8o AGRICULTURE 



ficially drained, it can never be so satisfactory 

 as that which is naturally sound. A sound 

 . soil is 'much warmer and drier, because the 

 "*more water a soil contains the more slowly 

 will it rise in temperature (owing to the 

 high specific heat of water), and the more 

 rapidly will it part with its heat. Un- 

 sound soils no doubt stand better in times 

 of drought, but the many disadvantages in 

 connection with them quite outweigh this 

 one fact in their favour. Also the superior 

 capillary attraction of a sound soil mate- 

 rially assists it in resisting and recovering 

 from a dry spell. 



Cattle fed on damp water-logged soils give 

 milk which is a continual source of annoyance 

 in the dairy, especially when used for cheese- 

 making. This arises from the fact that all 

 kinds of unfriendly bacteria flourish amaz- 

 ingly in milk produced on such land. On 

 the other hand, for the production of clean, 

 sweet milk nothing equals a sound, lime- 

 stone soil. There is an enormous difference 



