332 THE FRUIT GARDEN 



Physical Constitution of the Soil. — According to the proportion of the 

 four essential elements, namely — clay, chalk, sand, and vegetable-mould, we shall 

 have a strong and cold, or a light and warm soil, with all the variations between 

 the two. Clay which holds water permits but little air to penetrate, and renders 

 the soil wet and cold. Manures decompose slowly in it, and the vegetation which 

 it supports is slow and backward in growth. Chalk under the form of carbonate 

 of lime is most frequently blended with carbonate of magnesia and phosphate 

 of lime ; in its pulverised state it acts upon the decomposition of organic 

 manures, and provides a certain amount of soluble mineral element. Sand or flint 

 renders the soil workable, permeable to water and air, and consequently pro- 

 motes quick growth, but it is not favourable to the retention of manure, which 

 quickly disappears in it, and must be frequently renewed. Humus or vegetable- 

 mould is an element of fertility ; it is workable, and permeable to air and water. 

 It heats, cools, and dries quickly ; also, by absorbing oxygen, it facilitates the 

 decomposition of manures. 



A Perfect Soil contains from 20 to 30 per cent, clay ; 50 to 70 per cent, 

 sand ; 5 to 10 per cent, chalk (pulverised) ; 5 to 10 per cent, mould. A soil is 

 too clayey and cold if it contains more than 40 per cent, of clay, and less 

 than 50 per cent, of sand ; too chalky if it has less than 10 per cent, of 

 clay, and more than 10 per cent, of lime ; too sandy and hot if it contains 

 less than 10 per cent, of clay, and more than 60 per cent, of sand. With any 

 given soil, all that one need do, is to analyse it, and compare its composition 

 with the notes given above, in order to learn what ought to be done to obtain 

 the best results. If it is too clayey, sand must be added ; sweepings from the 

 road will do, or even a little sea-sand, if lime is not too abundant in the soil. If it 

 is too light, strong earth, or turf, or clayey marl must be incorporated with it. 

 Humus in the form of horse manure may also be applied to heavy land, and 

 in the form of cow manure to sandy land. If the land is too chalky from the 

 mechanical point of view it is treated in the same way as a sandy soil ; but if 

 it be too chalky from the alimentary point of view, the influence of the lime 

 must be diminished. If the neutralising effect of sulphate of iron does not 

 suffice, one-third or even half the soil must be removed, and replaced, in order 

 to reduce the proportion of lime, by soil containing none of the latter. 



Chemical Composition of Manures. — We have seen that the physical 

 properties of a soil are very varied according to the proportion of its constituent 

 elements, that drainage impoverishes the soil, and that light warm land, 

 especially if chalky, is much more rapidly exhausted than cold land. From 

 these facts it follows, that in order to obtain the best results, the quantity of 

 manure, the manner of using it, and the form in which it is employed ought 

 not always to be the same. As to the quantity, a warm soil will require more 

 manure than a cold one ; and vice versd. It must be given more often, and 

 less at a time, to warm than to cold land. For warm land, cold manure from 

 well-decomposed heaps should be taken ; while for cold land, warm manure 

 in active decomposition is preferable. 



The elements of fertility are many, but most are found in the soil. We 

 will only concern ourselves with the four principal, namely — nitrogen, phosphoric 



