MEDIUM GRASS AND GRAIN SOILS 1 9 



ence as to the adaptability of different kinds of fruit 

 to different soils. Some fruits thrive on clay land, 

 provided the proper cultivation and treatment are 

 given. There is as much diversity of soil required for 

 producing different fruit crops as for the production of 

 different farm crops. As a rule, however, a silt soil is 

 most capable of being adapted to the various conditions 

 required by fruit crops. 



14. Corn Soils. The strongest types of corn soils 

 are those which contain from 40 to 45 per cent, of 

 medium and fine sand and about 15 per cent, of clay. 

 Corn lands should contain about 15 per cent, of avail- 

 able water. Heavy clays require more cultivation and 

 produce corn crops which mature later than those 

 grown on soils not so close in texture. Many corn 

 soils contain less sand and clay, but more silt than the 

 figures given. If a soil contains a high per cent, of 

 neutral organic matter, good corn crops may be pro- 

 duced where there is less than 12 per cent, of clay. 

 Soils containing a high per cent, of sand are usually 

 too deficient in available water to produce a good corn 

 crop. On the other hand, heavy clay soils are slow in 

 warming up and are not suited to corn culture. 



The best types of corn soils have the necessary 

 mechanical composition for the production of good 

 crops of sorghum, cotton, flax, and sugar-beets. How- 

 ever, the amount of available plant food required for 

 each crop is not the same. The western prairie soils, 

 which produce most of the corn raised in the United 

 States, are composed largely of silt. 



15. Medium Grass and Grain Soils. For the pro- 



