PUTTING THE SOIL IN CONDITION 117 



that could not grow the common growth of weeds, 

 let alone the "foodful ear." 



The first step towards the restoration of these 

 conditions to the soil is to ventilate the soil, for 

 plant roots must breathe to live as well as man. 

 Close, compact, non-porous soil without organic 

 matter or humus is a dead soil. It becomes a 

 house without ventilation in which no plant roots 

 can properly breathe or secure the free oxygen 

 necessary for the plant's growth and proper de- 

 velopment. 



This soil ventilation is secured first by drain- 

 age. The principle of drainage is that it opens 

 up the pores of the soils so that water and air 

 can percolate through them, and when soil pores 

 are open for the free passage of air and water 

 they become a home where plant roots may not 

 only breathe, but strike deep and become safe 

 from droughts as well as floods; where soil bac- 

 teria may live and work out their laboratory 

 problems of compounding food for plants, and 

 cleansing soil of its offensive accumulations. The 

 * ' soil doctor ' 9 who does not prescribe a large dose 

 of drainage for worn and worn-out soils will surely 

 fail to cure his patient. For drainage is surely 

 the " first and most important aid to the injured," 

 in worn and worn-out soil treatment. 



The dose of drainage having been properly ad- 

 ministered, the next step in the course of treat- 

 ment is the securing to the soil organic matter and 

 humus. Applying these two elements to worn 

 and worn-out soils, not only aids in securing soil 

 ventilation, but absorbs vast quantities of water 

 to be held and supplied to growing plants when 



