Manor Farm, Braydon, Wilts. 381 



If ever an attempt had been made at draining, it had long 

 since become useless, from the filling up of ditches and water- 

 courses ; and' one of the first operations our worthy host carried 

 out was to divert and deepen a main waterway right through the 

 farm, which became the artery for all future drains. We could 

 not but remember Talpa's description of his farm. One point, 

 however, impressed us, viz., that although the soil was very ad- 

 hesive when trodden, yet there appeared to be sand mixed with 

 the clay. At this visit there was no stock, because nothing for 

 it to eat except a miserable black-looking stack of hay, the pro- 

 duce of a considerable area, full of filth of all kinds, but espe- 

 cially the Restharrow, and the Devil's Scabious, a prickly, 

 tasteless, unfragrant mass, with no proof, no feeding properties. 

 Such was the produce in the unimproved state. Those who have 

 not, like ourselves, had the opportunity of thoroughly examining 

 the land in its original condition, will find it well nigh impos- 

 sible to conceive what the condition once was. 



Nature of the Soil. 



Although it is quite true that many barren soils can be 

 rendered productive by skill, industry, and judicious expenditure 

 of money in draining, manuring, &c., it is nevertheless certain 

 that the productiveness of others cannot be materially raised, 

 excepting by means which no landlord or tenant can adopt who 

 has a regard to profit. Where a shallow surface-soil rests on a 

 hard granite, or on a shale stone, or on any hard rock which is 

 not readily attacked by atmospheric agencies, or where the 

 inclination of the strata and the impervious character of the rocks 

 are such that only a thin layer of soil will be retained on the 

 rock, it is impossible with advantage to do much to the land. 

 Cases of this kind are, however, generally so self-evident, that no 

 word of caution is required. But too frequently stony, poor 

 land is not properly farmed, from insufficient capital, and is 

 susceptible of permanent improvement, and will make a good 

 return for a judicious outlay in the first place, and subse- 

 quent good management. Many still consider it hopeless to 

 attempt improvement of certain pastures on the Oxford clay. 

 Nothing daunted by such evil boders, Mr. Ruck went to work 

 with characteristic energy, and has attained a large measure of 

 success ; his experience is most instructive, and very encouraging 

 for those who have to deal with land that, like the Braydon 

 pastures, may have been condemned as hopelessly barren. 



An examination of the soil in several of Mr. Ruck's fields has 

 shown us that the grass-roots penetrate but a short distance into 

 the stiff clay subsoil, which appeirs to go down a great depth. 

 The layer of mould on the surface does not generally extend be- 



