ORREAL AND FODDER CROPS 150 



The cereal crops grow on almost any kind of soil, 

 but they do best in deep, rich, clay loams which are well 

 supplied with water, but not wet. The ideal soils for 

 cereals are the rich prairie soils of the western United 

 States and eastern Russia. Whatever the kind of soil 

 in which these crops are to be grown, it should be well 

 cultivated in order to give the roots a chance to spread. 

 Hard, rough soils give the roots of cereals no chance 

 to spread in search of food, and the crops suffer in 

 consequence. Light, sandy soils contain neither suffi- 

 cient food nor water for the cereals. The cereal crops 

 arc best planted in drills or rows. Winn planted in 

 this way a better yield of grain per acre is obtained 

 than if the seed be .scattered over the surface. 



The cereal crops require an abundant supply of 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, all of which 

 thejf drew from the soil. If the soil be poor in any 

 one of these plant foods the deficiency must be made 

 good by the use of fertilizers. Fertilizers containing 

 Available nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash com- 

 pounds arc usually found of benefit to the cereal crops. 

 'I'll** proper amounts and proportions of these three 

 different rabstaneei depend on inch a variety of cir- 

 cumstances that no rules for their dm can be 

 here. 



While corn is classed as a cereal crop, it differs some- 

 uhat in itl habits of growth from the small grains. 

 Corn i- planted in rows some distance apart, and the 

 crop requires thorough but shallow cultivation during 

 its period of growth. The small grain crops require 

 no cultivation. Corn can draw much of its food from 



