href="@public@vhost@g@gutenberg@html@files@16900@16900-h@16900-h-5.htm.html#CHAPTER_XVI" class="pginternal" tag="{http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml}a">XVI.

A Fertile Soil 141       Physical properties:             Power to absorb and hold water             Power of ventilation             Power to absorb and hold heat 142       Biological properties 143           Nitrogen-fixing germs 144           Nitrifying germs 145           Denitrifying germs 147       Chemical properties:             Nitrogen in the soil             Phosphoric acid in the soil             Potash in the soil             Lime in the soil             Great importance of physical properties 147       Maintenance of fertility 150 XVII. Soil Water 151       Importance of soil water 151       Necessity of soil water 151       Sources and forms of soil water 153       Too much water 154       Not enough water 154       Loss of soil water 155       How some farm operations influence soil water 156       Hoeing, raking, harrowing and cultivating 158       Manures and soil water 159           Methods of cropping and soil water 159           Selection of crops with reference to soil water 160 XVIII. The After-cultivation of Crops 164       Loss of water by evaporation 164       Loss of water through weeds 165       Saving the water 165       Time to cultivate 166       Tools for after-cultivation 167       Hilling and ridging 169 XIX. Farm Manures 171       The functions of manures and fertilizers 171       Classification 171       Importance of farm manures 172       Barn or stable manure 173       Loss of value 173       Checking the losses 176       Applying the manure to the soil 177       Proper condition of manure when applied 179       Composts 181 XX. Farm Manures, Concluded 183       Green-crop manures:             Functions 183           Benefits 185       Character of best plants for green-crop manuring 185       The time for green-manure crops 186       Leguminous green-manure crops 186       Non-leguminous green-manure plants 191 XXI. Commercial Fertilizers 192       The raw materials 192       Sources of nitrogen 193       Sources of phosphoric acid 195       Sources of potash 199       Sources of lime 200 XXII. Commercial Fertilizers, Continued 202       Mixed fertilizers:             What they are             Many brands             Safeguard for the farmer             Low grade materials             Inflating the guarantee 202       Valuation 205       Low grade mixtures 207       Buy on the plant food basis 209 XXIII. Commercial Fertilizers, Concluded