The Soil of the Garden 71 



The excellent qualities of garden vegetables also de- 

 pend upon a rapid growth that can take place only in 

 a rich soil. Unless thus grown, salad plants like lettuce, 

 Swiss chard, and celery will be of poor quality ; root 

 crops like radishes, turnips, and beets will be small, 

 woody, and of poor flavor ; and the quality of other 

 crops likewise will be poor. 



Proper tillage, good drainage, the repeated addition of 

 humus, manures, and other fertilizers, and the applica- 

 tion of lime will in a few years improve almost any soil 

 until it will produce excellent vegetables in abundance. 

 And to have a garden that really pays, we must do 

 this ; for gardening is more expensive for a given area 

 in cost of seed and in labor than is agriculture. 



Questions 



How are soils formed? What is humus? About how many 

 particles are there in an ounce of coarse sand? in an ounce of 

 fine clay ? What are soil granules ? What size are the granules in 

 a soil that is favorable for the growth of plants ? What kind of 

 soil is likely to become compact? 



Why is it important that a soil be loose? How may soil be 

 kept in good condition? What soils require most careful treat- 

 ment? Why? How can we determine if a soil is dry enough 

 for working? What is the best kind of soil for a garden? In 

 what sense is soil itself raw food for plants? What substances 

 needed by plants are most often lacking in soils? 



In what ways do manures improve soils? Why must special 

 care be taken when poultry manure is used ? What is compost ? 

 How is it made? 



What are commercial fertilizers ? How do they benefit crops ? 

 How does lime improve soils? When and how should it be 

 applied? Why is an especially rich soil needed in a garden? 



