THE SECRET OF THE SOIL 



being. But how was I going to get a 

 deep sandy loam, moist and well drained, 

 on a rough mountain where a backbone 

 of granite was overlaid with a bed of 

 hard-pan, sprinkled thinly on the surface 

 with leaf mould of the forest? This 

 last was my salvation, only I did not 

 know it, and laboriously started to make 

 my needed " sandy loam " by employing 

 the Handy Lad to haul on to my new bed 

 a load of sand. Many a time and oft 

 since then have I wished that same 

 sand out again, for it was not an im- 

 provement, and only helps the little 

 moisture that is there to slip out and 

 evaporate faster than before. Probably 

 I put on too much, for a little sand goes 

 a great way I find. 



According to the books of the Wise 

 Ones, an indefinite number of inches of 

 47 



