PLANTS ADAPTED TO VARIOUS TYPES OF SOIL CONDITIONS

A very important factor in determining the sorts of plants adaptedto any specific location is the soil type. By soil type is meant therelative acidity or alkalinity of the soil elements, the relative finenessof the soil particles, and the relative state of dryness of the soil material.All of these conditions overlap and combine with one another and pro-duce soil types which are favourable for certain groups of plants andunfavourable for other groups. The exact physiological reasons why aplant should succeed so much better on one soil type than on anotheris seldom exactly understood; but practical experience has helped tosolve many problems and to bring out many interesting facts.