116 



SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 



142. Crops adapted to sour soils. — There are a consider- 

 able number of plants, other than weeds, that grow well on 

 sour soils, some, in fact, thriving better when the soil is 

 acid than when it is not so. The following is a list of those 

 that have been found to be adapted to soils of this kind : 



This list affords a sufficient number of plants to permit of 

 a largely diversified cropping system on sour soil, should it 

 be undesirable, or very expensive, to put lime on the land. 

 The considerable number of legumes in the list would admit 

 of soil improvement through their use. 



143. Crops that are injured by acid soils. — While there 

 is a considerable number of agricultural plants that are 

 adapted to sour soil, it is true that the greater number of 

 the most important crops is injured by such soil. General 

 farming can best be conducted on soil that is not greatly 

 in need of lime. One reason for this is that the great soil- 

 improving crops — red clover and alfalfa — are very un- 

 certain crops on acid soils. The following plants are injured 

 by sour soil : 



