THE SELECTION OF LAND 



of this having been accomplished are within our 

 knowledge. 



Soil, Aspect, Altitude 



Commercial success in cultivation depends largely upon 

 the fertility and physical character of the soil chosen. 

 In both respects most soils can be vastly improved by 

 adequate and continued attention, but the expense of 

 doing this must be reckoned carefully, or the grower may 

 find his resources exhausted before he has reaped the 

 reward, which will fall to his successor. Excessively 

 light, sandy, stony, or rocky land must be avoided on the 

 one hand, while heavy, tenacious clays are equally unsuit- 

 able on the other. Thin surface soils resting upon deep 

 chalk beds are of little value for market-garden pur- 

 poses, nor are those which are peaty, marshy, or water- 

 logged likely to yield any return in comparison with the 

 expense. Shallow soils resting upon a rocky or stony 

 "pan" are valueless, unless the latter can be readily broken 

 and the tilth deepened. A deep friable loam is the best 

 for vegetable culture, but the land that can be rendered 

 suitable may range from the alluvial soils of river 

 valleys, often abounding in humus, to fairly heavy loams 

 especially adapted for fruits. The heavier the soils the 

 greater the expense in the labour needed to ensure due 

 cultivation ; they are also troublesome, perhaps actually 

 unworkable, in wet weather, though they stand dry 

 seasons admirably with plenty of surface culture. The 

 lighter soils can be worked at much less cost ; the 

 operations are not materially checked by weather influences, 

 but their crops are apt to suffer severely in times of 

 drought, and larger applications of manure are required. 



For men starting in a small way, who are mainly 

 dependent upon their own labour, an easily workable 

 soil is important, and this applies generally where manuul 

 labour only is available. Where horse or steam power 



