12 ELEMENTS OF FARM PRACTICE 



Sand is the name applied to soil with particles much 

 finer than gravel but still comparatively coarse. The 

 particles may be as large as grains of common granulated 

 sugar or cornmeal. Sandy soil is much more productive 

 than gravelly soils. The particles being finer, they hold 

 moisture better and usually contain more available plant 

 food. 



Clay is the name applied to the very fine particles of 

 soil. Clay is often as fine or finer than wheat flour. Gen- 

 erally clay soils are the most productive soils, because the 

 grains are very, very fine. A given quantity of clay will 

 hold much more water than the same quantity of sand 

 or gravel. Clay soil is very sticky when wet, while sandy 

 soil is not. 



Loam is a name applied to soil that has a liberal amount 

 of vegetable matter mixed with either sand or clay or both. 

 If a soil has a very large proportion of clay, it is called a 

 clayey loam. Nearly all the soils have a mixture of sand 

 with clay, but the proportion of each naturally varies. 

 On this account there are all kinds of mixtures, varying 

 from nearly all sand and very little clay, to nearly all clay 

 and very little sand. 



Sandy Soils. — Soils containing a large percentage of 

 sand are known as sandy soils, or sandy loam soils. They 

 do not hold as much moisture as clay soils. Such soils, 

 therefore, warm up more quickly in the spring than do 

 clay soils, and crops grow more quickly. If it does not 

 rain for several days or weeks, crops on such soils are likely 

 to be injured for lack of moisture. Sandy soils contain 

 less plant food than clay soils and give it up more readily. 

 On this account clay soils are regarded as better; but, 

 if sandy soils are well handled, they produce good 

 crops and are more easily plowed and cared for than clay soils. 



Clay Soils. — Soils containing a large percentage of clay 

 are known as clay soils, or as clay loam soils. Because 

 the particles of clay are very small, there is more surface 

 exposed in a given amount of clay soil than in the same 

 amount of sandy soil. Soil holds water on the surface of 

 the particles, on which account a clay soil holds much more 

 water than a sandy soil. The fact that a soil with fine 



