CONSIDER THE SOIL 
7 
ing. Choice of plants, therefore, that are adapted to these con¬ 
ditions obviates this difficulty. 
COMBINATIONS OF SOILS 
Where one does not find soil pure in type, it is usually inter¬ 
mingled in varying proportions, the name given to a specific mix¬ 
ture being designated by the name of the predominating class or 
A Combi¬ 
nation of the 
Symbols on 
Soil Map 
type—clayey-sand, sandy-clay, etc. For example, surrounding the 
“black, waxy belt” to the East, North and West is a sandy-clay 
belt, part of which rests in a limestone or other heavy subsoil, the 
other part on a clay subsoil. 
SUBSOIL VS. TOPSOIL 
Because of its lack of decomposed vegetation, the subsoil has 
only potential value for plant growth. It is, therefore, not as advis¬ 
able to use as topsoil. Topsoil is usually much darker in color than 
the subsoil that lies in varying depths beneath it. This coloring is 
caused by the accumulation of decayed vegetable matter (humus, 
which is more readily available to plants for food, being mostly 
decomposed leaves, roots and stalks). The darker the soil the 
richer it is in plant food, and because of this richness (being an 
ideal basis for a productive garden loam) in preparing a bed for a 
flower garden, the topsoil should be carefully separated from the 
paler subsoil and piled to one side that none of it may be lost. 
After a portion of the subsoil has been removed and the remainder 
well pulverized and brought to productive consistency (by mix¬ 
ing manures, sandy-loam or whatever other ingredient it lacks) 
then the topsoil may be added and forked well into the bed. 
