50 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



Good crops of flax may also be raised in such soils ; and 

 they are naturally suitable for Winter-wheat, where they 

 are sufficiently dry to enable that crop to withstand the 

 Winter- frosts. 



With the third crop grass-seeds should commonly be 

 sown, which should be those of timothy or some other kind 

 calculated to withstand the frosts of Winter in such soils. 

 Clover, no doubt, will answer wliere the ground is suffi- 

 ciently dry for Winter-wheat. When the grasses begin to 

 fail, let the ground be broken up again. Oats, well hai> 

 rowed in on the sward, when this is properly turned over, 

 will often, answer well for the first grain-crop in such 

 soils. 



6. Dark- colored dry loams. The darkness of the color 

 is commonly owing to a large proportion of vegetable 

 earth being mixed with the loam in such soils; and, as ve<- 

 getable matter is calculated to fertilize soils, those of this 

 description are commonly well adapted to the growth of 

 almost every plant, and an extensive rotation of crops, 

 which may be similar to those mentioned for a dry loam. 

 They are not always so good for wheat, however, as some 

 of the stiffer soils, which have less vegetable matter in 

 their composition ; nor so good for turnips, as some fertile 

 sandy soils. 



7. Dark-colored wet loam's. These being also largely 

 mixed with vegetable matter, are often better calculated 

 for several growths of roots and grain, than the wet loams 

 before mentioned. They are, generally speaking, most 

 natural for many kinds of grasses, and for a more or less 

 extensive rotation of grain and root-crops, according as 

 they may be more or less retentive of moisture. Hollow- 

 draining may often be found a great improvement of such 

 soils, where they are quite wet; as well for the most of 

 grasses, as for crops of roots and of grain. 



8. A gravelly soil. This is commonly a poor earth for 

 culture ; but more or less so, according to the proportion 

 of gravel it contains, and the sort of stoney matter compos- 

 ing the gravelly ingredient. A fine schistic gravel may 

 sometimes be found quite productive. Generally speaking-, 

 however, hard gravelly soils are best adapted to crops of 

 rye and red-clover, alternately ; and with the aid of gypsum, 

 for which manure this soil* is peculiarly adapted, and with 

 deep ploughing, tolerably good crops of each may be con- 

 stantly raised. With the aid of gypsum, good crops of 

 buckwheat may be had from gravelly soils which are natu- 

 rally very sterile ; and this, instead of rye, may be the in- 

 termediate crop between those of clover, fro.m which the 

 most profit is to be expected. 



