THE 36 



GARDEN YARD 



you hard, so that it seems necessary to bring 

 water, the soil will suck it and hold it, instead of 

 letting it pass off quickly through the action 

 of sun and air. Frequent stirring of the surface 

 soil, to the depth of one inch, will make a little 

 dry layer or top-coat through which the moist- 

 ure does not readily escape. This is what is 

 called a "mulch." A mulch may also be an 

 added coat of leaf-mould or stable-litter or 

 any httle dry covering which wUl prevent the 

 moisture from escaping. 



For early crops a light, sandy loam is best. 

 A sandy loam is a loose, sandy soil made pro- 

 ductive by good tillage, by mixing in hmnus 

 and plant food or fertilizer. But when you 

 haven't the best, it is for you to counterfeit it 

 as nearly as possible. The advantages of sandy 

 loam are that it is early, easy to work, responds 

 quickly to fertilizers and is readily kept in good 

 tilth. 



"Tilth" is really the planting condition of 

 the soU, and good tilth means the best possible 

 conditions for planting seeds; where the plow 

 and the harrow have done their work; where 

 the sun has warmed and the rain moistened; 

 where the fertilizer has sweetened and quick- 

 ened; where stones and weeds are unknown, 

 so that the new life finds the best conditions for 



