CHAPTER II 
THE PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT AND 
IMPROVEMENT OF SOILS 
LET it not for a moment be supposed that we 
ignore or belittle the importance of sensible 
endeavours to make the soil of any garden as good 
as it can be made. Nothing we have written is 
intended to convey the impression that the garden 
maker should just take things as he finds them and 
make no effort to increase the fertility of his soil. 
On the contrary no satisfaction or success may be 
expected unless intelligent and thoughtful labour 
is put into the cultivation of the soil. 
We will not waste our space over scientific jargon 
as to the chemical and organic constituents of 
various kinds of soil. To skim the surface of such 
a subject is worse than useless. To deal thoroughly 
and in detail with the science of soils, their origin, 
composition, and peculiarities requires a volume. 
Our present purpose is to make a few plain practical 
remarks that may help the reader to correct defects 
in the soil available, thus improving the possibilities 
of successful gardening. 
The two extremes in garden soils are harsh, stony 
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