Practical Orcharding On Rough Lands, 147 



ing its ability to retain moisture. For as has 

 been said before, nature shows us how import- 

 ant it is to keep our lands covered with some 

 growing plants. How quickly the old bare field 

 covers itself. It may be with some plant that 

 we do not think very much of, but it will serve 

 as a cover and add some humus. The more 

 humus a soil contains the greater per cent of 

 moisture will it hold as compared with its 

 weight. For example, a hundred pounds of 

 sand will not hold as much water as will a 

 hundred pounds of leaf mold. Humus might 

 well be thought of as a sponge to hold moisture. 

 It also enables the plant food of the soil (that 

 which nature has placed there) to become 

 available. It is the kev to nature's great store 

 house of plant food, which when unlocked and 

 properly cared for will be ample for ,he us. 

 Of all future generations. So when thinking 

 of growing plants for the purpose of improving 

 the soil physically and otherwise, we could do 

 no better than to call to mind the idea given by 

 one of the students of the past, which was, if he 

 were to attempt to improve and fine the soil 

 after his years of study and experience, he 

 would not depend upon such mechanical means 

 as mallets and harrows, but simply grow plants. 

 As orchardists we should grasp this idea, re- 



