33 



tice or fertilizer use has brought a great variety of results 

 depending upon the soil conditions under which it has been 

 tried. Does it not seem strange, then, that we did not earl- 

 ier learn to study the first half of the problem of success- 

 ful crop production, namely, the soil conditions under 

 which we were trying to grow crops, and then to adapt 

 our methods of practice to our varying soils? A crop- 

 ping system well carried out on land to which it is adapt- 

 ed, generally means prosperous farmers, whereas the same 

 system pursued on soils that are not adapted to it may mean 

 that "farming doesn't pay." 



Why is it that certain farming sections acquire a repu- 

 tation for prducing some crops especially well? In the 

 first place because climatic conditions are favorable. Sug- 

 arcane grows along the Gulf Coast but not in Massachus- 

 etts. Apples thrive in Massachusetts but not where sugar 

 cane grows. Onions are grown from seed in Massachus- 

 etts but not in the states from INIaryland south where the 

 bulbs mature too early and so the crop is grown princip- 

 ally from sets. Pennsylvania illustrates the same thing 

 with the onion crop within the climatic range of a single 

 .state. These cases of crop adaptation are due to climatic 

 conditions Avhich for the purposes of comparison it is 

 easily possible to group. 



The influence of soil variation on crop production, in 

 distinction from climatic influence, is best illustrated, per- 

 haps, by the development of special crops in different sec- 

 tions of the country having the same or closely similar cli- 

 matic eondi ions. In many cases the highest development 

 of such crops has taken place under a definite and restrict- 

 ed range of soil conditions. We are inclined to look at 

 special crop districts already developed as examples of 

 agricultural adaptation that were bound to appear in the 

 natural course of events. "We are also inclined to forget 

 the many individuals who have fallen by the w^ayside in 

 helping to develop such districts. Yet it is exceedingly 

 doubtful if any section or locality in this country has 

 earned a reputation for producing some crop well with- 

 out having its course to that success marked by many 

 failures of the individual farmer, 



* In many cases careful experimentation is necessary 

 before safe conclusions can be drawn and it is the endeavor 

 of the National Department of Agriculture together with 



