soll seruerure open, and lslrdlng ln lllrelr tunnels) arr as
an rnnumerable army of plsrons Pumping arr m and
our oi llre solls on a zenour eyele (more rapidly .l
nlglul.

ol lrremselves. alley are a larm ol wasle lecyelirrg
produel, wullr a dry-wolglu prolem roulenl ol rrom
some ll up lrorn lnedlble planl wasles Only a lew
peoples ear worms drreelly, bul a llosr ol verlebrales
lrom moles ro inrds, loaes ro risll depend largely on llre
worm populalion as a slaple or srand-by load.
Culrrvaled worms are mosl eommonly used as an
addrove lo llle dlers oi livasloek llislll, poullry, pxgs}

However, as processors or large ouanb'rres ol planl
wasles and soil parrreles, worms can also aeeumulrre
pollulanls rlr exlraardlmrily lllgll levels, DDT, lead,
eadmium, and dmxms may be al levels in worms ol
lrom H orzc runes llrglver rnan Ihe sorl leveb rarerl ln
ouanrrry by blackblrds or malea, lne worms may
become lerrlal rllal is, ll lrre "pests" rnar are moles,
hlackhllds, and small nawlrs abound ou larms, lllere ls
al leasr some rndioarlon ol soll lleallrr. where lllese are
absull, rr is an omlnous and obvroua warning lo us he
erreek llre sorl rleell lor rasrdual biocldes

As nnnrsaelmsls, mosl gardeners deprived ol
alomre ray sped-meters, a banery oi reagenls, and a
low m. r. researen dollars murl look la srgns or
lreallllr susll as llle buds, repriles, worms, and plarus a!
lllerr gardenrfarm Fm mysell, m a rruly nalural
garden l have come ro expeel |n see, near, and bad
evldencr or abundanl rerrelrrale llle nus, and lrus
alone, reassures rne llrrr invenebrales srlll innve llnere
I know ol many larrns wnere neuller budr oor worms
ealsr, and l susped mar lbelr pmduels aredangrrous la
all lrle iorrns

All modern evldense Igrws on due value ol worms
m llelds, as dccumposels and manure recyclers They
may be even more valuable as garbage dlsposal
svslems. and as llsll or poulrry loadl provrdlng a mass
orlugllr_pmleln lood lmm vegelable wasles.

 

 

8,13

DIFFICULT SOILS

CONCREI'IONS mu mus
Several rypes ol eonrreoon m eemerlred parueles oeeur
ln sous. mereare eommonly lllre inflowlng

r CALCRETE leolrrlre. plalrrl, lunkrvl rs a hard,
mainly level subsurlaee ranemrrorl aboul 05—an m
below a granular or sandy lopsoll. lypleal ol eoral
rslarlds lcalrrum rl-lpnorplralel. and llre downwind
areas ol desora borders, Calaele musl be broken open
lo planl lrees. or are mots wlll spread our lrlerally,
allowlng windvmmw lo omrr. on arolls, huh-water
deposrrs develop below me ealrerle

Emken calielle ean be used as a bluldmg malerral
arid also lorms a sale root lor lunnels or dugouls
Calelum/rr-agrr m sorrerellon, worsened by me
addulon or superplluspllaae. ls wrrrllsll lo rmamy. ln

 

208

aeid lvlneearl, ealerele releases bubbles ol earbon
dr e.

- 5mm lmrguprol ls a grey lo red shiny nard
layer developed below some tmpltdl lorerl solls, wluerr
glvas a glassy surrase il lorasls are cleared nre roll is
rounded by sillu deposlls. ll Inch deposrls lie below
lolesls, u rs unwise m elear llle loresl Hull, 2 rran.
Slllca-«Inrnled non—welung hnriznn, earrlly, brillle,
round only m volcanle areas. A wn ll .
oeeurr In many soil typls, nol voleame, serm—arld, and
is la em-ao mu melresloaa leer) rnlelr.

r mam lloroeemerleed pans and soil layers
of varying nairlsness, somerlmes as rram sandy layers ol
rem mm, also alumina-non larerller (01ml rapping
dssen lulls wnh veins ol sllerelel or lmmmanganere
nodular hormone in soils. rerrrerele may lie over pale
bauxflls,znd u also ralled rrorlalone, plmrllire 9mm
oeeurs m podzols as rrorl-organre llrard a honwns.
m ls a llllrek sandy eonee-eolouled llarrzon,
low in iron and euily broken; ii a eommou llorauon
ln numle podaols Dungg p s (cm llard “lira—hon
ups or. lulls ln deserb.

- PLDUCH rams are usually clay-based corn-
parled layers developed below eruplands rn wel
per-rods, lime an be eaused by mouldboard plougns

All or me above need rippmg eaplosrve shallenng,
or deep mulell pus lo esulbllsll lreas Sodlum ln SmIs
may developa "cullapsed” eemeuled, greylslr. gravelly
pin lSOLCRETE) impermeable ru waler. Only
deep-roored lreos, reduerion ol so“, and lulmus relleve
llreae eemenled rond 'nlls Deep drainage ol lez rn ls
essenllal ldr salled soils

Conereled soil layers lealeiurn or sllreaeemenledl
are rlre ealcreres rrulrelre, plalml ol dry islands and
roasls, or me lerrrererea llroneemerrredl 0d deserls
Any or all may lorrn dul-lerusls lrlavd laym) n eroded
areas, lindu some |mplml ralnioresl le 3. m Ecuador},
an lronerlre. pan wllrelr lollows lull eoruours, loeally
lermed mngugull lies 3 rn below llle loresls, u is a
daunlrng 5);!“ lo see rmr glassy and impermeable
surraee aller rlle removal or leresr and a eonseouerrr
loss or mpsoilv Wllere rarrgrgoa rs knuwn lo ealsl.
perpetual lomsrs used (or produels orller lllan llrerr
wood (honey, iruils, medielrlesl are llle only
suslarnable use at lands

 

 

NON-WmlNG SANDS AND CLAYS
Some elasses or very llne blackish sands, and stud;
invaded by nydroplaoble So|| rungl, are dllfimll ro aver,
lrle wrler sus ml lop ar droplels There are several
remedles lor flu: in gardens

- lodge sail or make basms.

Every square melre, rare oar sand and drop m a

loam or dIy-luam plug u—lu em by 30 em deepl

~ Composl llrorougrlly and bdrld up organle marenrl
lo bar or surlase soll

- Add a llandlul or benlonue per souare merle, or
powdered slay nom elay panr.

- Mulen thmughly, and planl Keep surlaoe mulch