332 Transactions of the 



family of spirit and pride, than to know that their next neighbors are 

 enjoying the luxury of early asparagus, peas, beans, lettuce, etc., when 

 theirs will not do to pluck for days, and perhaps weeks? The best soil 

 for a vegetable garden is undoubtedly a deep, rich, sandy loam, so com- 

 posed that it will absorb a great quantity of moisture, and allow it to 

 jiass so far below the surface that it can be cultivated very soon after 

 heavy rains, and at the same time retain that moisture so it will keep 

 the surface moist during the dry season. It should contain sufficient 

 muck and clay to give it strength and durability, and sufficient sand to 

 prevent sun or surface burning. It should be porous, to allow the air to 

 penetrate as deep as the roots of vegetables will grow. 



We have a great deal of excellent soil for gardens in California. The 

 land along the creeks and rivers of the entire State, outside of the moun- 

 tains, generally called "made land," is well adapted to this purpose. 

 Many of the small valleys in the foothills and many of the hills them- 

 selves contain soil alread} r prepared by nature for the most successful 

 cultivation of vegetable gardens. A very large proportion of the soil 

 in the State, however, located on the broad, open plain, one elevation 

 above the immediate river banks, is too heavy and contains too much 

 clay and sticky substances for the successful cultivation of vegetables. 

 It is too wet in the rainy season, and too dry and hard in the dry sea- 

 son. Such, generally, is the character of the soil in what we have 

 termed the grain districts of the State. While such soils, properly cul- 

 tivated, are well adapted to the production of the small grains, they 

 require some artificial manipulations and changes to make them good 

 for gardens. To show what these changes are, and how they can be 

 made, will next claim our attention. 



PREPARATION OP SOIL. 



The soils along our river banks are generally called "made land," and 

 are principally composed of clay, fine sand or sediment, and decayed 

 vegetation. They are of recent formation, and have been made by the 

 operations of nature. The annual deposit of the leaves of the forests, 

 and the annual growth of the grasses and weeds, have been covered by 

 the occasional overflow of the streams, bringing along and depositing 

 fine clay and sand from the mountains. Since the commencement of 

 mining in this country the making of land in this manner has been going 

 on very rapidly. If the deposit has been with too great a proportion of 

 clay, then the soil thus made is heavy, stiff, and sticky, and though very 

 rich and strong and excellent, when jn'operly and carefully worked, for 

 some kinds of crops, it is not well adapted to the production of garden 

 vegetables. It settles too close and compactly together when wet by 

 heavy rains or overflows, and if allowed to dry without stirring, it is so 

 hard and stiff that it is almost impossible to plow or Avork it at all. If 

 worked in this condition it is unproductive — the lumps and clods refuse 

 to yield to the roots of vegetation the necessary nourishment and food 

 for their growth. If plowed when too wet its condition is still worse — it 

 assumes the hardness of puddled soil or manufactured adobes. Such soil 

 must be worked with the greatest possible care and only when in a 

 proper condition, and even then it is not good for garden purposes. You 

 may with great care get your seed into such soil in good condition, but 

 if you have a Spring shower, followed by warm, sunny days, before 

 your vegetables are out of the ground there will form a crust over them 

 which it will be impossible for the tender shoots to penetrate, and you 



