I <99 ] 



diftanccs as are .iftecdTaiy for obtaining a fuffi- 

 cieot quantity of proper nouri lament. The latter* 

 ({mi}) from the loofenefs of its texture, admits 

 heat too freely, and is not capable of retaining 

 a fufficient degree of moifture for the purpofes of 

 vegetation. The particles of vegetable nutri- 

 ment are either abforbed by the heat, or wafhed 

 down by the rains too low for the roots of plants 

 to reach them. Hence few plants will come to 

 maturity on mere fand, except fuch as extend 

 their roots very deep, and attract nourifhment 

 from a ftratum below it. 



It is neceflary alfo to obferve, that in ftiff clays 

 there is little fermentation, the faits being fo con- 

 fined and locked up by the tenacity of its texture, 

 that they cannot act. On the contrary, in light 

 dry fands they are fpeedily evaporated by heat. 



All fands are hot and dry — all clays cold and 

 wet ; and therefore the manuring fandy lands with 

 clay, or clay lands with fand, is the bell: of all, 

 for this changes the nature of the land itfelf; 

 whereas dung, and other fubftances, afford only 

 an inferior and temporary improvement. Mixed 

 foils, which incline to the clayey Jkind, are beft of 

 all for corn and pulfe. But it is not the natural 

 foil only that the farmers ought to confider, but 



O 2 the 



