250 CATECHISM OF 



What is said of land in most European countries ? 359. How 

 in our own country ? 360. 



Will you describe the condition of a thriftlessly managed farm ? 

 361. What might the owner have done? 36^. What is said of 

 other farms? 363. 



What would be the perfection of farming ? 364. Explain ? 364. 

 Have some farms doubled and some halved the amount of ma- 

 nure ? 364. How are the owners ? 364. 



What does this show ? 365. What else does it show ? 365. 



Is perfection in crop-growing attainable ? 366. How then 

 must we proceed ? 



What do you say of the analysis and the examination of soils ? 

 367. Who only can make reliable analyses? 367. Who can 

 make examinations of soils ? 367. What of the observing far- 

 mer? 367. 



"ViSiat advice then should be given to the farmer? 368. To 

 what should he be encouraged ? 368. 



If I were thinking to buy a farm at a fixed price, what should 

 I do well, in the first place, to inquire ? 370. 



If the farm were wholly of one kind of land, what might it be 

 well to do? 371. If there were 8 or 10 varieties? 371. 



Will you describe what would be called a pure clay ? 372, 1. 

 How is a strong clay soil constituted ? 372, 2. A clay loam ? 372, 3. 

 A loam? 372, 4. A sandy hamf 372, 5. A sandy soil? 372, 6. 

 Peat? 372, 7. Swamp muck? 372, 8. 



How could you decide for yourself to which of these classes a 

 soil belongs ? 373. 



How would the existence of all these soils on a farm affect its 

 value ? 374. Why not purchase a farm that needs no amend- 

 ment ? 374. 



What encouragement do you find for such as are obliged to 

 work farms which need amending ? 374. Give an instance where 

 an improvement might be made at a cost less than its probable 

 value ? 375. 



Will you give another such instance? 376. Another? 377. 

 Another still ? 378. In purchasing a farm, what should we look 

 at ? 379. What four things should we study ? 379. 



Will you now repeat how many and what soils, exclusive of 

 peat and swamp muck, we have spoken of? What remains ? 380. 



What can you say of the density of soils? 381. Will you state 

 what is about the weight of a sandy soil ? 382. Of the several 

 other soils here named ? 382. What is said cf soils retaining 

 heat? 382. 



What do you say of the fineness of soils ? 383. Of their ad- 

 hesiveness ? 384. Of their power of absorbing moisture ? 385, 

 Of their power of containing moisture ? 386. 



What is capillary attraction ? 387. Does this exist in soils ? 

 388. Illustrate this by an experiment? 388. Will you show 



