ARTIFICIAL SOILS. 123 



see that the place is dry. See that the water runs 

 away quickly after a rain; and then from some old 

 pasture dig up a quantity of sods, and place them up- 

 side down two and three deep all over the spot where 

 the grass is to grow. They will in time decay, and 

 help form a good soil. In place of sods, cart on the 

 top soil from some field, and spread it not less than 

 one foot deep over the place. Add about one cart- 

 load of sand to every three loads of soil (unless it is 

 very sandy) , and add one load of manure to every four 

 loads of soil. If old muck can be procured, use one 

 load of muck to every two of loam, and use more sand. 

 In this way, even out of poor materials, a fair soil can 

 be made, and every year it will be improved by culture 

 and additional fertilizers. A good plan will be to sow 

 it first with clover, and when well grown to dig it into 

 the soil as green manure. 



The site selected for a house may be a garden with 

 good soil. In this case all the top soil should be care- 

 fully dug up, and piled in heaps in a safe corner till 

 the last mechanic has left the place. Contractors often 

 have a habit of digging a cellar for a new house with- 

 out the slightest regard to the soil ; throwing out the 

 stones, gravel, and useless material under the subsoil 

 right on top of the natural soil, and burying it out 

 of sight forever. Such a waste of good soil is simply 

 wicked. Nature may have been at work a thousand 

 years to make that little bit of good soil, that sweet 

 grasses, the wild rose and aster might bloom in it, or 

 the amiable potato and cheerful squash find a home 



