Walks with the Children. 183 



I want you to look first at the upper surface, where the 

 grass grows. Robert may get us a handful and we will 

 examine it. What do you see in it ? Remains of leaves, 

 rotten wood, etc. Examine with this glass. " Oh, I see 

 grains of fine white sand mixed with it." 



Yes, we call it loam. This loam is rich with remains of 

 dead vegetation. Now look just below the top-soil. What 

 do we call this ? Yes, it is called subsoil, because it is under 

 the soil. How does its color differ from that of the soil ? 

 Yes, it is not so dark. Examine the subsoil. It has more 

 sand and clay in it also. How deep is the top-soil ? The 

 subsoil ? What comes next ? Rock. Yes, here is hard 

 rock. Can you not see where the top of the rock is weath- 

 ering into subsoil ? See the cracks running downward 

 through the rock ? It is where the frost has split the rocks 

 apart. Willie, please to break open a piece of this rock ; 

 we will see how it looks inside. 



See how dark the inside is, while the outside is 

 much lighter. Is it harder within or without ? Yes, the 

 outside is softer, for it has begun to weather. The subsoil 

 is formed of this rock after it has weathered. Let us take 

 some of this subsoil and some of the top-soil in these paper 

 bags. 



When we get back to school, we must plant something in 

 each and see which grows the best. Soils vary greatly in 

 the amount of clay, sand, and vegetable matter they con- 

 tain. Which would be the principal part of the soil in 

 Great Swamp ? Yes, it is nearly pure vegetable matter. 

 Would the top-soil be thicker or thinner down yonder in 

 the meadow than up here on the hilltop ? To be good a 

 soil should possess both sand, clay, and vegetable mould. 

 How, then, might you make a sandy farm more fertile ? 

 How would you make a swampy place better after having 

 drained it ? Why do the people in the cranberry marshes 

 spread sand on the black peaty soil ? What would you do if 

 you owned a field having a heavy clay soil ? I wonder if we 

 can find what part of soil is made up of each of these 



