Illustrated with black and white photographs and drawings, this guide will prove of great interest to today 's gardener. Contents Include: Formation of the Soil and its Properties; The Soil as a Source of Plant Food; Nitrifying Bacteria; The Soil and Water; Capillary Powers of Soil; Humus or Vegetable Mould; Different Soils employed in Horticulture; Soil Types and characteristics; Nitrogen in Soils; Exhaustion of Plant-food in Soils; Some Reasons for Tillage of Soils; Fertility of Soils; Organic Manures; Manures derived from Excreta; Lime and Liming; Nitrogenous Manures; Potash Manure; Phosphatic Manures; Inorganic Manures; The Effect of Manures. This book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience.