SOIL PREPARATION 73 



six months in advance of the time when the soil will be 

 needed, and in the heavier soils a year will give a better 

 compost. After the material is well decayed, it is cus- 

 tomary to cut down the pile in thin slices with a sharp 

 hoe or spade, thus reducing the fiber to a finer state of 

 division. Sand may be added to the compost and this is a 

 great advantage in the heavier soils. One part of sand 

 may be used to four parts of compost. This plan of 

 composting has been popular for many years among 

 florists, and so far as results are concerned no method is 

 superior. 



It is not always possible or practicable, however, to use 

 the method of composting which has just been described. 

 Excellent results may be had by simply piling together 

 good soil and short, fresh horse manure in the proportion 

 of about one part of manure by bulk to three or four 

 parts of soil. At least three or four months should elapse 

 before the compost is used, and the pile should be turned 

 occasionally to obtain a finer and more homogeneous 

 mass. If it is desired to use the soil immediately after 

 mixing, old, fine unleached manure should be used in- 

 stead of fresh manures. As good results, however, can- 

 not be expected from newly-mixed composts. 



A third plan of composting is to stack sods for a year 

 or two, and then mix one part of the decayed sods with 

 one part of good soil and one part of manure, adding 

 another part of sand if that seems desirable. 



Manuring in the field. Because of the large amount of 

 hand labor involved in the various methods of compost- 

 ing, other methods of soil preparation have come into 

 general use which are more economical of labor, and pro- 

 ductive of highly satisfactory results. One of the most 

 popular methods, especially among florists, is to spread 

 manure on the field and to give it such tillage as may be 

 required. Good soil, preferably a clover sod, should be 

 selected for this purpose. 



