THE FACTORS IN DETAIL 1 5 



positions for the house will suggest themselves 

 and call for consideration. No decision should 

 be made until the possibilities of the site 

 have been thoroughly tested from every stand- 

 point. 



The question of the house site is so closely 

 linked up with the treatment of the garden 

 that I strongly advise this preliminary survey 

 before purchasing the plot. 



Soil — Reference has already been made 

 to the relative heat-absorbing qualities of 

 various soils. In forming a judgment on the 

 suitability of a particular site for gardening 

 purposes it is essential to ascertain the nature, 

 not only of the surface or top soil, but of 

 the subsoil. This can only be done by having 

 a trench dug, say, at least four feet deep. If 

 the plot is of considerable extent, a series of 

 trenches should be opened out at various 

 points, because soils, and subsoils particularly, 

 may vary even within the comparatively 

 restricted limits of a garden site. 



The surface soil is not always very closely 

 related to the subsoil, so that even those accus- 

 tomed to forming a judgment on the subject 

 may be misled by a superficial examination. 



