Excerpt from Soil Protection and Soil Improvement The need of complete information in one handy volume, in other words a ready reference book, covering the various phases pertaining to the Protection and Improvement of our soils, influenced the author in compiling the subject matter herewith set forth. The value of tile underdrainage in the up-building of the farm lands was considered of such vital importance that it is treated at length, showing the treatment and the results obtained in different types of soils. Then, too, since the farmer is deeply interested in all matters relating to the growing and handling of their crops, he should be great ly concerned in the proper expenditure of the public moneys for road building and in the securing for himself and his neigh bors the best possible returns for such expenditure. The proper drainage of our highways has received less attention than the drainage of the farm. The lack of it, has resulted in the destruction of all kinds of roads and an inexcusable waste of money. In fact injury resulting from lack of drain age is greater than injury from trafiic.. The demand for better roads invites a study and knowledge as to how the money expended may not be lost. No class of taxpayers is more concerned than the farmer in the building of our roads so they will last. Hence, a portion of this book is given over to the subject of the Improvement of Our Rural Highways and an urgent appeal for earnest cooperation on the part of the farmer, for only through same can our people correct the present evil and make possible better conditions of traffic and the handling of the crops. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Recognized since its initial publication in 1926 as a watershed in American historiography, Avery Odelle Craven's study of soil depletion in Virginia and Maryland links elements of Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier thesis, causal aspects of the expansion of slavery, and the economics of staple-crop production into a unified view of southern history from the colonial era to the onset of the Civil War. In this volume Craven initiates a discussion that has changed the way historians view the relationship between historical events and the physical environment. Using Maryland and Virginia as a case study, Craven assesses the abusive relationship between southern planters and their most valuable and abundant resource-the land-to posit that soil depletion and other ruinous agricultural practices contributed greatly to the economic crisis faced by mid-nineteenth-century America. His study traces a series of poor social and economic choices that affected the land and the survival of those who occupied it. Craven's findings still resonate with students and scholars of frontier, social, economic, agricultural, and environmental history.

Explains what composting is and how it works, provides instructions for making and using compost, and offers ecologically sound solutions to waste disposal problems

A concise, inexpensive treatment! Soil Science Simplified, 4/E was written to acquaint students with the basic concepts and scientific principles of soils without the burden of an extensive study. This useful, well-priced handbook includes discussions of soil classification, soil morphology, and soil and the environment. In addition, a chapter on soil surveys helps readers understand soil resources and apply the information presented in soil surveys to managing the soil environment. Outstanding features: 1) provides essential coverage of factors of soil formation; 2) outlines the most current principles of soil taxonomy; 3) provides an assortment of helpful tables, maps, and line drawings; 4) includes an expanded glossary.

This is your down-to-earth, complete manual for achieving great gardening results with your own rich, organic soil! How do you recognize healthy soil? How much can your existing soil be improved? What are the best amendments to use for your soil? Let Building Soil answer your questions and be your guide on gardening from the ground up! Fertilizing, tilling, weed management, and irrigation all affect the quality of your soil. Using author Elizabeth Murphy's detailed instructions, anyone can become a successful soil-based gardener, whether you want to start a garden from scratch or improve an existing garden. If you want methods that won't break your back, are good for the environment, and create high-yielding and beautiful gardens of all shapes and sizes, this is the book for you! Create classic landscape gardens, grow a high-yielding orchard, nurture naturally beautiful lawns, raise your household veggies, or run a profitable farm. A soil-based approach allows you to see not just the plants, but the living system that grows them. Soil-building practices promote more ecologically friendly gardening by reducing fertilizer and pesticide use, sequestering greenhouse gases, and increasing overall garden productivity. Building Soil is a simple book full of practical, up-to-date information about building healthy soils. Simple methods perfect for the home gardener's use put healthy, organic soil within everyone's reach. You don't need a degree in soil management to understand this book; you only need a yard or garden and the desire to improve it at the most basic level.