HINTS ON SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 63 
CONCLUSIONS 
There is probably no more fascinating study 
for a great number of people than the study of 
the soil. In these pages, I have tried to set 
forth the fundamental principles governing the 
nature of the soil, and some of the methods 
that have been found to be both practical and 
profitable by the men who have specialized in 
soil work. True, there are many things that 
we have yet to learn about the workings of 
the soil, but it is interesting to know what has 
already been found out, and to pass the word 
along. This is what I have attempted to do 
in these pages. The very nature of the various 
types of soils makes it imperative to work dif¬ 
ferent soils in a different manner. For in¬ 
stance, the owner of a sandy farm would not 
only plant different crops than the owner of 
a clayey farm, but he would also work his 
acres differently—as in the various operations 
performed during the year, such as time of 
plowing, depth of plowing, methods of culti¬ 
vating, etc. 
To understand how plants use the soil as a 
means of growth, what the soil is composed of, 
how various micro-organisms aid in the de¬ 
composition of the soil, etc., is interesting as 
well as profitable information. Those who are 
especially interested in the nature of soils for 
some particular crop, I would advise to write 
to the nearest agricultural college and ask that 
their names be placed on the regular mailing 
