SOILS AND FERTILIZERS FOR VEGETABLES 
J. F. Barker 
Agronomist, New York Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y, 
Soils to be well suited to the growing of 
vegetables should be lght in texture, 
thoroughly underdrained, but well sup- 
plied with moisture. This usually means 
deep sandy loams, loams and muck soils. 
The physical properties of the soil and 
nearness to market are more important 
factors to be considered than natural fer- 
tility, for the latter can be supplied more 
easily than the first can be modified. The 
necessity for frequent stirring, ridging and 
even handling of the soil in vegetable growing constitutes in itself 
sufficient reason why soils of light texture should be selected. But 
where early and rapid growth and quick maturity are important 
considerations, it isonly the light, sandy or muck soils that can be 
used. Such soils warm up much earlier in the spring, admit of 
more rapid decomposition of organic matter and formation of 
nitrates and more rapid movement of plant-food solutions in the 
soil. These crops, on such soils, can be planted earlier in the 
spring and brought to maturity in a shorter time than on heavier 
types of soil. However, almost any soil can be made to grow a 
good crop of vegetables, and for home use any type of soil available 
may be so employed. The sandy soils will not produce so large a 
crop as somewhat heavier soils under the same conditions, and s0 
for late vegetables the loams or even silt loams are to be preferred. 
FERTILIZERS AND MANURES 
The liberal use of fertilizers nearly always plays an important 
part in vegetable growing. There is almost no soil naturally s0 
well stocked with fertility that it can be very long cropped 10 
tensively, and with greatest profit, without the use of fertilizers. 
[1298] 
