FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 169 



Of marie, or clay, or other rententive earth, as much as 

 one hundred loads to the acre are usually requisite in ihe 

 first instance tor such soils ; and then, with the aid of clover* 

 and other grasses suitable to them, and with gypsum, and 

 the manure which the cattle hfford, made into suitable com- 

 posts, or otherwise* they will be found very pleasant and pro* 

 fitable lands for such growths as are suitable to them. And 

 they will be found suitable for most crops, even for wheat, 

 where it is sowed on a clover- sward turned under. 



After such soils have thus been made sufficiently reten- 

 tive of moisture, they will, perhaps^ be found as profitable 

 for cultivation as almost any soil whatever; and for this 

 reason, that although they will afterwards require more 

 expense in manuring, than is requisite in the stronger soils; 

 yet this expenditure will be found balanced by the greater 

 ease with which they can be properly fited, by ploughing, 

 for growing of crops 



They require but little ploughing, and but little strength 

 is requisite for performing it In most cases, one plough- 

 ing, it properly performed, is sufficient ; or two, at most, 

 will only be found necessary. Where a clover sward of 

 such soil is to be turned under, two Horses will be found 

 requisite ; but for merely stiring the ground up, where 

 there is no sward, the strength of one good Horse, or of 

 two Asses, will be found fully adequate. 

 See Ass 



Or the double plough, which turns two furrows at once, 

 may be used in such case, and drawn by two Horses or two 

 Oxen. 



See PLOUGH. 



In the counties of Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga, and 

 Warren there are plains of light sandy lands, to the extent 

 of perhaps one hundred thousand acres, which, if they were 

 improved, and cultivated, in the manner just described, 

 would probably give ample employ and support, to at least 

 one thousand Farmers; while, at present, those lands are 

 almost wholly unproductive. And, as far as those tracts 

 have come under our observation, it is believed they are 

 bottomed by substrata ot clayey marie, or ot blue clay; 

 either of which, applied to those soils, would answer well 

 for imparting to them the requisite degree of solidity, and 

 tenacity of moisture. 



The average expense of manuring these grounds, with 

 one hundred loads to the acre of clayey murle, clay, or 

 strong loam, would probably be about twenty-five cents a 

 load, or twenty-five dollars an acre. The land thus manured 

 would be worth from forty to sixty dollars an acre, accord- 

 ing to its proximity to market, and to the goodness of the 

 material used in thus improving the soil. 



22 



