42 THE SOILS AND CKOPS OF THE FARM. 



tude of minute pores. The sand can do little in ab- 

 soroing or drawing up water or holding it; has little 

 power to condense or hold gases and can give little 

 food to plants. 



It is possible to have a soil too finely divided. The 

 particles of which it is composed may be so closely 

 compacted that neither air, water, gases, nor the roots 

 of plants can freely penetrate to the soil. This con- 

 dition is not a common one, is rarely found except in 

 compa,ct clay soils Often the most important work 

 of the farmer in preparing a soil for crops is in pul- 

 verizing it — crushing clods, reducing the number of 

 large open spaces and so greatly increasing the number 

 of minute pores, and the quantity of plant food with 

 which tho roots of plants can come into close contact 

 and thus be enabled to use. 



Prof. James Mills says: "No matter what the com- 

 position of a soil may be, it will not produce good 

 crops unless it is of a proper mechanical texture. It 

 must be firm enough to give the required support to 

 the crops growing in it, and yet sufficiently loose to 

 allow the delicate root fibers to extend freely in all 

 directions, according to their habit of growth — fine 

 enough to give capillary power, to hold water, to re- 

 tain fertilizers, to absorb and retain atmospheric 

 moisture and ammonia, and yet loose and open enough 

 to admit air freely down among its particles and to 

 let the excess of water drain away. In soil of the 

 right texture water neither lies on the surface nor 

 soaks very quickly through into the sub- soil. The excess 

 soon passes away and enough is retained to keep the 

 soil moist and in a fit condition for the growth of 

 crops, except in very wet or excessively dry weather. 



