84 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



considerable proportion of calcareous or other fertilizing 

 matter. We have seen some very good soils, which par- 

 took largely of a slaty gravel. 



Generally speaking, soils which are very gravelly are 

 hard, and they are usually poor, from much the same 

 causes which contribute to the proverty of soils which are 

 very sandy ; and the means of ameliorating each are very 

 similar. But as a hard gravelly soil is much more difficult 

 to mellow than the sandy, the former is, on that account, 

 the least valuable. 



Hard gravels must be ploughed very deeply, in order to 

 enable the growing crops to withstand the droughts of Sum- 

 mer. Roots which require a deep extension into the earth, 

 and all those plants which are most affected by drought, 

 have but little chance of succeeding in a gravelly soil of 

 this description. 



It is most effectually mended by casting earths upon it 

 which are most retentive of moisture: At the same time, 

 it is a soil that is extremely sensible to the operation of 

 gypsum ; and, with the aid of that manure, will produce 

 good crops of clover, which, in due season, will enable the 

 soil to bear a crop of rye to advantage ; and in this way, or 

 something similar, poor gravelly soils may be made to 

 yield considerable profit. 



But, as the soils which may be denominated gravelly are 

 some more, and some less, so; some very hard, and dry, 

 some mellower, and not so much affected by drought ; we 

 will not pretend^to designate particularly the most profita- 

 ble uses of soils'of this kind, as much must depend on their 

 particular character, and as those of the better kinds may 

 often be found very good for most kinds of culture. 



The loamy soil is a close, compact, retentive earth, and 

 appears to be similar to clay ; with this difference, however, 

 that loam does not crack open when dried. It is also, in 

 general, different in color from the, most of clays; the 

 poorer sorts of loam being of a pale yellow; the better 

 sorts of a brownish color; and some are often found of a 

 redish hue, which are endued with various degrees of fer- 

 tility; though, generally, they are very good for almost 

 every purpose of farming; particularly when of a dry and 

 mellow kind. 



The dark or brown-colored sorts are almost invariably 

 good lands; but best, where they are dry and mellow. The 

 darkness of the color probably denotes the presence of 

 much vegetable matter in them. 



Loams of every kind, whether wet or dry, are natural to 

 grass : Some, however, which incline to become mossy, 

 when they have been a few years in pasture, or mowing- 

 grounds, require 10 be more frequently ploughed up; uiv- 



