122 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



foods may be grown in the northern states that are 

 more easily managed than the soy bean. 



In the intervening area between the parallels 

 named the early maturing varieties only can be suc- 

 cessfully grown, and of course with highest success 

 toward its southerly limit; and in that part of the 

 prescribed area which lies in the Mississippi basin 

 the crops will be superior to those grown in other 

 portions of the same, and chiefly for the reason that 

 the summer temperatures in the said basin are rela- 

 tively high. While the soy bean will grow well in 

 the hot summer temperatures of the Rocky moun- 

 tain valleys under irrigation it is not so much needed 

 in them because of the luxuriance with which other 

 legumes may be grown that are more easily handled. 

 The climate of the Pacific slope west of the 

 Cascade mountains is ill adapted to the growth of 

 the soy bean. 



Soil. The soy bean will thrive at least meas- 

 urably well on almost any kind of soil, providing this 

 soil has in it a liberal supply of potash, phos- 

 phoric acid and lime. It will, however, thrive 

 best on soils which may be termed medium in 

 texture. Nearly all classes of soils found on the 

 open prairie have high adaptation for the growth 

 of this plant, and the same is true of all soils 

 that will produce good crops of Indian corn. It may 

 be successfully grown on land too low in fertility to 

 produce clover or cowpeas. Instances are recorded 

 in which plants have been grown in disintegrated 

 trap rock and in coal ashes, and yet some of the light 

 soils of the southern states may be so deficient in 

 phosphoric acid and potash, and even nitrogen, as to 



