10 CONTENTS 



LECTURE II 



THE SOIL, ITS NATURE, PREPARATION AND IMPROVEMENT 



PAGE 



1. The origin, composition, and value of soil 27 



2. The effect of frost in soil formation 27 



3. Organic and inorganic soils, their origin and uses . . 27 



4. Vegetable soils, and the properties and value of humus 28 



5. The cardinal purposes of soils 29 



6. Loam, its production, definition and value 30 



7. The testing and blending of soils 30 



8. Draining land 31 



9. The preparation and management of soil 31 



10. Improving land by mixing and working 32 



11. Digging and levelling ground 34 



12. Plan of trenching ... 36 



13. Soil amelioration 37 



14. The tillers' reward for soil improvement ...... 39 



15. Questions and Answers 39 



LECTURE III 



RAISING CROPS, PLANTS, AND TREES 



1. The seed and its germination 42 



2. The importance of sound seed and age of seeds for 



sowing 42 



3. The vitality of seeds and chief requisites for growth . 43 



4. The preparation of soil for seeds 44 



5. Proper depths for sowing small and large seeds ... 45 



6. Good and bad practice represented 45 



7. The importance of thin sowing, and the early thinning 



of seedlings 46 



8. Increase of trees and plants by cuttings 46 



9. The cause of root formation 47 



10. Right and wrong methods 48 



11. Increase by budding time and procedure 49 



12. Preparing young and improving old trees by grafting . 50 



13. Bottle grafting 52 



14. Propagating plants, shrubs, and trees by layers ... 53 



15. The process and importance of fertilization 53 



16. Questions and Answers 55 



