J6 RATIONAL FRUIT CULTURE. 



VVQV HEAVY LAND MUST BE DRAINED. 



When soil is in good condition the particles are sur- 

 rounded by a film of moisture, and the spaces between them 

 are filled with air. The air is essential to the roots of plants. 

 They cannot grow without it any more than the shoots or 

 branches can grow without it. As the particles of sand are 

 larger than the particles of clay, the spaces between them are 

 also larger, and contain more air. If, therefore, food is plenti- 

 ful, growth is more rapid in sandy soil, especially as the root- 

 tips can penetrate the larger spaces more easily than those 

 between the more closely-packed particles of clay. If, how- 

 ever, the soil is very wet, the spaces which should contain air 

 are filled with water instead, and, in consequence, the growth 

 of the roots is checked. And, unless the injurious condition 

 is soon remedied, they begin to decay. This is more likely to 

 happen in clay than in sandy soil. For the larger spaces in 

 the latter let the water drain away more quickly than in the 

 former. In other words, clay retains moisture much longer 

 than sand. Also, when once dry, it is much more difiBcult 

 to moisten thoroughly. If', therefore, fruit trees are to have 

 a fair chance in heavy land, it must be well drained. It 

 should also be lightened by the admixture of road-scrapings, or 

 some other kind of grit, together with a moderate amount of 

 manure. Lime is a useful dressing as it disintegrates clay. 



