52 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



lands where the "water table," that is, the standing water which 

 feeds our wells and springs, is nearer the surface than this. 

 Most plants have drinking roots that go down from three to six 

 feet. If the water table is within two or three feet of the surface 

 these roots cannot properly develop, then comes a drouth that 

 lowers the water table, and the plants suffer. 



Second, the nitrification spoken of a moment ago cannot go oi\ 

 successfully in land chilled and kept soggy by lack of under 

 drainage. Precious weeks are lost in spring, waiting for such 

 land to dry out by the action of the air, before plant-growth, till- 

 age and nitrification can begin. Then hot, dry weather comes 

 too scon. Thus we have both conditions wrong. In dry 

 weather this land suffers first from drouth, in wet weather it is 

 equally discouraging. 



I said there were three conditions to be met before we 

 could till. The first, clearing of all obstructions ; the second, 

 draining, and now comes the third. We must have humus. The 

 best garden soil may become so exhausted of humus that it can- 

 not be made to produce a good crop of anything, even grass. 

 The land is naturally fertile, free from obstructions, well drained 

 and in good tilth but the decayed organic matter or muck has 

 been taken out by a system of clean tillage so that it is no longer 

 "soil" but mere dirt, such as one will find in a cellar. It will 

 puddle or run together solid upon the slightest provocation. It 

 will bake and lump and the old farmer says "it must have a 

 rest," so he sows on clover, etc., and finally the soil gets full of 

 decayed roots and plant-stalks again. 



Take notice ! Upon that little black film of humus which 

 should separate one grain or particle of dirt from another, plants 

 depend for their processes of growth. There is where the bac- 

 terial action which nitrifies the soil takes place- There is where 

 the moisture, which capillary action brings up from below, is held 

 ready for the plant. There is where the nitrogen, phosphoric 

 acid and potash are handed over, ready-made, to the million 

 mouths of each tiny feeding root. 



Now, we have our obstructions removed, our moisture regu- 

 lated by drainage, (either surface or under drainage) and our 

 humus abundant. Let us proceed. We now have soil, fertile 

 soil, but let us inquire a little more closely into the meaning of 

 the word "fertility." The chemist tells us that growing plants 



