CHOICE AND IMPROVEMENT OF CROPS. 95 



much to be hoped may be true of beets and sorghum 

 for the manufacture of sugar. 



The possibilities of crop production depend mainly 

 on climate and soil. Of these the climate is the more 

 important. Manuring, culture, or drainage may great- 

 ly modify the soil and make it fit for crops for which 

 it was illy prepared. Plants, like animals, have great 

 adaptability; they may become acclimated and do 

 fairly well where neither soil nor climate is like that 

 in their native land. Usually, however, it is unwise 

 to attempt the growth of any crop which experience 

 has shown to be illy adapted to the climate and soil 

 of a given region; at least as a leading crop. 



The profitableness of the growth of a given crop de- 

 pends not only on the climate and soil, but very 

 largely on the market facilities, and, so far as the in- 

 dividual farmer is concerned, largely on his tastes, 

 experience and capital. The farming 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 trans- 

 portation facilities are poor, farmers devote them- 

 selves to grazing cattle or sheep or to the production 

 of crops, like corn and wheat or cotton, which can be 

 readily transported long distances. Where the soil 

 and climate are favorable wheat has been a favorite 

 crop with new settlers, because a considerable acre- 

 age can be grown with comparatively little expendi- 

 ture of money or labor, and a money return can be 

 secured more quickly than if stock-raising be selected 

 as the chief business. As the land advances in value, 

 especially near large cities, the production of crops 



