The Soil of the Garden 61 
Fic. 39. The clay soil is easily made into a ball, while the loam falls apart. 
This shows that the loam is in good condition for working, and that the clay is 
too wet. 
leaves the imprint of the hand upon it, then it is too wet 
for working. But if, on being released, it crumbles 
and falls apart, it is in suitable condition for working. 
By spading at the right time and in the right manner 
the physical condition of clay soils can be much improved. 
The best garden soil. The best soil for the garden 
from the standpoint of its physical condition is a mixture 
of (1) the remains of plants (humus), (2) sand of various 
sizes, and (3) silt or clay, with no one of these in excess. 
Such soil is called loam. It tends to remain year 
after year with the particles arranged loosely in fine 
granules. It is easily kept in this condition by tillage. 
Its physical condition enables the fine fibrous roots of 
plants to penetrate it easily. But repeated tillage, the 
addition of lime if it is needed, and supplying humus in 
manure and compost (page 65) will in a few years 
do much to improve the physical condition of any 
soil. 
