384 SOILS: PROPERTIES AND MANAGEMENT 



290. Crops adapted to sour soils. — There are some 

 useful agricultural plants that grow better on sour soils 

 than on alkaline soils, while other plants are apparently 

 indifferent to the condition of the soil in this respect. As 

 acid soils are of very common occurrence, and as the 

 correction of this difficulty may not always be financially 

 profitable or otherwise desirable, it is important to know 

 what plants will thrive and how agricultural practice 

 may be maintained on such soils. A list of these plants, 

 based on different authorities, is herewith given : — 



Crops Adapted to Sour Soils 



Blueberry ! Hairy vetch 1 



Cranberry 2 Crimson clover * 



Strawberry 1 Potato 2 



Blackberry 2 Sweet potato 1 



Raspberry 2 Rye 2 



Blackcap 2 Millet 2 



Watermelon 2 Buckwheat ' 



Turnip l Carrot 1 



Red top 2 Lupine 2 



Rhode Island bent-grass 2 Serradella 2 



Cowpea 1 Radish 2 



Soybean 1 ' Velvet bean 2 

 Castor bean 2 



The very considerable number of these plants, and 

 especially the inclusion among them of legumes that 

 may be grown for soil improvement, suggest the possi- 



1 Coville, F. W. The Agricultural Utilization of Acid Lands 

 by Means of Acid-Tolerant Crops. U. S. D. A., Bui. No. 6 

 pp. 7-12. 1913. 



2 Wheeler, H. J. The Liming of Soils. U. S. D. A., Farmers' 

 Bui. 77. 1905. 



