1875] Notices of Books. 365 
which he divides into local,—t.e., such as are produced on the 
spot where they are found by the decomposition of rocks,—and 
soils of transport,—the deltas, polders, and warps brought down 
by rivers, and deposited at their mouths or along their banks. 
In some parts of the world, especially in Mexico and the island 
of Candia, transported soils are met with which appear due to 
the action of wind rather than to that of water. 
Turning from theory to practice, the Author next treats of the 
amelioration of soils. He follows the useful French custom of 
dividing the substances which the farmer may have occasion to 
add to his fields into two great classes, amendments or cor- 
rectives, and manures, properly so-called. Under the former 
head he ranks lime, marl, clay, and even water, whether the 
latter is added by irrigation or withdrawn by drainage. The 
circumstances under which these operations are necessary, and 
the effects produced, are well described. The proportion of lime 
used in France appears to be only one-fourth to one-fifth of the 
quantity applied to the same surface in England. Irrigation, as 
the Author judiciously points out, produces more beneficial 
effects in Southern France and in Italy than in colder and © 
moister climates. On the other hand, it is in the latter that the 
results of drainage are most conspicuous. In treating of mine- 
ral manures the Author reminds his readers of a truth too often 
overlooked,—z.e., that a manure cannot prove uniformly and 
equally beneficial upon all soils and under all circumstances. 
Thus, a phosphatic manure will be found useless in situations 
where the sub-soil yields a supply of phosphoric acid equal or 
superior to the amount annually withdrawn by the crops. 
A valuable feature of the work is an agricultural map of 
France, drawn up by M. A. Delesse, Professor of Agriculture at 
the Ecole des Mines. This map shows not merely the respective 
amounts of land under the plough, and occupied by vines, 
forests, and meadows, but it indicates the average returns per 
hectare in different parts of the country. It appears that only 
6 per cent of the land in France yields a net return exceeding 
80 francs per hectare; 10 per cent yields revenues ranging from 
80 to 60 francs per hectare; in 20 per cent the returns range 
from 60 to 40; in 44 percent the yield is comprised between 
40 and 20 francs per hectare; whilst in 20 per cent the proceeds - 
of cultivation range between 20 francs and nothing. If we 
consider that a hectare is, practically speaking, 21 statute 
English acres, we must admit that there still remains great room 
for improvement. The woodlands are stated as yielding a nett 
average return of 20 francs per hectare; arable lands, 42; vine- 
yards, 69; meadows and pastures, 72; and gardens, 120. 
This work is a valuable addition to the series of agricultural 
and horticultural manuals with which the name of the publisher 
is honourably associated. 
