F~llruul'r,into, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BURE.A.U OF EDUCATION, WASHINGTON HOW 1'0 MAKE THE OAllDEN 801L MORE PUODUUl'IVE To grow well a plant requires a deep, mellow, moist soil, supplied with the right nmount of ail', bent, nud available plant food. .An important step, then, in the successful growing of vegetables is to prepare the soil in such It way that it will be congenial to the best root growth. The soil for truck crops is 11 rich sandy loam- fl. soil containing varying proportions of clay, sand, und organic matter. A good vegetable soil can be made in most back yards by intelligent mnnugement, How can a clay soil be 11UUle1rt..ellow?-Examination of a. dry clay soil shows thnt the purt.icles of clay are very fine, l.ike wheat flour, with smooth rounded edges. Such particles fit closely together and produce a. compact soil, which prevents roots peneunting easily 01' the rain entering before it evaporates. To ID:ll<6a clay soil mellow, something most be done to make the pore spaces large.'. Thorough tillage of the soil, the application of organic matter- nnd lime, and drninnge, wiH all help to do this. Occasionally the addition of sand 01' fine coal cinders is needed. (1) By tillage.-The soil should be made mellow to n depth of 12 inches by deep plowing nnd by thorough harrowing with So disk harrow. To do the best work the soil should be both plowed and harrowed the same day. If the lot is too small to plow, equally as good work cnn be done by spading t-he soil thoroughly, using a spading fork and crushing each spadeful o:f soil before another is lifted, then leveling the top soil with a, garden rake. Of all the garden soils, clay is the most easily injured by tilling when it is not in the right condition as to moisture. If worked too wet, the particles all slide together into II compact mass. On the other hand, if worked too dry, the clods are hard to brenk. When clay soil is in the right condition to 'Work, it will crumble npart if squeezed in the hand. If it sticks together, it is too wet. Cla.y soil should never be worked when it is wet, not even with a. hoe. This is an important lesson lor nll gardeners. 2'(1G:l·-1~ 2 HOW TO M..A..1{ETHE GARDEN SOIL MOR.!:: l)RODUOTIVE, In a deep, mellow soil, the plants g1'OW mere quickly, since larger mot systems cnn be developed and more food and moisture taken in. A deep, mellow soil affords a larger reservoir to hold rain needed during the droughts that come in the growing season. Such It soil is warmer and contains nil' needed for the growing roots and for the bacteria. that cause dece..y of organic matter or gather nitrogen from the soil uir. ' (~) By O1'gunia matter.-Organic matter is decaying vegetable or animal matter. It may be added to the soil in the form of barnyard manure, in compost made of autumn leaves, plants, and garden refuse, or in turning under Cl'9pS, like rye or crimson clover, that have been grown for this purpose, If the barnyard manure is well rotted, it runy be ham-owed in after- the soil is plowed. If it is fresh nnd coarse, it is better to plow' or spade it under. Fresh manure introduces weed seeds in the soil j for this reason it is not the most desirable form to use. To prevent crops of 1')'6 01" crimson clover consuming moist lire needed by the vegetables, they should be plowed under and harrowed in be-fore they mature. If plowed under while green, they will also decay more quickly and the movement of soil moisture will not be retarded. Since organic matter decays rapidly, additional amounts should be supplied eacb year. A large amount. of organic matter is essential in soils in which vegetables ure to be grown. It improves the texture of o soil, making 11 clay soil more mellow and a enndy soil more compact. It makes t\ soil warmer for winter vegetables, Because of its texture, it enables the soil to bold and retain more moisture. It is alec the-storehouse for nitrogen plant food, the most ex-pensive pJllnt food to buy. ($) By lim.e.-'1'be chief: use of lime is to improve the texture of 1I clay soil, Lime helps to liberate plant food lind occesioually nets IlS a direct plant food. It neutralizes harmful acids. It hastens the decay of crgnnic matter and increases tile work of nitrogen- gutbering bacteria. As a rule, the best form of lime to use is finely ground limestone, 'I'his can be applied nt nny time ut the mte of 2 tons to the acre, It should be applied after plowing or spading, rather than. before, so that it will not be buried too deeply, Plants vllry in their need of lime. The yield of lettuce, beets, cantaloupes, onions, and clovers is increased by the use of lime; while waterme.lons seem to be somewbat neid-loving in their habits and therefore lime retards their growth, Irish potatoes do better in It soi] that is slightly ncid, since the flUlgllS that causes scabby potatoes cnn not thrive in an acid soiL Lime should) therefore, oat be applied to the section of the garden where Irish potatoes 8"e to be planted. E.xperiments huve shown thnt, to get the best results, most garden soils need a hbernl dressing of finely ground limestone, HOW 'IO MAKE m-e GARDEN SQTL M.ORE PRODUCTIVE. 3 (4) By d~'ainage.-Dl'niIlllge makes a clay soil more productive by removing the surplus soil water and by helping to correct acidity. It deepens the root zones 1111d enables the plant to obtain mere moisture during a dry spell, It hastens decoy of organic mutter by malting the soil warmer and by providing a supply of oxygen, Not all soils require drninnge. The need for it is mdicuted by the following conditions: Moss growing on the surface, plants looking yellow or dwarfed, deep cracks during a dry season, and water stand- ing more than 24 hours after a rain, A soil moy be drained by lll,ying the Janel out in beds, by construct- ing ditches, 01' by making It system of underground tile drains. In many sections the lund is thrown up in level beds 5 feet wide, to insure sufficient drfiinage for winter vegetables, H (Y//) can a sandy 80il be made cQmpact?-Examinll.tion of sandy soils shows that too many of the particles are large, with shurp edges, and as a. result the soil is so open thnt it can not retain the. rain 01' bold the plant food within the reach of the roots. To make II. sandy soil compact, then, something must be added to fill up the pore spaces. This con be partially done by applying barnyard manure, by turning under green crops, and by adding clay or loam. How can G, soU be made to contaJ;n sutJicient moisture 101' plant g1'O"1JJtld-On II. clay soil the min runs off; this can be prevented by making the soil mellow, On a sandy soil the rain runs th1'OUgh; this enn be prevented by having the soil well supplied with organic matter. When the top soil is compact, moisture is lost by evapora- tion. Tu early spring every dlLY'Sdelay in preparing the soil means Joss by evnpcrntion of large quantities of soil moisture. During the summer there is II Joss of soil moisture by evapomrion ; this can largely be prevented by making the top soil so 10066and porous that the soil water can not reach the surface, This loose top soil is called a mulch. It should be from 2 inches to 2t inches deep, and cnn be made by a hoe 01' 11 cultivator. A mulch to be effective should be frequently renewed; that is, the soil should be heed, or cultivated, as soon as possible after every ruin, und at least once or twice a. week during a drought. A safe rule is never to nllow a crust to form on the surfnce of the soil, for the crust indicates that the soil moisture is coming to the surface, evaporating, uud leaving the plant food on the top to cement the soil pncticles together. Every gardener should learn the value of a dust mulch, for it will increase the yield of a crop at lenst twofold. In rnnny localities it would be fur better to hoe e crop than to water it n.rt,iJicially. This means hoel l~oelMe, or culti1Jatcl cultivate, clitt.£vatc. The upper ~ inches of soil should be kept loose und dust-like. Cultivation flhould be Shll.llowj otherwise the upper roots may be cut in tilling. In gencl'nJ: level cultivation is the bestl for Ie&