198 HOW TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY 



Finely ground phosphate rock and limestone are 

 what we require to help the legumes. In most of 

 our soils we have almost unlimited supplies of min- 

 eral elements. These must be liberated; that is, set 

 at work by adding decayed organic matter. The use 

 of lime to aid in setting free the power of decaying 

 stuff is of exceeding importance. 



The barnyard gives us our best fertilizing material 

 when supplementing legumes, and deep plowing to 

 reach our mineral supplies comes next in importance. 

 Every stable should be provided with a concrete 

 trough to carry every ounce of urine to a concrete 

 tank. It is the best fertilizer, in the best form, for 

 plant food. The Chinese gardener uses no other. 



Someone has spoken recently of " The Farm That 

 Is Under Yours," meaning that we have much of our 

 soil wealth forever untouched. We have to get 

 down deep enough (with drainage as well as plow- 

 ing) ; work up what is below; aerate it, and not leave 

 it a dead weight on top of the soil. So then you 

 may say that you have a farm in sight, another farm 

 below in the earth, and a third farm above in the 

 air; and you cannot make a good garden or orchard 

 or grain field unless you can bring these three farms 

 together and make them cooperate. 



Now you understand why I have given soil-mak- 

 ing a place in this brief discussion of farming. 

 What is the use of purposing to double our milk sup- 

 ply, or our fruit supply, or our wheat crop, when 

 really the land is not able to keep up the present 



