ANALYSTS OF SOILS. 17 



cow, which it was <c hoped his honour would let 

 eat some of the rough grass in the upper field ;" but 

 this was not entirely given : this cow, in spring, was 

 joined by a better ; but finding such cattle difficult 

 to maintain through the winter, they were disposed 

 of, and the sheep augmented. After about six 

 years'* service, my honest, quiet, sober labourer 

 died, leaving his wife and two children surviving : a 

 third had recently died. We found him possessed 

 of some money, though I know not the amount ; 

 two fine hogs, and a flock of forty-nine good sheep, 

 many far advanced in lamb ; and all this stock was 

 acquired solely with the regular wages of ten shil- 

 lings a week, in conjunction with the simple aids of 

 rigid sobriety and economy, without a murmur, a 

 complaint, or a grievance ! 



I report nothing concerning our variously consti- 

 tuted soil, thinking that no correct statement can be 

 given by any detail of a local district under cultiva- 

 tion, beyond generally observing its tendency, as 

 every soil under tillage must be factitious and 

 changeable. As a mere matter of curiosity, I 

 might easily find out the proportions of lime, sand, 

 clay, and vegetable earth, &c., that a given quan- 

 tity of a certain field contained ; but the very next 

 ploughing would perhaps move a substratum, and 

 alter - the proportions ; or a subsequent dressing 

 change the analysis: the adjoining field would be 

 differently treated, and yield a different result. I 

 do not comprehend what general practical benefit 

 can arise from chemical analysis of soils; but as 



c 



