CHAPTER V. 



SOIL. 



That part of the solid surface of the earth in which 

 plants grow is known as the soil. In semi-technical 

 language, the uppermost part is called the soil and the 

 underpart the subsoil. 



The soil contains plant food and the moisture in which 

 this food must be dissolved before it can become a fac- 

 tor in the growth of plants ; it affords a foothold for 

 plants — a place in which they ma}^ grow ; it supplies pro- 

 tection, air, agreeable temperature, and other congenial 

 surroundings, that plant roots may be at home in it. "The 



Getting Samples of Soil From Fields. 



No two soils are just alike. Their water content also varies. By means of 

 simple apparatus as shown in the picture, samples may be obtained from any 

 depth and the amount of water in them determined. 



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