IMPROVING HEAVY SOILS. 45 



gions of ample rainfall, use the ridge system, which will be 

 described in a subsequent chapter. 



But liming and persistent tillage are only temporizing 

 with adobe and do not accomplish permanent reform. 

 The first rational step is to resort to adequate drainage. 

 Tile drains two and a half or three feet deep and twenty 

 feet apart will do for garden plants. This leaves a clear 

 surface for working over, but, if the expense of tiling is 

 not desired, open ditches will answer, but they restrict 

 cultivation to one direction, waste land, and are expen- 

 sive in hand work in killing weeds in the ditches. Open 

 ditches are, however, better than no ditches at all. The 

 effect of drainage is to promote friability, to render the 

 soil tillable earlier and oftener, by the quick removal of 

 surplus water, and to promote seed germination and plant 

 growth. 



The aeration of adobe by drainage and tillage accom- 

 plishes a considerable improvement but still more radi- 

 cal reform measures are desirable. The soil particles are 

 naturally too small. They must be separated by interposi- 

 tion of coarser grains. Plow into the soil as much coarse 

 material as possible. 



Farm-yard manure, straw, sand, old plaster, coal 

 ashes, sawdust, almost anything coarse or gritty which 

 will break up the close adherence of the fine clay par- 

 ticles, release the surplus water and let in the air, will 

 produce a marked effect in reducing the hateful 

 baking and cracking, root-tearing and moisture-losing be- 

 havior of the adobe. Scrape the corrals, rake up the leaves 

 and fine litter of all kinds, make the adobe garden patch 

 the graveyard for all the rubbish which is susceptible of 

 decay. The farm will be neater and the garden will pay 

 the expense in its easier working and better growth. Do 

 this every year before the rains come, and you will rejoice 

 that you had an adobe foundation for the farm garden. 



The Improvement of Light, Sindy Soils. This effort is 

 in some cases more difficult than conquering adobe. It all 



