Huddersfield Soils
By John Grainger
Contents
Foreword, Acknowledgements
Natural
Conditions and Human Improvements
Factors Which
Influence Soil Types
Millstone Grits and Coal Measures
Heavy and light soils on the valley sides
A legacy of heavy soil from an earlier age
The mellowing action of rivers
The Constituents
of Soil
Mineral particles; the foundations of soils
Organic matter, to lighten labour and hold water
Chemical differences of soil types.
Natural supplies of fertility vary greatly in the district
Relative Acidity
(pH)
Soil acidity and the allotment rotation
Making soil conditions good for the plant and bad for disease
Changes in the soil acidity
Does our smoky atmosphere make the soil more acid
Crop failures due to soil acidity, and their prevention
"Redox"
of the Soil
A new soil test to reveal the cause of some crop failures
and their prevention
Climatic Conditions
Temperature of the soil
Rainfall - Enemy and ally
Drainage, good and bad
Losses from the soil by drainage. Stop them by catch crops
Life in the Soil
Virus: an invisible enemy
Bacteria: a large number of friends and foes
Fungi: some are helpful, but most cause disease
Algae
Weed seeds: a handicap from previous cultivators
Protozoa; a check to fertility
Eelworms, Earthworms, Millipedes, Centipedes, Slugs and
snails
Insect life: Pests found in local soils
Wireworms: their varying numbers on different soils
Types of Farming
Conservation of fertility in Peace and War
Crop Possibilities
Many more crops succeed in the district than are grown here
at present
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