As a Result of Poor Soil, All of the Following

As a result of poor soil, all of the following conditions prevailed in New England except that  

A) reliance on a single, staple crop became a necessity.
B) the area was less ethnically mixed than its southern neighbors.
C) frugality became essential to economic survival.
D) hard work was required to make a living.
E) diversification in agriculture and industry were encouraged.