A Living from the Land

by William Budington Duryee

Use manure and green crops to supply humus.

Apply lime when soil test shows need for it as plant food and general soil improver.

Practice methods that make soils absorptive of moisture and permit escape of excess water.

Cultivate the soil to check escape of moisture and to kill weeds.

Use a horse or garden tractor for cultivation of areas larger than the family garden.

Don’ts

Don’t buy land that is continually wet and swampy.

Don’t expect to produce satisfactory crops on soils that are extremely heavy or clayey or so sandy as to quickly lose moisture and fertility.

Don’t try to produce crops without maintaining the humus supply in the soil.