The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-26

of the plant. It is the gardeners
province to control these opposing
forces. This done he has accomplished
half his purpose; but there remains
another thing to be looked to; not only
has he to remove the enemies. but
he must place it in a most favorable
environment. Other things being equal
the question of a proper soil naturally
dominates all else. Each kind of plant
has its individual method of growth;
some are shallow rooted, while others
will penetra te the ground to depths
that are truly astonishing. The gard
ener makes his soil to fit the crop or
at least he should do so. How often
do we see especially in the suburban
gardens, effort-laudable, in itself, but
disastrous-to induce a plant whose
roots delight in a cool, open soil of a
peaty nature to grow in a compact
cold clay. Thousands of Rhododen-
drCns are thus sacrificed each year
The relationship of the physical con-
dition of the soil and the crop it is
to bear should be seriously considered
before planting. This is not merely
TO ascertain hat a soil contains a suf-
ficient quantity of the elements of
food which the plant will demand but
they must be in a form easily available
and contained in a medium OF such a
texture that the plant will develop its
root system without undue eXertion.
The soil is not merely a mine from
which certain salts can be dug up at
will. Plant life does not differ essen
TALLY from animal life in the matter
of needing foods in the proper form.
Give a man the actual elements of
food which the chemist tells you he
needs in the process of life, giving
them merely in their chemical condi-
ticn ana ne starves.
The food must be supplied in a more
or less mixed form along with some
inert or innocuous vehicle and in
bulky condition. We see this same
thing in every line of life and even
in abstract ideas. A certain volume
of rubbish is necessary. A chicken
running in the poultry yard wants
solid gritty matter to help the diges-
ton of the real food. Deep thinking
men and women absorb humor and
even rubbihsy jokes. 1t is necessary
to have the good things dilu ed
This is written to suggest why
strong chemical fertilizers should not
be given too lavishly to growing
plants. Nitrate of soda is good as
source of nitrogen. but you can't grow
a plant in pure nj rate of soda, acid
phosphate and other actual food sub
stances, not even if they are mixed
with the most consummate skill. Look
a a clay soil; it is generally regarded
as a pretty poor one for growing plants.
but it has more actual units of food
in it than any other sort of soil you
can take, and it is improved by throw
ing in the solid grit of sand or the
rubbish of ashes from the furnace.
We should remember. too. that wat
err and air are as important as actual
foods to the root of a plant. We Gull
tivate the surface soil, keeping it as
fine as possible in order to keep the
soil moisture where the roots can
reach it and the greatest value that
is derived from peaty soil or a leaf
mould is due to the ease with which
water and air can penetrate. Water
passing down between the soil par
ticles helps to aerate them. fresh air
following in the wake. 1t is for this
result that we like to underdrain some
soils.