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Outdoor Problems of the Householder: Soil

Preparation of the Soil.-Lawn grass, like other plant crops, thrives OUTDOOR PROBLEMS OF THE HOUSEHOLDER 239 best upon a porous, well drained soil, rich in humus, and abundantly supplied with moisture. A deep and fairly heavy soil, as a clay or sand loam with a clay sub-soil, is perhaps an ideal condition. It is necessary, however, as a rule, to accept the existing conditions as a basis, and then take such measures to modify them in the direction of this ideal as circumstances will admit. It is a b C Proper and improper soil grading. (a) Soil to be graded; (b) improper grading, showing exposure of subsoil; (c) proper grading. (L. C. Corbett.) always well to treat the entire home lot-including not only the lawn but also the flower garden, and the vegetable garden, if any as a single unit. The characteristics of the soil and its requirements as to drainage and fertilization will most often be the same. This is not the place to discuss the question of soils and soil fertilization from the standpoint of raising farm crops, i. e., of general agriculture. A few words, however, are necessary as to the different kinds of soil and methods of treatment since the two subjects are intimately related. Two general classes of soil are first to be distinguished, i. e., heavy or clay soils and light or sandy soil.

Each class may be of various degrees of fineness due to the mixture of different kinds of material.