4 WILSON & TOOMER FERTILIZER COMPANY 



Chapter II 



Soil Preparation 



The clearing away of native growth should be done 

 thoroughly; stumps and large roots occupy valuable 

 space, interfere with cultivation, and furnish a breeding 

 place for wood lice, etc. 



Drainage Good drainage is most essential. None of 

 our commercial products do well on water-soaked soil. 

 Open ditches are the most common means of drainage, 

 but tiling is used quite extensively, especially in the sec- 

 tions devoted to intensive gardening. No rule can be 

 laid down for this work as it must be governed entirely 

 by local conditions. The point is to lower the water 

 table so it is at least three feet below the surface. Wide, 

 shallow ditches are much better than deep, narrow ones, 

 as they are equally serviceable in wet seasons, and in 

 dry seasons do not make the land on their border so 

 droughty. 



Plowing Even the most enthusiastic advocates of 

 deep plowing have found better results are obtained on 

 heavier soil to make the first plowing shallow, about 

 three inches deep. 



Lime There are exceptions to all rules, but generally 

 new land is sour, particularly after the broken roots 

 commence to decay. Crushed limestone is the most nat- 

 ural and economical base we have at hand. The amount 

 to be used depends upon the land; heavy land generally 



