35 THE 



SOIL 



remedied by the watering-can. The trouble 

 lies back of such surface treatment and can only 

 be cured by getting at the cause. The soil 

 should be so prepared by tillage that it will 

 catch and hold enough water to supply the 

 plants with the moisture they need even through 

 hot, dry spells. Plants draw their nourish- 

 ment through their roots to their stems and 

 leaves, and you need only examine the fine 

 roots and rootlets of any plant to realize for 

 yourself that such nourishment could not be 

 taken in in a solid form. Plants are constantly 

 drawing this moisture from the soil and as 

 constantly giving it off into the air through their 

 leaves. If you wiU watch any plant during a 

 drought, you will see the leaves begin to shrivel 

 before the stems or branches show signs of 

 suffering. This is Nature's effort to sustain the 

 life of the plant as long as possible. The shrivel- 

 ling of the leaves prevents the escape of the 

 little moisture the plant can draw, and retains 

 it longer within the plant's system. 



Deep plowing, the breaking up of the sub- 

 soil, the addition of decaying vegetable matter 

 or humus, fertilizing with stable manure, and 

 the raising of crops that can be frequently 

 tiQed, all help to add moisture to the soU. 

 If you do these and the dry spell does strike 



