MAKING THE SOIL PRODUCE CROPS 



subsoil to the top and in opening channels 

 through which water and surface air can pene- 

 trate constitutes another continually operating 

 force in the creation of a productive soil. A 

 deeper layer of productive soil can also be 

 created through a plan of consistently deeper 

 plowing, bringing up with each annual plowing 

 operation a small portion of subsoil which, when 

 mixed with the surface soil, tends to become like it. 



Every type of real soil contains all the elements 

 of plant growth. This plant food results from 

 a breaking down of soil particles and the setting 

 free of chemical elements which, either singly 

 or in combination, serve as food for plants. 



Whatever the type of soil may be, it will be 

 found that certain crops will make better growth 

 in it than others. As a general rule, it may be 

 said that the only way to determine which 

 plants will grow best on a given soil is by the 

 trial-and-error method. However, by observation 

 of the growth on similar types of soil we can 

 learn something of a soil's crop adaptability. 

 There are some crops that will grow in almost 

 any soil and there are others that need an 

 exactness of texture, moisture and plant food 

 which makes them highly specialized products. 

 The operator must learn how to work in harmony 

 with the peculiarities of his own soil before he 

 can hope to get the best results. 



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