THE ort 



GARDEN YARD 



The fine, fertile layer of earth that is called 

 soil does not go very deep. It covers another 

 layer which is harder, coarser, colder than 

 itself, and this second layer is known as the sub- 

 soil, or that soil which is under the surface 

 layer. In all temperate climes the difference 

 is strongly marked, but in rainless, sun-dried 

 regions there is often no difference to be noted. 

 The intelligent farmer or gardener has the op- 

 portunity to decide just how much of that 

 subsoil he will convert into surface soU, and the 

 means of doing this will be disclosed later under 

 the head of " Tillage." The more of it he brings 

 into use the greater his own profit, so that it 

 pays to know how. In the early days of farm- 

 ing no effort was made to bring the subsoil 

 into use, and consequently the returns from 

 agriculture were small. Now we know better 

 than that, and we also know how to get more 

 out of the soil, whether siu-face or subsoil. 



No soil, no garden; so the new gardener must 

 get acquainted with the ground he intends to 

 cultivate. It is not to be denied that soil 

 which is in good tilth will be a great help to the 

 beginner, but that is only to be had in well- 

 cultivated gardens, which usually bring a good 

 price when found in the market. Besides, 

 with proper care and attention, any well sit- 



