellow subsoil. Along Cane Creek the
soil is a light -gray very fine sandy loam to sandy loam. In places
water -rounded quartz bowlders and gravel are encountered within
the 3-foot section.

808 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, M.
The Altavista fine sandy loam occurs on second bottoms or ter-
races, where it was deposited before the streams had cut down to
their present level. It is above the normal overflow of the streams.
This type occupies a small acreage in the county. The largest bodies
he along Cane Creek and Swannanoa River. Another area occurs
aIang Dillingham Creek 4 miles southeast 0 Barnardsville, and a
few small areas lie in other parts of the county. The surface is
nearly level to gently rolling, and, owing to the friable nature of
both surface soil and subsoil, drainage is well established.
This type, although inextensive, is an important soil, practically
all of it being in cultivation. Corn, wheat, and soy beans are the
chief crops. sorghum, rye, peas, crimson clover, potatoes, and all
kinds of vegetables do well. Corn yields from 20 to 40 bushels per
acre, wheat 9 to 12 bushels, and soy beans about 15 bushels.
The Altavista fine sandy loam is handled in the same way as the
Congaree soils, but generally receives a light application of 16 per
cent acid Phosphate as a fertilizer. This type is always sold in con-
nection with the adjoining soil.
TO%AWAY LOAM.
The surface soil of the Toxaway loam consists of 6 to 10 inches of
dark -gray to black mellow loam or silt loam, the color depending on
the content of organic matter. The surface soil is underlain by a
layer 8 to 16 inches thick, of the same color as the overlying material
but usually of a silty clay loam texture. In places the soil is a dark -
brown silt loam, especially where it is associated with the Congaree
silt loam. The lower subsoil varies from dark grayish brown to
gray and brown mottled loam to clay. In some places the upper
subsoil Is a dark -brown loam, which grades down into a brownish -
yellow silty clay.
This type covers only a small area in Buncombe County. An area
lying along the French Broad River near Buck Shoals and others
near Swannanoa on the Swannanoa River are among the largest
mapped.
The Toxaway loam occupies level or gently sloping bottoms along
the streams, generally in association with the Congaree soils. It is
subject to overflow from the streams in time of heavy rains, and
crops are occasionally damaged to some extent. Artificial drainage
is necessary to fit the land for cultivation.
The greater part of the Toxaway loam is in cultivation or in pas-
ture. It is naturally productive, but requires lifne for best results.
The crops grown and the yields are about the same as on the Con-
garee silt loam, and the same methods of farming are practiced. It
is always sold in conjunction with the Congaree types.
CONOAR= FINE BANDY LOAM.
The Congaree fine sandy loam is a light -brown to brown fine sandy
loam, from 10 to 18 inches deep, underlain by a yellowish -brown to
brown fine sandy loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam, mottled with
brown and gray in the lower part of the 3-foot section. Scattered
throughout this soil are small areas and narrow bands of loamy fine
sand and brown gravelly sand or sandy loam. Spots of dark -brown

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 809
loam to silt loam occur in a few places where the finer sediments
have accumulated. In such areas, which are generally found nearer
the uplands, there is more organic matter. Both soil and subsoil
contain considerable quantities of finely divided mica.
The Congaree fine sandy loam normally lies nearest to the streams,
and as a rule there are narrow strips and spots of Congaree silt loam
lying between the fine sandy loam and the uplands. In most places
the type is too small to be shown on the map, and as mapped it in-
cludes small areas of Congaree silt loam, Toxaway loam, Congaree
stony fine sandy loam, and fine sand.
This type is a first -bottom soil occurring in narrow strips along the
streams throughout the county. Its surface is generally level, but
in some places, especially along the Swannanoa River, the floods have
eroded the land and formed temporary channels and small ridges.
The type is subject to frequent overflow following heavy rains, but
otherwise the drainage is generally good.
The Congaree fine sandy loam in this county has a small total area,
but it is nevertheless an important soil. The greater part of it is
under cultivation or used for pasture. It is an excellent soil for the
production of corn, the yields ranging from 20 to 50 bushels per acre.
Oats, wheat, soy beans, and crimson clover do well. Watermelons,
potatoes, sorghum, rye, and truck crops also are grown with good
results. Commercial fertilizer is seldom used for corn, but wheat
commonly receives applications of 16 per cent acid phosphate at the
rate of 100 to 200 pounds per acre. A complete fertilizer mixture,
analyzing 8-2-2 or 8-34, is used for potatoes. This type, where it
occurs in sufficiently large areas to be sold by itself, brings from $50
to $200 an acre.
CONGAREE SILT LOAM.
The surface soil of the Congaree silt loam consists of 8 to 18 inches
of brown silt loam. The subsoil is a chocolate -brown to yellowish -
brown silty clay loam to silty clay, extending to a depth of 3 feet or
more. Both soil and subsoil contain finely divided mica flakes in
sufficient quantities to give a greasy feel. In places where the colllu-
vial wash from the clay loam soils is mixed with the alluvial soil
the surface is a reddish -brown silty clay loam. As mapped the
type includes spots of Toxaway loam, Congaree silty clay loam, and
narrow strips of Congaree fine sandy loam usually lying immediately
along the streams. These areas were not of sufficient size to warrant
separate mapping.
The Congaree silt loam is developed along the French Broad
River, Swannanoa River, the North Fark of Swannanoa River, and
Cane, Newfound, and Flat Creeks. It lies also along a number of the
smaller streams in various parts of the county.
The topography is generally flat or almost level with a gradual
slope toward the stream courses and in the direction of the flow. Oc-
casional swales or depressions occur. The Congaree silt loam usually
lying next to hills or uplands is slightly lower than the strips of fine
sandy loam bordering the streams, but is generally well drained ex-
cept in places along Cane Creek and some small spots in other places
in the county.
The Congaree silt loam is the most productive soil in the county,
especially for corn and hay, It is nearly all in cultivation. Corn

810 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1920
yields from 30 to 60 bushels per acre without the use of fertilizers.
Oats and wheat are important crops, oats yielding from 15 to 30
bushels per acre, and wheat from 9 to 15 bushels.
Land of this type brings the highest prices of any type in the
county. Prices range from $100 to $200 an acre, varying with the
drainage conditions, nearness to shipping points, and state of produc-
tiveness. Small areas are, however, generally sold in connection with
the adjoining uplands, and the price then depends a great deal on the
quality of the upland soils.
Owing to the high natural productiveness of the type, which is
maintained by the continual deposition of fresh sediments, fertilizers
are seldom used on the Congaree silt loam. The use of lime on this
soil will, however, be found beneficial.
MEADOW (CONGAREE MATERIAL).
The few small strips of soil mapped as Meadow (Congaree mate-
rial) vary greatly in color and texture. Over the greater part of
areas the soil consists of a brown fine sand, fine sandy loam, or
gravelly and stony fine sand, the fine earth containing a high per-
centage of micaceous material. In some places where semiswampy
conditions prevail the material is a dark mucky loam. The subsoil
varies from a mere gravel bed to material of loamy sand to sticky
clay texture.
Only small bodies of this soil are mapped, chiefly along the Swan-
nanoa River, and Dillinghams and Carters Creeks. The greater part
of it is poorly drained. It is not a productive soil for farming, but
supports a growth of wild grasses which afford excellent summer pas-
turage.
Included with Meadow (Congaree material) are a few strips of
Riverwash, consisting of sand, gravel, and small stones brought
down from the mountains. Such areas are practically nonagricul-
tural, but supply a little grazing. Perhaps a few spots could be used
in growing sorghum or corn. The largest strip is found along Stony
Fork Creek in the southwestern corner of the county.
ROUGH STONY LAND.
The land mapped as Rough stony land is composed of steep
mountain slopes or of rough areas strewn with large bowlders and
cut with numerous outcropping ledges of rock.
Such areas occur in all of the mountainous sections of the county,
but the largest bodies lie on the eastern slope of the Great Craggy
Mountains and on Pisgah Ridge.
The land is unsuited for agriculture. It is associated with the
stony loams of the Burton, Porters, and Ashe series, and the bowl-
ders on the surface are of the same rocks as form the beds under-
lying these several series.
Most of the Rough stony land is forested, and timber constitutes
its greatest value. The principal kinds of trees are chestnut, chest-
nut oak, white, black, and red oak, buckeye, maple, poplar, spruce,
and hemlock. In a few places the type supplies a little grazing,

SOIL SURVEY OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. 811
ROCK OUTCROP.
The areas mapped as Rock outcrop represent solid ledges of rock
on the sides and tops of the mountains. The areas are covered with
large bowlders with a very little soil material and are unsuited to
agriculture. The most extensive areas are the tops of Big Pisgah
Mountain and Bullhead Mountain. Several small areas are scat-
tered through the Great Craggy Mountains and other mountains in
the county.
SUMMARY.
Buncombe County is situated in the western part of North Caro-
lina. The country included consists of a broad intermountain
plateau almost surrounded by mountains. This intermountain
plateau has a rolling to hilly topography and in its relation to the
mountains resembles the Piedmont Plateau. It has an average
elevation of about 2,300 feet above sea level. The range of eleva-
tion for the entire county is from 1,750 feet above sea level at a point
where the French Broad River enters Madison County to 6,419 feet
on the summit of Clingmans Peak on the northeastern boundary of
the county.
The French Broad River and its tributaries carry the drainage
of the county. Streams and streamlets reach all parts of the county
and only a few small areas of flat bottom land are poorly drained.
In 1920 the total population of the county was 64,148, 55.6 per
cent of which was classed as rural. The principal towns are Ashe-
ville (the county seat), Weaverville, Black Mountain, Barnardsville,
Biltmore, Leicester, Swannanoa, Fairview, Candler, and Montreat.
Transportation facilities are excellent. The main line of the
Southern Railway and two branches of the same system enter the
county. The Asheville & East Tennessee Railroad (electric) runs
from Asheville to Weaverville. All the public roads are excellent
throughout the year; they are well graded, and there are many miles
of asphalt, concrete, macadam, and sand -clay hard -surfaced roads.
The climate of Buncombe County is suitable for general agri-
cultural pursuits. The rainfall is sufficient and well distributed
throughout the year and the winters are mild. The average grow-
ing season is 186 days.
The earliest settlements were made along the streams, especially
the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers. The uplands were not
farmed until later on. At present the population is well distributed
over the county, except in the roughest mountain sections.
General farming and truck growing are the prevailing types of
agriculture. Corn is the main crop. Livestock raising is carried
on to some extent. Nearly every farmer raises enough cattle and
hogs to supply the home with meat, and a few have cattle for sale.
Fruit growing and cattle and sheep raising are receiving a good deal
of attention in the mountainous parts of the county.
The heavier upland soils are recognized by the farmers as being
better adapted to wheat and clover, and the lighter soils to corn,
oats, potatoes, and truck crops. Corn does best on bottom land, but
is grown on all the soils of the county.

812 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1920.
Practically the same methods and equipment prevail throughout
the smoother part of the county, but the equipment varies some in
the mountain section.
Acid phosphate is the most generally used fertilizer, although
some complete fertilizer and a mixture of cottonseed meal and acid
phosphate are used.
About 74.7 per cent of the farms of the county are operated by
the owners.
The average value of farm lands is around $60 an acre, but many
of the smoother upland areas and the bottom lands bring as high
as $200 an acre.
Buncombe County occurs in two soil provinces, the Appalachian
Mountain Plateau and the River Flood Plains. The Appalachian
Mountain Plateau is divided into an intermountain plateau and a
mountain region. The soils of the intermountain plateau are repre-
sented by the Cecil, Ashe, Davidson, Appling, Iredell, and Wilkes
series. These are good general farming soils, and can be built up
to a high state of productiveness. The most extensive mountain
soils are classed in the Porters, Burton, and Ashe series. These are
usually productive soils but are not farmed very extensively, owing
to their general rough and mountainous topography. The soils of
the Flood Plains are important on account of their productiveness
and favorable position for farming, although they occupy only a
small part of the county. Most of these alluvial soils are in culti-
vation, and the crop yields are good.
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Areas surveyed in North Carolina, shown by shading.

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