Paet I 

 THE SOIL 



Chapter I 



THE CONTENTS OF THE SOH. 



1. What the Soil Is 



23. The earth, the atmosphere, and the sun- 

 light are the sources of all life and wealth. 

 Atmosphere and sunlight are practically beyond 

 the control of man, but the sm-face of the land 

 is amenable to treatment and amelioration. 



24. The soil is that part of the solid surface 

 of the earth in which plants gi'ovr. It varies in 

 depth from less than an inch to several feet. 

 The uppermost part of it is usually darkest 

 colored and most fertile, and is the part which 

 is generally understood as "the soil" in common 

 speech, whereas the under part is called the 

 sub -soil. AVhen speaking of areas, we use the 

 word land : but when speaking of the particular 

 agricultui'al attributes of this land, we may use 

 the word soil. 



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