114 BRITISH HUSBANDRY, [Ch. VIII. 



intimate state of mixture in vvhicli it is found, they are not so stiff as the 

 quantity of clay which they contain would seem to indicate. 



No. 4 is a fine clay loam, such as is found in many parts of the United 

 Kingdom ; and, although what may be called strong land, is yet of a tex- 

 ture which renders it easy to be worked, and consequently not difficult to 

 be kept in heart if properly managed. 



No. 5 contains such large proportions of sand and humus mixed with the 

 clay, as to peculiarly adapt it to the growth of barley and green crops ; it 

 is consequently evidently suitable to the alternate system of husbandry. 



Nos. 6 and 7 are both good soils — the quantity of carbonate of lime 

 in No. 7, compensating, in a great degree, for the smaller portion of 

 humus ; but necessarily requiring the addition of a proportionate quantity 

 of dung to supply that deficiency. 



Nos. 9 to 13, although soils of the fair average quality of common tillage 

 land, yet, from the want of carbonate of lime, require the addition of lime 

 or marl. 



Nos. 14 and 15 are evidently light sands, which, though sometimes 

 brought into cultivation, and even rendered productive through the appli- 

 cation of manure and judicious management, yet can rarely be kept in 

 heart without the aid of a folding flock; and land of a poorer quality 

 should be invariably kept in sheep pasture. 



Throughout the entire kingdom thei'e are but few districts the soil of 

 which contains more than perhaps five per cent, of humus ; but if the 

 staple of the land be loamy, even two per cent, will render it fit for the 

 production of grain. The friability of its texture is, indeed, an object of 

 the first importance, for it occasions a great saving of labour and expense ; 

 and if the ground be tolerably well managed, and dunged, it can be always 

 maintained in good heart*. 



The analysis which has been thus made of those various soils, it should, 

 however, be observed, extends only through the surface to the depth of six 

 inches, without noticing the subsoil, which may greatly affect their value ; 

 for, however rich they may be, if that be either too porous, or too reten- 

 tive, they may be rendered, in certain seasons, unproductive. If, however, 

 they contain a layer of from nine inches to a foot of good earth, the sub- 

 soil may then be considered of little consequence ; though a limestone 

 bottom will always command a preference. The exposure, with regard to 

 the sun, and the situation of the land, in respect to its shelter from cold 

 winds, are also, as we have already had occasion to observe, objects of such 

 extreme importance, that they may make a difference in point of climate 

 equal to several degrees of latitude ; they should, therefore, never be lost 

 sight of in estimating the value of the ground. 



COURSES. 



The rotations which have been recommended in the Annual Report of 

 Scotland, as well as by Brown of Markle, both upon his own experience 

 and that of many other eminent farmers, and which are very generally 

 adopted by men of intelligence, on soils of different descriptions, are some 



* By loamy land is to be understood any of the eartlis combined with decayed animal 

 or vegetable matter. Thus, it is termed " clayey," or " sandy loam," when the greatest 

 proportion of the earth consists of either clay or sand : ricFi black and brown clayej' 

 loams being according to the proportions in which sand and clay are mixed with the 

 vegetative mould ; the day being, however, greatly divided, and in smaller quantity than 

 the sand. Light sandy loams are varieties of the same nature. Sir H, J)avy's Lect. 

 on Agric. Chem. App. Ix. 



