e-book:
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Ministry of Agriculture Allotment &
Garden Guide
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Click image
for
facsimile of page 2 January 1945
Page:
1 /
2 / 3
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6 / 7 /
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What is GOOD TILTH?
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It is
the top foot or so of soil got into a "crumby" condition. The "crumbs"
hold a lot of water on their surfaces and let surplus water drain away
quickly through the big pore spaces between them. These spaces supply air,
which the roots need as well a water. When rain falls, the uppermost
"crumbs" soak it up till they are saturated––like blotting paper dipped in
water. Then the surplus soaks downward to the "crumbs" immediately below,
and so on. Each "crumb" is like a little sponge. If there is more rain than
the "crumbs" can hold, the bigger spaces between them allow the extra water
to drain quickly downward and the soil does not become waterlogged. The
roots of plants in "crumby" soil can grow easily down the air spaces between
the "crumbs." All around them are "crumbs" containing the water the roots
need. |
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At the tips of the roots are tiny hairs which absorb water. So you will see
how important it is that the tips of the roots should not be damaged when
planting out. |
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THE
VALUE OF HUMUS
What is "humus"? It is a formless material made up of
tiny particles produced from the remains of plants and animals when they
have decayed. It helps to maintain a "good tilth" and thus ensures good
aeration. But it does more ; it helps the soil to remain moist and provides
plant foods. |
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'Organic' MANURES
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"Organic" manures help to make clay soils lighter and sandy soils better
able to hold water. "Organics" are so called because they are formed from
something that was living––plants or animals, or both.
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What are they? The
best known are farmyard manure and other animal droppings, such as pig and
poultry manure. Other "organic" manures include guano, hoof and horn meal,
dried blood, meat and bone meal, shoddy and soot. But market gardeners make
great use of these "organics" and it may not be easy for the amateur grower
to get them. You yourself can make "organic" manures, either in the form of
green manure––a green crop, such as mustard, grown specially for digging
in––or compost, which you can make from waste garden material. |
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