CHAPTER VIII 

 COMPOSITION OF SOILS 



Soils and their composition — How soil is produced — Conditions 

 favourable to plant growth — Effect of drainage — Correction 

 of texture — Difference between a good and a bad soil — How 

 plants assimilate nutriment — Importance of humus — The 

 action of Earthworms 



THIS chapter is not intended to supplement any- 

 thing that has been written on soil subjects 

 either in the Smallholder or in this series of books, but 

 to examine the question of soil purely from a naturahst's 

 point of view. In this way I shall try to show how, if 

 we treat the ground itself as something which is aHve 

 rather than an inanimate substance, and learn something 

 of its " hfe history," we shall be best able to cultivate 

 soil health so as to enhance the vitality of the plants 

 which take root therein. 



First of all, how is soil produced ? Needless to say 

 it would be much too long a story to tell of in a column 

 or so of print, but we may answer the question readily 

 enough by saying that soil is in a sense the past history 

 of our planet. For no matter what portion of the earth's 

 siu-face we take, whether it be a hard rock, soft ground, 

 fresh water bottom or ocean bed, the indeHble record 

 of what has happened before is for ever there. Of what 

 value is this knowledge to a grower ? Of course it is 

 not strictly necessary for him to become a geologist in 

 order to grow corn or cabbages, but apart altogether 



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