Piedmont soils’ primary inputs are the decayed remnants of the Appalachians—clay high in minerals, but not necessarily bursting with organic nutrients. The natural result was roving production, with farmers clearing land, growing crops on it for a few seasons until the nutrient profile was exhausted, and then moving on to a new patch. Staying in one place necessitated hand-applied fertilization, which is backbreaking work in any era. Non-standard employment models such as indentured servitude and slavery took root in the South because of the need to improve soil chemistry as much as anything
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