HOW PLANT FOOD IS PRESERVED 65 



the soil water. The plant food nitrogen and potassium 

 contained in these materials at once goes into solution ; 

 the soil water dissolves these two elements out of their 

 compounds and both enter the roots of plants as rapidly 

 as either is called. If just a small quantity of either mate- 



MAKING PLANT FOOD AVAILABLE 



The farm orchard is neglected too often. Some people cultivate their 

 orchards every year, and by so doing get the helpful influences of tillage 



rial had been given the soil, the entire amount added 

 might have been gathered in by the plants there growing 

 in a single season, but if more than that required had 

 been applied to the soil, then, the surplus would remain 

 there for succeeding crops, or it would be lost by the win- 

 ter's leachings in case the soil and subsoil were open and 

 sandy and deficient in humus the guardian and pro- 

 tector of the available plant food. 



