CROPS AND SOIL IMPROVEMENT 



harvest. The stronger grain plants appropriate 

 the scanty stock of available fertility, and leave 

 the grass and clover nearly helpless. This con- 

 dition is especially noticeable in dry seasons when 

 there is less opportunity to obtain food in solution. 

 Plants which are expected in another season to fill 

 the ground with vegetable matter are starved in 

 the beginning and die. Plant-food is needed, 

 and should be mixed with the soil when the seed- 

 ing is made. The fertilizer needs are discussed 

 in another chapter. 



When manure is available, it should be spread 

 on the plowed ground and mixed with the surface 

 soil. If a soil is thin, or heavy, or light, the use of 

 a ton of manure in this way can bring greater 

 returns than under any other circumstances in 

 general farming. It supplies some fertility, and 

 it puts the surface soil into good physical condition 

 for young plants. Land deficient in humus forms 

 a crust after a rain, and a tiny plant suffers. A 

 light dressing of manure, well mixed with the soil, 

 tends to prevent this hardening of the surface and 

 loss of water. There is no other form of fertility 

 that can fully replace manure, for either compact 

 or leachy land. 



The probable need of lime has been discussed 

 [78] 



