No. 4.] SOIL IN FRUIT CULTURE. 59 



This represents ditferent types of the shales and the gravel 

 formations. 



It is highly important, when we come to lay out our 

 farms, whether it shall be dairying, the growing of general 

 agricultural productions or the growing of fruits, that we 

 have some definite knowledsfe reg-arding these different 



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types of soils ; because their relation to certain crops is 

 vital, and if we get a wrong crop on the wrong type of 

 soil, why, of course, we get two unfortunate things to- 

 o;ether. 



Another point in the consideration of the soil is that of 

 moisture. We here at the east do not have irrigation, ex- 

 cept that it be done upon a small scale, where the most 

 intensive methods of work are carried out ; hence we have 

 to depend largely upon other means for saving and for 

 securing moisture. This is vitally important, when we 

 come to consider the relation of soils to crops. The clay 

 soil and clay loam are more moist, for the reason I have 

 already given, — that they have finer soil grains, and, being 

 closer together, hold and carry a larger amount of water and 

 retain it for a much longer period ; while with the sandy 

 types, the soil grains being coarser and the soil being more 

 open, evaporation is more rapid. You can see this in the 

 illustration before you. In the heavy type the water, be- 

 cause of the fineness of the particles of the soil, has the 

 ability to creep up slowly and is more readily available to 

 the needs of plants ; whereas, in the open, coarser soils the 

 water has not the same ability or power to rise, and hence, 

 as you see on the chart, it lies at a lower level. 



These are very vital and important phases of the study of 

 soils, about which every owner of land needs to understand 

 something. I might mention, before leaving this part of 

 the discussion, that it is of most vital importance in the 

 ownership of land to know something of the character of 

 hardpan, — where it lies ; and a man should never purchase 

 land unless he goes down and knows what is below, just as 

 well as what is on the surface. If he purchases land where 

 the hardpan strata lies near the surface, he is unfortunate. 

 Because of its very retentive power in holding water, he is 



