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tl O RT1 CU LT U K L. 



October 17, 1908 



With fruits we find much additional 

 evidence of the adaptation of soils to 

 varieties, and in thi Ions where 



orange growing is carried on it is now 

 recognized that it is absolutely neces- 

 sary to select the particular variety 

 to which the soil is most adapted. 



With the apple this adaptation is 

 well illustrated l>y the Newtown Pip- 

 pin, which reaches its highest state of 

 perfection onl.. when grown on the 

 same class <.! soils, whether in New 

 York or in Virginia. Again, the Bald- 

 win, which also ranks high as a com- 

 mercial apple in this same eastern re- 

 gion, is specially adapted to a much 

 lighter class of soils. 



The sandy and gravelly soil in Steu- 

 ben County, New York, is especially 

 adapted to the Carman potato, while 

 on the light loams of the southwestern 

 section of New Jersey, Irish Cobbler 

 and Green Mountain produce the best 

 crops. On the clay loams in north- 

 western Ohio we find such late varie- 

 ties as lona and Rural New Yorker 

 best suited to prevailing conditions, 

 while Bliss' Triumph is especially 

 adapted to the black prairie soils. 



Essentials to Successful Truck Grow- 

 ing. 



In those localities where truck 

 growing is carried on commercial suc- 

 cess depends very largely on the prop- 

 er observance of this intimate and im- 

 portant mutual inter-relationship. 



In a majority of the cases observed 

 it was found that varieties not only 

 were better suited to certain soils, but 

 that the class of soils specially adapted 

 for their growth was similar to that 

 upon which the variety was developed. 



This is because the plant is in no 

 sense a fixed unchangeable organism 

 restricted to a definite form. On the 

 contrary, it is highly plastic, capable 

 of being changed or modified in all of 

 its parts. We can by cultural methods 

 alone effect many changes, and it is 

 just as certain that as many more 

 will occur through natural . agencies. 

 The effect of climate, the character of 

 the soil whether dry or moist, sandy 

 or clay, all exert an influence tending 

 to change or modify plant characters. 



We see then that in the development 

 of varieties the effect of soil is mani- 

 fested, and that to keep a variety pure 

 by freedom from cross fertilization is 

 not always sufficient to maintain its 

 varied characteristics. To keep it up 

 to the ideal established by the origina- 

 tor it is necessary to provide an envi- 

 ronment quite similar to that in which 

 it was developed. For it is now thor- 

 oughly understood that a change in en- 

 vironment is accompanied by an at- 

 tempt on the part of the plant to re- 

 adjust itself to meet the new condi- 

 tions. If the change is within the lim- 

 its of the readjustment the plant re- 

 sponds by changing its physical struc- 

 ture sufficiently to meet the new condi- 

 tions. If the change is too great the 

 plant dies. Originators of new varie- 

 ties seldom think it necessary to men- 

 tion the class of soils upon which the 

 varieties were produced, never perhaps 

 considering the influence that it may- 

 exert upon the future of the plants. 

 And I believe that many new varieties 

 which are introduced only to be as sud- 

 denly cast aside, disappear from culti- 

 vation because their habit is such that 

 there are but few soils really well 

 adapted to their culture. 



Environment Defined. 



By environment is meant those con- 

 ditions that surround the growing 

 plant, and may be considered under 

 two heads, climate and soil. In cli- 

 mate we include the combined effects 

 of light, heat, moisture, etc. In the 

 field these conditions are always sub- 

 ject to variation, and it is quite im- 

 possible for a single growing season 

 to pass without the plants being sub- 

 jected to climatic conditions more or 

 less hindering their development. In 

 the soil we have not only the supply of 

 minteral plant :ood, but seemingly 

 there is in it also lorces. not yet under- 

 stood, that exei t powerful influence on 

 the habits of the plant, controlling to 

 a great extent its thrift, characteristics 

 and fruitfulness. And the effect of 

 this influence appears whether the 

 plant is cultivated for its foliage, its 

 flowers or its seed. In a change of 

 environment may or may not be in- 

 cluded a change of climatic conditions. 

 A change of soil type alone has been 

 shown to be quite sufficient to bring 

 about changes in the plant that in 

 many instancy are so marked as to 

 greatly affect many varietal character- 

 istics. 



Conditions Under Glass. 



If with our field and garden crops 

 where the climatic influences have 

 necessarily such a wide variation the 

 soil proves itself to be so important in 

 maintaining varietal characteristics 

 and habits, is it not reasonable to sup- 

 pose that with indoor conditions where 

 these factors are under control the 

 relative influence of the soil is in- 

 creased. From my own observations 

 and from the testimony of others I 

 believe this to be the case. In this 

 phase of soil adaptation that concerns 

 the indoor grower and which is now 

 being investigated, particularly in re- 

 gard to the soils used in the produc- 

 tion of the different varieties of car- 

 nations and roses. In our modern 

 greenhouses we have eliminated cli- 

 matic variations. We control the tem- 

 peratures by the turn of a valve. Rain- 

 fall is displaced by the hose. Ventila- 

 tion is accomplished without subject- 

 ing our plants to damaging winds. In 

 short, it is our business to provide the 

 most suitable climatic conditions for 

 the development of our plants. It is 

 clear then that the only change in en- 

 vironment given the plants in a house 

 where light, loamy soil is used, com- 

 pared with one in which the benches 

 are filled with a clay soil, is the soil 

 itself. Yet with this difference in the 

 soil only, we frequently observe that 

 there is a considerable variation in the 

 Bize, brilliancy of color, and other 

 characters of the bloom of the same 

 variety. A visit to the flower markets 

 of our large cities affords many illus- 

 trations of these differences, when the 

 products of the various establishments 

 are seen side by side. 



It is not to be expected that the soil 

 adaptation is equally well defined with 

 all varieties. Some being more fixed 

 offer a greater resistance to change 

 than others; nor should we expect to 

 find the modifications that arise 

 to be always in the same direction. 

 Not oniy in the character of the 

 bloom may the influence of the soil 

 appear, but in many cases it will be 

 found to affect the habit of the plant 



itself. It does so in the field with 

 outdoor crops, and it is reasonable to 

 think that it exerts a similar influence 

 on plants grown under glass. 



Experiments With Rose Soils. 



A partial examination of the soils 

 used by a few of our rose growers 

 has already been made, and it dis- 

 closes the great variety of soil types 

 that are being used in the production 

 of this crop alone. Ranging in tex- 

 ture from dense clay loams to porous 

 sandy loams, practically all interme- 

 diate grades are represented. Yet in 

 many instances two very widely differ- 

 ing soil types are being used for the 

 production of the same variety, result- 

 ing perhaps in a depreciation of the 

 quality or quantity of bloom of one 

 variety or the other. I have recently 

 visited a rose house where I found one 

 of the most popular varieties, a rose of 

 great merit, giving such poor results 

 that its cultivation is to be abandoned 

 after this season. In this instance the 

 size of the blooms was materially af- 

 fected, though in other respects the 

 general appearance of the plants was 

 comparable in every way with those of 

 the other varieties grown. 



Experiments With Carnation Soils. 



A recent experiment carried on to 

 determine the effect of various ferti- 

 lizers on carnations is particularly in- 

 teresting when viewed from the 

 standpoint of soil adaptation. In this 

 experiment two soils were used, vari- 

 ous fertilizers being applied to each, 

 comparison being with the soils to 

 which stable manure alone was used. 

 As it is no part of my present purpose 

 to discuss the relative efficiency of fer- 

 tilizers I will consider only the results 

 obtained from the use of stable 

 manure. These soils were planted to 

 four variaties of carnations of un- 

 doubted merit, and were grown in a 

 lange of three even span houses with- 

 out interior walls, mailing it practi- 

 cally one house. Particular attention 

 was paid to the maintenance of favor- 

 able conditions, so that the only point 

 of difference was in the- soil in which 

 the plants were grown, the same num- 

 ber of plants of each variety being 

 grown in each of the soils used. En- 

 chantress gave only eighty-five per 

 cent, as many blooms on soil No. 2 as 

 on soil No. 1, Lawson eighty-seven 

 per cent and Robert Craig but seven- 

 ty-eight per cent, on the correspond- 

 ing soils. Peary somewhat reversed 

 conditions and on soil No. 2 produced 

 four per cent, more blooms than on 

 soil No. 1. 



We have, then, three varieties out 

 of four that showed a very decided 

 falling off accompanied by a difference 

 in soil only — all other conditions being 

 the same. In one case the results are 

 to all intents equal iu each soil. Now, 

 I take it that such results are not due 

 to chance. Tnere must be a reason. 

 And I do not think it too much to of- 

 fer the difference in soils to this 

 reason. Lawson, Enchantress and 

 Craig found one of the soils far more 

 adapted to their special requirements. 

 With Peary the reverse was true, 

 though the adaptation was not so 

 marked. Nor is this illustrative of 

 adaptation of soils to a whole race 

 of plants, but to specific varieties. 



It shows also the impropriety of at- 

 tempting to draw definite conclusions 



