Soils and Manuees. 33 



tliorougli nnderdraining. This not only draws off the surplus 

 water, but opens the soil to the action of the atmosphere, 

 which, in its passage through it, imparts its nutritive gases, and 

 helps to warm and disintegrate it. Deep trenching will aid in 

 the process of draining.* 



Having thoroughly drained your plot, you should next give 

 your attention to improving the texture of the soil in other 

 ways. The natural remedy for their too dense and adhesive 

 character seems to be sand ; but to produce the desired effect 

 large quantities are required — so large that the improvement 

 in that way of large tracts of land is considered impracticable. 

 In treating a small garden, however, the expense of the appli- 

 cation may often be disregarded. 



Lime is a valuable auxiliary in the improvement of clayey 

 soils, forming, with their ingredients, chemical combinations, 

 whereby their extreme tenacity is broken up, and adding, at 

 the same time, an element of fertility, in which they may be 

 deficient. Gypsum, or plaster of Paris, has the same effect in 

 a still more powerful degree. Ashes, coarse vegetable manures, 

 straw, corn-stalks, leaves, chips, etc., are also very useful, as 

 they add new materials, and also help to separate the particles 

 of the original soil. 



In cold climates, clayey soils should be plowed or dug in the 

 faU, the action of the frost and snow tending to break them up 

 and destroy the adhesion of their particles. In the South, 

 where there is little frost, and frequent and copious rains occur 

 during the winter, this course is injurious rather than beneficial. 



The frequent working of clayey soils with plow, harrow, 

 spade, or hoe, if done when they are not too wet, wiU greatly 

 improve them. 



A persevering application of the various means we have 

 indicated, will gradually bring the heaviest clay soil into the 

 proper loamy consistency for horticultural purposes. 



A loamy soil resting upon a clayey subsoil Bhould in general 



For a chapter on Draining, see " The Farm." 

 2* 



