GENERAL PRACTICE. PREPARING SOILS. 39 



Marls have much in common with clayey soils when the texture is of that character, 

 or of sandy soils when sand predominates. Sandy marls are improved by an admixture of 

 clay or stiff loam, and clay marls by an admixture of sandy loam as described for clay 

 soil. Marls, however, being intermediate between the calcareous and clay soils, contain 

 usually sufficient lime without addition, and on the proportion of the loam depends 

 their suitability for fruit culture. Sandy marls are too light, and clay marls, when 

 clay constitutes half or more, are too stiff, but both may be made available for growing 

 fruit, as they are rich in lime and soluble silica, which are of incalculable value in 

 enabling trees to resist the attacks of their fungoid enemies. Loamy marls are the best of 

 all soils for fruits, and afford the heaviest crops. 



Calcareous soils may be improved in a similar manner to marls ; the more loam and 

 humus they contain, the higher is their fertility. Clays, marls, and calcareous soils 

 when light- coloured do not readily become warmed by the sun's rays, through the 

 greater reflection of heat from light than from dark surfaces. They do not, however, 

 lose as much by radiation as do dark soils, and as these soils owe their colour to 

 the debris of organic matter, that defect is remedied by manures and additions of 

 soils that tend to darken and improve their constituents and textuie. Calcareous soils 

 properly worked are generally fertile. Although it is usual to regard peaty soils as 

 unsuitable for gardens we have found that by draining, breaking up what is termed the 

 pan, burning some of the more peaty parts and thoroughly liming with magnesian lime- 

 stone, aided by judicious applications of phosphatic, potassic and sodic elements, and 

 comparatively deep stirring, they are made available for fruit production. 



Although deep cultivation is advocated, trenching often does much mischief. This 

 applies to injudicious trenching, and no good can follow the turning down of perhaps 

 a few inches only of surface soil and the bringing up of sterile clay or rusty sand. 

 When bad soil is turned up from below and good soil as well as manure turned down, 

 no matter how heavy the dressing may be, failure more or less will result according to 

 the length of time the roots are in reaching the richer materials. Still no effort should be 

 spared to break up all soils that are less than two feet deep. Some soils have only four 

 to six inches in depth of an ameliorated or workable medium, resting on a hard base. 

 The best thing to do with soil of this description is to break up the perhaps half-sandy 

 half-clayey material with a pick to a depth of eighteen inches or more, mixing good soil 

 and manure between the layers in turning over the broken subsoil, and taking care 

 to keep the best soil on the top. Eain and air then enter freely, acids are washed down 



