4IO EFFECTS OF CLIMATE AND SOIL ON CONFORMATION. 



The respective soils of the United States, New Zealand, 

 New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and 

 Tasmania, for instance, are well supplied with lime, and 

 produce admirable saddle and light harness horses. Lime 

 is plentiful all over the north-west of France, except in the 

 district near Boulogne, which is the home of the best type 

 of French heavy cart-horse (the Boulounais, Fig. 504), and 

 which, as we might therefore expect, has a clay soil. 



Professor Warington, F.R.S., very kindly suggests to 

 me, that, if a horse-breeder wishes to increase the amount 

 of lime in the soil on which he raises young stock, he cannot 

 as a rule do better than apply 5 cwts. of basic slag per 

 acre*^of pasture land in November. Basic slag contains a 

 large amount of phosphoric acid and lime, and should be 

 used^i.only in a very finely-pulverised condition. With 

 respect to land deficient in lime, " it is usual to apply ten 

 to^ fifteen tons of chalk, or three to nine tons of lime per 

 acre. J' The land is best ploughed and ^ then limed in 

 autumn, and afterwards harrowed in the spring. . . . 

 The action of the lime extends to a considerable depth, 

 and endures for some time ; it is not, however, strictly per- 

 manent, as lime is being continually removed from the soil 

 ni the drainage water." (Warington's Physical Properties 

 of Soil.) 



Besides lime, there are several other important con- 

 stituents of soil, such as magnesia, iron, potash, and soda. 

 Mr John Hunter, F.LC, F.C.S., tells me that magnesia 

 is of conspicuous importance in nitrification, and that 

 fertility is impossible without it. 



