A LIVING FROM THE LAND 



In acquiring a tract for the growing of plants 

 of any kind it is desirable to get a soil type that 

 will meet the requirements of most plants. As 

 a general rule, this type contains enough clay 

 to be retentive of moisture, enough sand to be 

 easily worked and is generally suitable for 

 bacterial growth. In other words, what is 

 commonly called a loam is the ideal type for 

 general agricultural and horticultural purposes. 

 This may be a heavy loam, in which clay 

 predominates, or a so-called light loam, in 

 which sand particles predominate. An exami- 

 nation of a handful of soil by a person experi- 

 enced in farming will indicate its nature and its 

 adaptability to ordinary crop production. 



Essential Elements of Plant Food. Countless 

 scientific experiments in plant growth show that 

 potassium, lime, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, 

 sulphur, nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen 

 are essential to normal development. The carbon, 

 hydrogen and oxygen elements make up nearly 

 99 per cent of the entire composition of the plant 

 and are derived from the atmosphere. All of 

 the other elements are derived from the soil 

 except in the case of peas, beans, clovers and 

 other legumes which secure most of their nitrogen 

 from the air. 



The mineral elements are not needed in large 

 amounts but well-balanced plant growth is 



