62 THE FIRST BOOK OP FARMING 



tilizer to supply the plants with all necessary plant 

 food. To the third box was added some peat or 

 decayed leaves, in amount about ten per cent, of the 

 clay subsoil. The corn was then planted and the 

 boxes were all given the same care. The better 

 growth of the corn in the third box was due to 

 the fact that the organic matter not only furnished 

 food for the corn but during its decay prepared 

 mineral plant food that was locked up in the clay, 

 and also brought about better conditions of air and 

 moisture by improving the texture of the soil. The 

 plants in the second box had sufficient plant food, 

 but did not make better growth because poor tex- 

 ture prevented proper conditions of air and moist- 

 ure. " And that's another witness " for organic 

 matter. Decaying organic matter or humus is 

 really the life of the soil and it is greatly needed 

 in most of the farm soils of the eastern part of 

 the country. It closes the pores of sandy soils and 

 opens the clay, thus helping the sand to soak up 

 and hold more moisture and lessening excessive 

 ventilation, and at the same time helping the roots 

 to take a firmer hold. It helps the clay to absorb 

 rain, helps it to pump water faster, helps it to hold 

 water longer in dry weather, increases ventilation, 

 favors root penetration and increases heat absorp- 

 tion. We can increase the amount of organic mat- 

 ter in the soil by plowing in stable manure, leaves 

 and other organic refuse of the farm, or we can 

 plow under crops of clover, grass, grain or other 

 crops grown for that purpose. 



