86 THE SOIL 



root growth to support the top, for you have to take away 

 a lot of roots on lifting the plants. Manure in the soil of a 

 bench that the plants cannot make use of will sour the soil 

 in a short time. Why, then, put in that which is not 

 necessary? Get your plants re-established first, and then 

 start to feed. You have all Winter to do this in, so avoid 

 it during the hot months yet to come. The plants are 

 better off in soil which is sweet and fibrous and contains 

 but very little manure. 



"making" a soil 



In order to get pasture sod or turf, it is frequently 

 necessary to expend some care in developing it: in other 

 words, we have to "make our soil." There are growers 

 who go about this work very scientifically. The following 

 system is a good and practical one: 



The plot being selected, clear of the hedgerows, a coat- 

 ing of manure is put on by the manure spreader in the 

 Fall, following a crop of Clover or Timothy. This is 

 plowed under and the land worked once or twice. The 

 following Spring a second dressing of manure with a 

 sprinkling of bone is applied, and the same operation gone 

 through as in the Fall. Then the soil is carted to the most 

 convenient spot adjacent to the houses. Where circum- 

 stances demand or permit, the compost heap can be pre- 

 pared in the same way as is usual for Roses, layer for layer 

 of sod and manure, at the rate of approximately one load 

 of manure to six of sod, but conditions vary even in this. 

 Before needed, these heaps are turned over thoroughly. 

 Thus, with the handling of the compost in the carting to 

 the several points, it becomes thoroughly incorporated. 

 Some establishments use pulverizers, but in many locations 



