SOILS 
27 
63. Chemical properties. — While it is necessary to have 
an adequate supply of available plant food, the physical 
composition of the soil is of much greater importance 
than the chemical. It is a simple matter to supply ferti- 
lizers, but practically impossible to make good truck soils 
out of some types. Manure or green crops may be used 
with the utmost freedom. Although these greatly im- 
prove the heavier types, they will not make ideal soils 
for garden crops. The proper chemical composition of 
truck soils, however, is important and this matter should 
receive the most careful consideration. See Chapter 
VII on the use of fertilizers. 
64. Soil adaptation. — Soils differ greatly in their adap- 
tation to various crops. Late cabbage, for example, suc- 
ceeds 011 very heavy soils, while the lighter types produce 
good early cabbage. Lima beans do best on sandy soils, 
while field beans prefer the heavier types. These illus- 
trations simply serve as examples. More definite in- 
formation is given in Chapter XXI, which is devoted tc 
the culture of various classes of vegetables. 
