8 STATISTICAL SURVEY 



reality, it contains every gradation, from fandy lcam 

 to ftrong clay; but the predominant foil is a loam, not 

 of very great depth, but good in quality, and in moft 

 places intermixed with a confiderable quantity of 

 ftones of every fize, which is not to be wondered at, 

 as, from the general rockinefs of the ground, quarries 

 are to be met with near, or at no great diftanc?, from 

 the furface in every part. This loamy foil is of dif- 

 ferent depths and qualities in different places, and in- 

 cumbent on different fubflrata, which much affift its 

 powers of production : when clay is the fubftratum, 

 the loam, partaking of its nature, is much ftronger, 

 more retentive of water, more difficult to improve and 

 manure, but, when brought into cultivation, its pro- 

 duce is more confiderable, and fuperior in its kind. As 

 the fubfoil approaches to an hungry gravel, or what is 

 termed /*'//, which feems to be an earth impregnated 

 with ochreous particles, the loam lofes greatly of its 

 fertility, and, unlefs it is conftantly manured, and its 

 nature changed by the mixture of fome corrective, it is 

 a moft ungrateful foil to the farmer. Clay does not 

 occupy a fpace in this county of any great extent ; it 

 is moftly confined to the eaft coaft of the Ards, to the 

 parifhes of Donaghadee and Bangor, and to the north 

 part of the barony of Cafllereagh, which lies in the 

 latter parifti. Thefe lands are of a ftrong and good 

 quality, requiring a high degree of manure, but repay- 

 ing gratefully the expenfe and trouble laid out upon 



them. 



