168 INSECT PESTS 



medium. Peat soil is also very prone to become water- 

 logged, and therefore attention sliould be paid to its 

 thorough di-ainage. 



Chalk, our last class, is composed of countless myriads 

 of shells of sea animals of the cretaceous period, and 

 wherever it may be found, whether on the top of a high 

 hill, or in the valley, or deep down under the London Clay 

 storing up water for our artesian wells, it is a sure sign J 

 that the sea was once at that spot. In fact the bottom 1 

 of the Atlantic at the present moment is having future 

 chalk country deposited there grain by grain, where, 

 some day, perhaps, herds of sheep will graze and the sound 

 of their bells will meet the Usteningear. Chalk provides, 

 as previously mentioned, a damp and cold soil, best 

 suited for grass land, but where there is an overlay of 

 drift we get a good growing medium, with thorough cul- 

 tivation, as chalk itself, the parent of lime, is indispens- 

 able in any soil. 



Both allotment and smallholders should make them- 

 selves famihar with their soil as soon as possible, and to 

 do this it is not necessary to call in an analytical chemist. 

 Conduct the experiment yourself in the following simple 

 way. On a mild, fairly dry day dig up a spadeful of 

 soil at random. Of this weigh out a couple of pounds 

 and take it home sealed up in a tin box. Now commence 

 the investigation. Divide the soil into two portions of 

 1 lb. each. Let one half remain in the box for reference. 

 Take the other and spread it out on a flat baking tin 

 and di'ive off all moisture by placing it in a moderate 

 oven. Weigh it then on a postal balance and you get 

 the loss by moisture. Book it. Now gather up your 

 sohd stufiE carefully in a clean kitchen shovel (when 

 mother isn't looking) lay it gently over a bright fire 

 and heat to redness. Cool off slowly and weigh again. 

 The loss will represent organic matter. What you want 

 to know now is the nature of the mineral ingredients. 

 Take them and shake up well in a large bottle of water. 



