How TO IMPROVE GARDEN SOILS. 27 



of clear manure, one is apt to come to the old surface soil which has 

 had leachings from the manure, has been mellowed by the action of 

 earth worms and has about the right composition for garden loam, 

 except that it may be soured from Lack of aeration and may lack light- 

 ness 'because of the absence of fibrous material. It does, however, 

 form a good foundation for a garden mixture if associated with suf- 

 ficient amount of other materials. 



Sometimes one can find a loam deposited by overflow of creeks 

 or streams, or held in their beds by growth of willows, etc. choice 

 alluvial material, granular and mellow, although the region be one of 

 hard soils generally. This is a good basis for a garden mixture. But 

 in most cases, the home-garden maker must begin with whatever soil- 

 cover his premises naturally have and he can surely turn it into most 

 satisfactory garden soil if he is willing to take the trouble. 



In nearly all cases the problem in garden soil improvement consists 

 in making it more light or porous; freer in taking water from cloud, 

 hose-nozzle or ditch; more permeable and mellow under the spade or 

 hoe and disposed to maintain a granular condition and neither baking 

 nor crusting on drying after rain or irrigation. In a few cases this 

 operation will consist in transforming a clay into a loam, but generally 

 in changing from a heavy loam to a light loam, because usually a soil 

 which is called "adobe" is a clay-loam and not a clay soil. In a few 

 cases, too, the problem may be to change from soil which is too sandy 

 to a condition of greater retentiveness. This is the easiest transforma- 

 tion possible, if one works aright, because sand is a most beneficent 

 foundation for a garden, although all are scripturally warned against 

 building a house upon it . 



In addition to the natural loam cited above, there are several ma- 

 terials which have 'been mentioned from time immemorial as desirable 

 components of garden soils, viz.: sand, barn-yard manure, leaf-mold, 

 or other fibrous substances which may be substituted for it. Their 

 several functions will be briefly characterized: 



Sand. The chief function of sand is to separate and hold apart 

 from too close contact, the other finer particles of which the soil is 

 composed. It promotes the movement of air and water and facilitates 

 all the activities belonging to these movements as indicated on page 

 24. It also promotes the operation of the soil qualities, mentioned on 

 page 25. To accomplish this the sand should be "clean" or "sharp" 

 when secured for soil mixtures, because these characters render it 

 more efficient in the role chosen for it. One can use to advantage 

 sand which contains fine silt or clay powder if it is locally abundant, 

 but if one has to buy or haul sand for its specific uses it should be 

 washed clean of fine powders and its grains should be sharp or angular. 

 Such sand as builders choose has these characters. Sand may be 



