CLASSIFICATION AND CHOICE OF FIELD CROPS II 



their native land. Many wild plants show great vitality outside 

 their original habitat Many of our worst weeds are plants 

 which have been removed from their original environment. 

 Usually, however, it is unwise to attempt the gro\\th of any crop 

 which experience has showm to be illy adapted to the climate 

 and soil of a given region : at least as a leading crop. 



23. The Profitableness of a Given Crop. — Depends not only 

 on the climate and soil, but very largely on the market facilities, 

 and, so far as the individual farmer is concerned, largely on his 

 tastes, experience and capital. The fanning in many parts of 

 this country has greatly changed not because of soil exhaustion 

 or changes of climate, but because of changes in the market 

 demands. Usually, in regions recently settled, where land is 

 low-priced and transportation facilities are poor, farmers devote 

 themselves to grazing cattle or sheep, or to the production of 

 crops like maize and wheat or cotton, which can be readily trans- 

 ported long distances. Where the soil and climate are favorable 

 wheat has been a favorite crop with new settlers, because a con- 

 siderable acreage can be grown with comparatively little expend- 

 iture of money or labor, and a money return can be secured 

 more quickly than if stock raising be selected as the chief busi- 

 ness. As the land advances in value, especially near large 

 cities, the production of crops which give a larger money return 

 for the acreage and of such as cannot be carried great distances 

 without injury becomes more common. 



24. The Choice of Crops. — The general practice is usually 

 the safest gi-iide. There are many exceptions to this, but no 

 safer rule can be given to one about commencing farming in a 

 region with which he has little acquaintance than to follow the 

 practice of the most successful farmers in the vicinit}', at least 

 in the beginning of his work. On the other hand, it not infre- 

 quently happens that the most profitable farming in a community 

 is that by some one who has introduced a new industry or 

 sought to give a home supply of some article which has been 



