VEGETABLE GROWING IN THE SOUTH 



FOR NORTHERN MARKETS. 



soil,. 



The earthy matter in which plants grow is com- 

 monly known as soil ; it is more or less organic matter 

 intermixed with finely pulverized rock. 



The thin upper stratum in which plants grow is all 

 that we are interested in for the present. The dark 

 color in this stratum is due to the oxidation of the 

 vegetable matter here present. The main source of 

 oxygen is from the air. The portion of the soil that 

 is dark is usually called the soil, and that immedi- 

 ately below it has been designated the subsoil. The 

 soil is usually the more fertile, especially in the South ; 

 in some of the alluvial bottoms the soil is of the same 

 consistency ior a considerable depth. 



The black vegetable mold in the soil we are used to 

 call humus is an important factor. In it is contained 

 mineral matter once the budy of a rock and some de- 

 composing vegetable matter, in a good condition to be 

 again taken up by other plants. Besides the food for 

 plants it keeps the soil in good condition for plant- 

 growth. A sandy soil, rich in humus, can stand a 

 drouth much better than where the humus is wanting, 

 but unless there is a more or less compact stratum 

 (subsoil) below, much of the fertilizer is carried off by 

 the frequent rains and the land will always be poor. 



MECHANICAL CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS. 



Owing to the large per cent, of sand in many soils 

 and its presence in all, it has been suggested that they 



