74 ADDRESSES 



one kind of soil to another has been given much less consideration. We all 

 know that we cannot grow oranges, pineapples, bananas or cotton in Ohio 

 ind that buckwheat, rye, oats and some other crops will not do well in trop- 

 vcal regions, but how many of us realize the important change in the soil en- 

 vironment to which we are asking a plant to adapt itself when we take it 

 from a deep sand, for example, and place it on a heavy clay? 



After a discussion of this subject with a gentleman who is recognized 

 as one of the pioneers and leaders in plant breeding, he said "I have known 

 for a long time that you must keep a plant within the same environment, else 

 the good results secured from breeding would be lost, but I never had it con- 

 nected up so closely with soils before." Now I would not seek to minimize 

 the importance of climatic environment, but I do wish to emphasize the in- 

 fluence of the soil environment because it seems to me that the part it plays 

 is not fully appreciated. We all recognize that it is necessary for a plant 

 to become acclimated, but how many of us realize that it is necessary for it 

 to become associated also, if I may coin this expression. 



DIFFERENT SOILS ARE ADAPTED TO DIFFERENT CROPS. 



That some soils are better adapted to certain crops than other soils is being 

 more and more appreciated every year. The selection of the peat and muck soils 

 for the production of celery and onions gives one of the best examples, which we 

 have in this State of the special adaption of a particular kind of soil to certain 

 crops. Attempts to grow sugar beets on the Wooster soil have been a failure, but 

 on the dark, heavy soil of the county test farm at Paulding are proving very suc- 

 cessful. Other examples, which I need not mention here, will doubtless occur to 

 all of you. 



Our knowledge of the adaption of soils to particular crops or varieties is 

 as yet incomplete and is doubtless resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars 

 to the farmers of the State. Such knowledge, however, cannot be obtained until 

 we know what kind of soil we have in different .parts of the State and have made 

 a study of the crops best suited to them. 



CROP VARIETIES IN THEIR RELATION TO SOIL TYPES. 



Not only are different soils adapted to different crops but they are also 

 suited to different varieties of the same crop. 



There is no place where the influence of the soil can be studied so satisfac- 

 torily as in the greenhouse, for here temperature, moisture and fertilization are 

 under control and can be manipulated to suit the will of the experimenter, but 

 fundamental soil differences cannot be entirely eliminated by any amount of fer- 

 tilization or manipulation. Other factors being under control, the influence of 

 the soil can be definitely determined. Some florists have found it utterly 

 impossible to compete with other growers in the production of certain varieties 

 of violets, for example, although they may be more successful with other varieties. 

 No satisfactory explanation has been offered to account for this except that it 

 is due to some inherent quality in the soil which makes it impossible to duplicate 

 the results upon any other than the one used. 



A LESSON FROM A STUDY OF CORN VARIETIES. 



For several years the Experiment Station has been carrying on corn 

 variety tests in cooperation with members of the Ohio Corn Improvement 

 Association and other farmers. In these tests the check plats were always 

 home grown seed. All the leading varieties grown in the State were included 



