GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH PLANT FOOD 



77 



hand, just beneath the upper eight or nine inches of sand 

 soil, a subsoil of clay formation were present, it follows 

 that different conditions, of course, are ever at hand, so 

 that a lack of any soil constituent in the soil might be 

 furnished by the subsoil and, what would indicate, by 

 analysis, a poor, or even barren soil, might, in fact, be a 

 most productive one. This shows the necessity of con- 



A BEET DRILL AT WORK 



Seeds are put into the ground and the soil compacted that moisture may be at 

 hand to germinate the seed and to supply the needs of the little plant 



sidering soil analysis from a broad standpoint, that every 

 phase of the subject may be included. 



The condition, as well as quantity, must be known. 

 Furthermore, the condition of the plant food must be 

 given its proper weight, fully as much as is given the 

 absolute quantity of plant food. An analysis might show 

 that nitrogen, for instance, is present in the soil as am- 

 monia or as nitrates. The latter would be more readily 



