Comparative Chart 
10 
ISAAC HICKS & SON 
Elements 
Long Island 
Adjacent Mainland 
England 
Power of retaining 
soil moisture. 
Soil is porous and it absorbs 
and holds water by capillary 
attraction, the best way for 
roots. Moisture is not forced 
to run off the surface or stand 
in pools, as it passes through 
porous subsoil to the main 
spring. Tile draining gener- 
ally unnecessary. 
Greater power of retain- 
ing moisture, but more 
runs off the surface. 
Soil often retentive of 
moisture and needs drain- 
ing and subsoiling, espe- 
cially in Ireland. 
Water-table. 
On coastal plane, south of 
hills. Water sinks through 
sand and gravel to "main 
spring" level, which slopes 
slightly to streams and ocean. 
Water-table nearer the 
surface. In the alluvial 
VcUlcyb C1II1 cUJLU. UdbaWUUU 
reach great size. On the 
hills, water held up by 
rock or clay subsoil gives 
abundant supply to hem- 
lock, etc. 
Water nearer the surface, 
or the surface soil more re- 
tentive of moisture. Trees 
rarely go thirsty or crops 
suffer from drought. Occa- 
sionally too much rain keeps 
the ground cold, drives out 
the air, and retards growth. 
"Water- table in hills 
of hard-pan. 
Water at surface around the 
ponds of surface water. Some 
ponds dry up in summer. 
Water-table near the surface 
on perched water-table, or land 
springs, above strata of clay 
or hard-pan. 
Water-table on hills 
of gravel, or 
gravel south slope 
of moraine. 
Water-table deep below the 
surface. 
Water-table on pla- 
teau north of hills. 
Water is sometimes held up 
at surface by a thin layer of 
glacial hard-pan, or boulder 
clay over pre-glacial gravel or 
sand. 
• 
Water-table near 
Long Island 
Souffld. 
Water-tables occasionally 
held up by strata of pre-gla- 
cial clay, as at Glen Head, Lat- 
tingtown, Brookville, Cold 
Spring Station, Oyster Bay. 
Nitrogen contained 
in nitrate of soda, 
ammonia, fish- 
scrap, tankage, 
slaughter- house 
refuse, dried 
blood, hair ma- 
nure, stable ma- 
nure. 
Nitrogen is the most soluble, 
most quickly lost from sandy 
land, and most expensive ele- 
ment. On the coastal plain 
there are abundant native ni- 
trogen-gathering plants of the 
clover family. Locust trees on 
the north side of Long Island 
gather nitrogen and favor 
grass under them. 
Clover grows better. 
Soil retains nitrogen 
longer. Holds manure 
longer. 
Phosphoric acid con- 
tained in bone, 
South Carolina 
rock, and stable 
manure. 
Not naturally abundant. 
Phosphoric acid forms 3^ per 
cent of the ashes of deciduous 
trees, and 2% per cent of ever- 
green trees. 
Phosphoric acid occurs 
in the marl beds of New 
Jersey, and in phosphate 
rock of South Carolina 
and Florida. 
Potash contained in 
wood ashes,kainit, 
muriate of potash, 
and stable ma- 
nure. The latter 
contains an insuf- 
ficient proportion, 
Not abundant. Potash is 
contained in feldspar, a soft 
crystal in granite, in clay and 
shale rock. Coastal plain of 
Long Island has been so wash- 
ed and ground by glaciers and 
ocean that it contains little 
available potash. Potash is 
readily soluble and quickly 
leaches away. Long Island 
has been cultivated for as long a 
period as any land in America, 
and before modern methods 
returned fertility to the land. 
Potash more abundant. 
Rocks containing feld- 
spar, mica, clay and shale, 
break up under the ac- 
tion of frost and tree 
roots, and furnish potash 
to the soil. Phosphoric 
acid fertilizer and clover 
are frequently all that is 
needed. 
