cut up. Grandfather said I might
have any place I wanted in his garden if I'd really care for it myself."

"My!" said Albert, "what a snap! Your grandfather has the best garden
land around here. You'll win The Chief's five dollars for the best
garden; you just can't help yourself. I'd like to punch you, Peter, for
having such luck."

Peter smiled a little more broadly. "Fin sorry the garden's so good, but
I can't help it."

"It's all right, Peter," began The Chief; "after all, boys, I believe we
are not having such bad luck. Cheer up! We are going to surprise those
fathers of yours, and have a good time out of it, too. Jay and Albert
have a big problem of draining; George has simply got to put that sandy
slope in shape; it looks as if Jack would have to fill in for his
garden; and Peter--well, some of you may beat Peter yet."

At this last Peter smiled, Jack skilfully tumbled him off his chair and
Albert gave a war whoop. The Chief called his meeting to order again.

"And now, boys, I shall see you each one separately about your garden
problems. Remember, not a word at home, for we are going to surprise the
people. And at our next regular meeting, and at all others this winter
we shall have reports on the manner in which you are going to get at
your work and the way in which you will beat conditions. In this way we
can keep track of each other's work. We must make our plans, too, on
paper, which will help out. We have catalogues to write for, garden
stakes to make, and no end of things will come up. But first you boys
ought to understand a bit more than you do about the soil. It is a
storehouse of good things. Knowledge of the soil is a key to this
storehouse.

"We can roughly divide the soil into three classes and call these sand,
clay, and humus. The ideal soil has all three of these elements in it.
Sandy soil is made up, as the name itself really tells, of broken up
rock masses. One can tell this sort of soil by its lightness and the
ease with which a mass of it drops apart. By the word lightness one does
not mean colour or weight, but looseness. A clay soil may be told by its
stickiness; its power to form lumps or masses; its tendency to crack and
bake under the hot sun. Such a soil is called heavy. Humus soil is made
up largely of decayed animal and vegetable matter. Its presence is told
by a dark, rich colour.

"In trying to improve the soil we are dealing with, we have first to
think of its physical, and