The Daily Alaska empire., 1943-05-25
VICTORY GARDEN SOILS DISGUISED
 BY W. H0LBR00k
Composition, Use of Lime, Points 10 Be WatCh-
 ed, He Says

A discussion topic presented re- gently to the members of the Jul neau Garden Club by an enthusias- tic and carefully scientific garden CT whose success has been marked, Wellman Holbrook, has been writ ten in full and contains much that should prove valuable for Alaska gardeners.
 Soil consists of four principal parts, namely, inorganic matter or ganic matter, soil moisture or soil solution, and soil atmosphere. The inorganic matter is formed from the earth's crust by mechanical means. such as tidal action, glacial action. wind rain and many other ways. It is also broken down by chemical action into fine particles.
 This is the metal part of the soil. Within this metal framework the other three components of the soil are found. The organic matter con- sists of animal and vegetable resi- due in various stages of decomposi- tion. When a plant dies in your garden or a worm or bug or small animal, decomposition immediately sets in. It begins it's journey back to Nature, or in other words to the soil. Earth that nourished thee shall claim thy growth, to be re- solved to earth again and lost each human trace
 Humus of Soil
 This vegetable and animal mat ter is present in various stages of decomposition. Some of it has been fully decomposed and other DOT tions have reached a point where i it resists further decay. This is the hunus of the soil. The soil moisture or soil solution is the water that contains various organic com- pounds, inorganic salts, carbon di- oxide, oxygen and other gases, all in solution. The soil atmosphere is mixture of gases constantly changing in composition, chiefly from biological activities and en- vironmental conditions.
 In the soil there are myriads of bacteria that live on the humus. It is their function to change elements or combinations of elements into
  forms that plants can use. Some bacteria may take one combina- tion of elements and change it in- to a different combination. Another kind might live on this combina- tion of elements and change it still further, or it may live on the pro- ducts of the first set or even live on their dead cells or on them while they are still alive.
 The metal parts of the soil are coated with jelly-like substance colloidal in nature. These colloids are found in other components of the soil but chiefly in the metal part. The bacteria live principally in the colloids, which even by them selves are able to break down met al portions of the soil through chemical action.
 It will be seen, therefore, that the soil is not something which is dead and inert but is alive and supports a large population of microscopic forms of life. It is like a huge fac tory with all of the workers en- gagged in a common purpose and to one end, that is to change hu- mus into a form that plants can use. In order to work effectively, bacteria need moisture. If there is too little moisture they will not be able to work and if there is too much, the soil solution is so dilut- ed that it has practically the same effect Tiny roots take from the soil solution the food the plant requires. If the soil is too wet the tiny hair like roots cannot function and the plant may actually be drowned.
 Plants Are Unique
 Plants are unique in that they are the only living things that can take substance from their immed- fate surroundings and with the aid of energy supplied by hte sun and the chlorophyl of the leaves change them into the sugars and starches that it needs for food to grow it's root, stem, leaves and seeds.
 Ten Elements Needed
 All plants need ten elements for their proper growth. Some require