446 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



surface is completely inverted, the rich soil is buried, and the 

 undersoil brought to the top, he may labor in a sure hope of an 

 ultimate compensation yet he must in such case wait with a 

 manly patience ; and it may be advisable in some instances to 

 have some regard to the length of his purse, and the time of his 

 life ; perhaps, in England, it would be as well to add the terms 

 of his lease, which may not always be such as to encourage sub 

 stantial improvements. Such improvements, being intended to 

 be permanent, can hardly be otherwise than expensive. 



I do not know where I can better introduce to my readers 

 an experiment upon soils, which I witnessed in progress in that 

 admirable establishment, the Agricultural Museum and Nur 

 sery-Grounds of the Messrs. Drummond, in Stirling, Scotland, 

 which I strongly recommend to the notice of every intelligent 

 traveller in that picturesque and most interesting locality, 

 whether his objects of pursuit be of an agricultural nature, or 

 otherwise. If the experiment leads to no practical results, it is 

 deserving of attention, as matter of philosophical curiosity. I 

 give it from their own written communication to me. 



&quot; Notice of a Comparative Trial of the Qualities of various pure 

 Earths for supporting Vegetation, made in the Nursery- 

 Grounds of W. Drummond and Sons, Stirling. 



&quot;Garden pots eight inches in diameter were filled each with 

 a pure earth, reduced, by pounding, to the consistency of gravelly 

 sand, where it had previously existed in the indurated or rocky 

 state. Oats were then sown about the middle of April, three 

 plants being allowed to remain in each pot. The pots were 

 plunged to the rim in an open border, cinders of coal being put 

 under them, and care otherwise taken that the roots of the oats 

 should obtain no extraneous nourishment. The plants were 

 watered with common spring water, a few times, in very dry 

 weather. 



&quot; The stalks attained, in general, to the height of two and a 

 half to three feet. The grain fully ripened about the beginning 

 of September. 



PRODUCE. 



Earths. Ears. Grains. 



&quot;Granite, (Aberdeen,) 13 . 220 



Clay slate, (primitive,) 11 . 241 



