ESTABLISHING THE NEW GARDEN 15 



A deep sandy loam, well drained, is the very best 

 garden soil. The sand seems to hold the heat 

 and so warms the entire soil; and in that way, 

 early growth is assured. The particles of sand 

 prevent packing and make room for -air. A loam 

 is naturally fuller of plant fiber than are other 

 soils, and, therefore, retains moisture well. If it 

 is kept full of humus, that is, of decaying animal 

 and vegetable matter, it will be loose and crumbly, 

 friable, and will not bake. If below the sandy 

 loam there is a gravelly layer, the garden will 

 have excellent drainage. This constitutes ideal 

 soil. 



Some kinds of soil may be easily improved, 

 almost made over. To the soil which has too much 

 sand or gravel, we will add, when the garden is 

 prepared, all the vegetable fiber we can get: 

 well-rotted horse manure, material from the com- 

 post heap, litter from the hen-house, rakings from 

 the lawn, and leaves anything that will give it 

 body. To succeed at all with clayey soil for gen- 

 eral gardening, stuff it with humus; but avoid 

 clay soil, if possible, however enchanting the sur- 

 roundings. 



The general preparation must be careful and 

 thorough. The fall is really the time to start the 

 new garden. The plowing comes first. Fall 

 plowing makes it possible to begin work much 

 earlier in the spring and so saves the gardener's 

 time when it is most precious. It also improves 



