The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming. | Page 3

soil. It is a
storehouse of good things. Knowledge of the soil is a key to this
storehouse.
"We can roughly divide the soil into three classes and call these sand,
clay, and humus. The ideal soil has all three of these elements in it.
Sandy soil is made up, as the name itself really tells, of broken up rock
masses. One can tell this sort of soil by its lightness and the ease with
which a mass of it drops apart. By the word lightness one does not
mean colour or weight, but looseness. A clay soil may be told by its
stickiness; its power to form lumps or masses; its tendency to crack and
bake under the hot sun. Such a soil is called heavy. Humus soil is made
up largely of decayed animal and vegetable matter. Its presence is told
by a dark, rich colour.
"In trying to improve the soil we are dealing with, we have first to think
of its physical, and second, its chemical condition.
"The great needs of the soil are air and water. Just think of all soils as
made up of many particles; let us say like a lot of marbles, one placed
upon another. Each given mass of particles has a given air space
between every particle. Again, if a marble is dipped in water a film of
water remains on it a short time. Let us think of the particles as always
having a film of water on them. Then, as roots and root-hairs of plants
strike down among these they find the two necessities, air and water.
"Now sand is very loose and so lets the water drain down through it too
rapidly. How shall we improve a sandy soil? Just add something to
bind the loose sand particles together. Humus is good for this binding
purpose.
"Clay absorbs much water. Then its particles squeeze tightly together
and so air is shut out. Add sand to clay soils, to lighten them.
"Humus soil is very rich in nitrogen. This brings us to the chemical side

of soils. There are many chemicals in soils which act as foods to plants,
but only three are the essentials. If these cannot be unlocked from the
soil, or are lacking, they must be supplied. These plant foods are
nitrogen, potash, and phosphorus.
"The chief source of nitrogen is manure; of potash, nitrate or sulphate
of potash, and wood ashes; of phosphorus, bone ash or phosphates.
How can you tell when one of these is lacking? Well, first it is well to
know what each one does for a plant. Nitrogen makes fine, green,
sturdy growth of leaf and stalk; phosphorus helps blossoming plants;
while potash makes plump fruit. If foliage looks sickly then nitrogen is
needed. If one wishes a good growth of leaves, as in lettuce, nitrogen is
needed. If the fruit is small and poor, supply potash; while if the flower
and stalk need better growth, add phosphorus.
"Be careful in adding nitrogen. Nitrogen is the plant food which is most
easily lost out of the soil. Study the soil you are dealing with, supply if
possible what it lacks, and try to unlock to your seedlings the goodness
already in the garden soil."
The interesting talk ended.
"Couldn't we meet oftener than just Saturdays?" questioned Jack.
"We'll see; it all depends upon how much work there is. Possibly we
may have to meet Fridays, too, later on, for you have no lessons that
night. Anything more, boys, before the popcorn?"
"I'd like to know," asked Peter, "if my cousin Philip, who comes from
the city to grandfather's to spend almost every Saturday and Sunday,
may join us too. He wants to fix up his city backyard and doesn't know
how to begin."
"Bring him along next Saturday. We'll be glad to have him, shan't we,
boys?"
"Don't know," blurted out Albert, "it's our club."
"Keep quiet, Albert. Let him in as long as he behaves and works. Isn't
that right?" asked Jay.
"Yes," answered George and Jack.
"Then, boys, we'll have Jack's report next week, as his problem is not
so difficult. If Jay and Albert drop in some day from school they shall
have a book which will help them, and George needs one, too."
At this point Albert dropped off his seat in mock alarm murmuring as
he fell, "Worse, much worse than school!" George dropped a heavy

book on top of him to add to his comfort.
The Chief went on as if nothing had happened. "Jack and Peter, shell
and pop the corn, George and Jay, crack the nuts. And you, Albert, run
to the cellar for the apples. Get good ones, young man."
"Why," questioned Albert, as he picked himself up, "why must poor
Albert always