82 The Garden. 



gen^ which are called organic parts of soils, from their great 

 preponderance in vegetables and animals. 



For gai'dening purposes, a loamy soil, composed of nearly 

 equal proportions of clay, sand, and lime, and enriched by de- 

 posits of decayed animal and vegetable matter, is perhaps the 

 best; but a sandy loam similarly enriched is good. Very 

 heavy and very light soils are objectionable ; but the latter less 

 so, since it may be much more easily improved. 



Subsoils. — The productiveness of a soil depends to a con- 

 siderable extent upon the subsoil or bed on which it rests, 

 which may be either clayey, sandy, gravelly, or calcareous. A 

 clayey subsoU is unfavorable, as it renders the soil wet and cold. 

 Loose and leachy subsoils, consisting mainly of gravel or sand, 

 are also undesirable, on account of the facility with which 

 moisture and the soluble portions of manures escape into them. 

 Calcareous subsoils are considered best. 



II.— IMPEOVEMENT OF SOILS. 



As the original soil of one's garden can not always be a 

 matter of choice, the garden being properly situated near the 

 house, and the house depending for its location upon other cir- 

 cumstances besides the soU, it becomes important to know how 

 to improve it if it happen to be of an undesirable character. 



In order to set yourself about the work of improvement with 

 a reasonable prospect of success, you should have a clear com- 

 prehension of the end to be attained. "What, then, are the 

 qualities desirable in a garden soil ? 



A garden soil should be loamy, rich in all the elements essen- 

 tial to the gi'owth of plants, sufficiently light and friable to be 

 easily cultivated, and to allow the roots to penetrate it in every 

 direction, and at the same time suflSciently adhesive to retain 

 moisture and the soluble portions of manures till they may be 

 required by the growing plant. 



Improvement of Clayey Soils. — If it be a clayey soU with 

 which you have to do, you will probably, in the first place, 

 find it too wet. The only effectual remedy for this defect is 



