light rather than heavy. Where sorrel is abundant the soil is 

 likely to be sour. Shepherd' spurse {Capsella Bursa-pastoris) 

 thrives best in medium and rich loams. 



Tree Growth: Among trees which indicate soils of rather poor 

 quality, and inclined to be very light and deficient in moisture 

 may be mentioned the white birch, scrub oak, scarlet and yellow 

 oaks, and the pitch pine. The white pine, hemlock and chestnut, 

 indicate soils of considerable better quality and with better 

 capacity to retain moisture. The elm, ash, and white and black 

 oak, the walnut and the red maple indicate soils with good 

 capacity to retain moisture and with good productive capacity. 

 In localities where the chestnut is the prevailing tree the soil will 

 be found to be deficient in lime. Such trees as the black birch ^ 

 yellow birch and beech flourish in a strong retentive soil fairly 

 rich, at least, in lime and humus. The witch-hazel, although 

 hardly large enough to be called a tree, may be mentioned here. 

 It is popularly regarded as indicating a soil of good quality. The 

 black alders and willows thrive in soils which, at times, at leasts 

 are wet and which will usually need artificial drainage. 



LEADING CHARACTERISTICS SUMMARIZED. 



Some of the more marked among the characteristics (which 

 may readily be noted) of soils of different characters may be stim- 

 marized as follows : 



Characteristics of Inferior Soils : The soils which are Hght 

 and dry, and on which it is practically certain that crops would fre- 

 quently suffer from lack of moisture, will usually present some or 

 all of the following easily observed characteristics : 



If there are trees, the scrub oak, pitch pine, white birch. Juniper 

 or red cedar are likely to be prominent. Beard grasses in scat- 

 tered tufts or forming a rather open turf will be abundant. The 

 flowers in general will be yellow. The smaller golden-rods, sun- 

 flowers and mullin are likely to occur. Lupines and sand violets 

 are abundant in some sections. Examination of the soil will show 

 that even at the surface it is of relatively light color, containing^ 

 very little humus. The surface soil is shallow. When tested by 

 touch both the surface soil and sub-soil will be found to be made 

 up largely of relatively coarse, gritty particles. 



Soils of this character if they can be enriched in humus and 

 irrigated at moderate cost may give profitable returns. They are 

 suited particularly to such crops as thrive at relatively high tem- 

 peratures such as beans, cucumbers, melons and tomatoes. They 

 may also be fairly suited for asparagus, but this crop will be very 

 subject to rust unless it can be irrigated. Rye and buckwheat 

 may do fairly well. If in doubt as to what crops may be grown 

 on a given soil the best course to follow is to ascertain what farm- 

 ers in that neighborhood are successfully raising on similar 

 soils. 



Characteristics of Good Soil : The soils which are at least of 

 fairly good quality will usually present some or all of the following 

 characteristics : 



