534 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



How to make good soil out of bad at the least cost ; by H. Meigy. 



If your land is sandy and poor, dig or plow it as deep as you 

 can — two feet is little enongh. Save all the urine and night soil, 

 soot, ashes, soap suds, all bits of wood, twigs, weeds, cloth, wool- 

 ens, leather, bones, hog manure, hen and pigeon dung, cow and 

 horse dung ; procure a little good soil to mix with these omnium 

 materials J mix them perfectly; make a conical heap of them, and 

 a crater in its top ; put in some quicklime, pour on as much 

 rain water as will suffice to moisten the heap, carrying down with 

 it the lime in solution. Let the heap rest until it has undergone a 

 good heat from its own fermentation ! Prepare trenches for rows 

 of peas, beans and the like — put into the bottom of the trench a 

 thin layer of this compost and cover it with an inch thick layer of 

 the soil or sand, as it is ; on this layer plant the seeds at right 

 spaces, and cover them not over two inches deep, with the soil or 

 sand, and press the surface moderately. I have found such cul- 

 ture, especially fine for tomatoes, peas, beans, and when separate 

 hills are formed, canteloupe melons have especially flourished. 



It is true that in my practice I gather all weeds, branches, 

 bones, animals, &c., within my reach. My loose light sand be- 

 came a rich brown mould within six years. I did not pay one 

 cent for manure in the whole restoration of the land. As soon as 

 plants grew in it I put back into it every straw, leaf, cabbage 

 stalk, pea and bean vines, pods, husks, stalks, &c., burying them 

 all in the ground. And I found the two feet deep tillage best for 

 a very dry time — my corn, fcc, stood the drought best. 



If your land has too much clay, or has like parts of Jersey hard 

 pan, you must put on plenty of sand and mix it up with the soil 

 as perfectly as forks, or plows and harrows can do it. 



The depth of this tillage ought to be as nearly two feet as 

 possible. A knowing gardener makes all the soil for his special 

 plants in pots and boxes. He sifts first, one item, say sand, as 

 much as he judges enough, then clay over that; some lime; some 

 guano; some salt; some other ingredient. He then stirs the 

 whole together thoroughly, as a good cook does her buckwheat 

 batter. He then sifts the whole so that finally he has a particle 

 of sand, one of clay, one of guano» one of lime, one of bone 



