ACID, OR SOUR, SOILS 



385 



bility of a successful agricultural practice on acid soils 

 where the important money crop to be grown, or some 

 other condition, would make it undesirable to correct 

 the soil acidity. There are certain crops, such as blue- 

 berries and cranberries, that require an acid soil; there 

 are others, such as potatoes, that may suffer less from 

 disease if the soil is sour. These crops are sometimes the 

 ones that are of greatest financial importance in a region, 

 and it therefore becomes desirable to maintain an acid 

 condition of soil. 



291. Crops that are injured by acid soils. — There 

 are many plants that are injured by a sour condition of 

 the soil, and these include some of the most important 

 farm crops. It should therefore be borne in mind that 

 for most farm practice an acid soil is very undesirable. 

 One notable reason for this is that such crops as red 

 clover and alfalfa, which are of great value both as a 

 means of improving soil and for hay, can be grown only 

 with great uncertainty- or not at all on acid soils. 



