CHAPTER II 

 SOIL PREPARATION 



^ I ^O get the best results in any planting, the soil requirements must 



JL be considered. Even before the plans are made, the nature of the 



soil should be determined, for certain groups of plants like certain 



soils. It is easier and better to use those plants which are adaptable to 



the kind of soil available, but when one wishes to grow some particular 



variety of plants that requires soil of a definite nature, certain prescribed 



methods of soil treatment and preparation have to be used. 



By digging a small hole about two feet deep, something of the 

 character of the soil will be revealed. When the hole is dug the dif- 

 ferent layers encountered should be piled separately for later examina- 

 tion. The sides of the hole will reveal the thickness and character of 

 the different layers when they are present. Even when there is no 

 visible division of layers in the soil there are two distinct divisions 

 commonly present, first, the upper layer of surface, or top soil; second, 

 that which lies beneath the surface layer, or subsoil. Both topsoil and 

 subsoil have to be considered in soil preparation. 



SOIL TEXTURE 



Soil texture is determined by the size and shape of the particles of 

 which it is composed. The structure of the soil is determined by the 

 arrangement of its particles, and according to structure a soil is loose, 

 open, hard, porous, compact, etc. 



Part of the soil preparation consists of taking whatever measures 

 are necessary to give the soil the proper texture for the growth of plants. 



When the examination shows that the soils are too heavy or too 

 light, special material changes have to be made. A heavy soil is spoken 

 of as meaning one whose particles are so fine that the soil has a tendency 

 to compact very easily. The clays often fall into this class. Light 

 soils are those which are loose, open and porous. Sandy soils are light 

 soils, which, as a rule, require special treatment. 



The stiffness of clay soils can be lessened by applying and mixing 

 ashes or sand. To offset the impoverishing effects of ashes or sand, an 

 equal amount of well rotted manure should be used. Often times a 

 heavy application of the manure will do the work by adding humus to 



