CHAPTER XXXIII 

 HOW TO CARE FOR SOIL 



220. Value of this Knowledge. Since man is directly 

 and indirectly dependent upon the soil for his food, it is 

 important that he should learn as much as possible con- 

 cerning the nature of soil and how to care for it in order 

 that he may be able to keep it in good condition for the 

 production of large crops with the least amount of labor. 

 The animals which man uses for food live upon plants 

 which are produced by the soil; this is the indirect de- 

 pendence of man upon the soil for food. The production 

 of beautiful flowers, lawns, and trees also requires a 

 knowledge of the soil. In order to grow house plants 

 successfully one should know what kind of soil is best 

 for them, and should also know how to keep the soil 

 in flower pots in good condition. Every boy and girl 

 should know how to care for plants in the house, or in 

 the garden, or on the farm; in order to be able to do 

 this it is necessary to know something of the nature of 

 soil and when and why plants are cultivated. 



221. When to Cultivate. There are three principal 

 types of soils, namely, clay soil, sandy soil, and loam soil. 

 Clay is disintegrated rock almost as fine as flour. Clay 

 soil holds a large quantity of water and if it is plowed 

 while wet, during clear weather the sun will bake it and 

 make hard, dry clods. Hence it should never be plowed 

 or stirred while wet enough to form a ball when squeezed 

 in the hand. Clay soils need to be handled with greater 



