1837] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



519 



sive, llieir only mode ot deciiiiiii; on the nature and 

 merit of soils, is by the reqmsitc application of 

 nianure, and their jndi^aient of the quality is Ibrni- 

 ed by tiie (juantity of produce. 



SoiU' are described under numerous classes, and 

 distiniiuished by a useless variety of terms ; but as 

 much as is necessary for the present purpose, may 

 be arranged under the lollowing heads, being those 

 most subjected to injury from water. 



Clays. — These are of ditferent kinds, and vary 

 both in their color and texture. They are found 

 in their natural state, of the colors red, white, blue, 

 and yellow. They all jiossess more or less of the 

 heavy and adhesive qualities, and this depends, in 

 a great measure, more on their contiguity or dis- 

 tance from the water ofsprings that may be lodged 

 under them, than from any quantity ol" rain that 

 may partially fall upon their surface. The latter 

 is soon counteracted by exhalation ; but the re- 

 moval of the other, can only be atiected by means 

 ol' under draining. 



Clays of every description are retentive of water ; 

 and in many situations reijuire the aid of surface- 

 drains, to relieve them from saperincanibent mois- 

 ture, even al'ter that of springs may have been 

 effectually extracted from under them. The blue 

 and the yellow clays are the most pure, ductile, 

 and tenacious ; the red or brown, when freed from 

 water, and meliorated by culture, become the most 

 friable, and consequently the most productive of 

 any. In the fertile districts of the carses of Govvrie, 

 Falkirk, Stirling, Clackmannan, and other parts of 

 Scotland, these strong clay soils predominate ; but 

 such have been the improvements in those places, 

 by draining and other approved modes of hus- 

 bandry, that the nature of the soil, in many parts 

 of them, partakes at this time more of a rich and 

 deep loam, than that of clay. 



Such clays as are distinguished in Scotland by 

 the appellation of till, are the most barren, obdu- 

 rate, and unproductive. In this kind of clay, there 

 is always a mixture both of large and small stones, 

 which render it more ditficult to excavate, and are 

 the means of its receiving, and retaining moisture, 

 in a greater proportion than any of the others. It 

 is on that account more spouhj,* and difficult to 

 cure. Its quality too, when laid dry. is so inferior, 

 that its produce, when cultivated, seldoms repays 

 the outlay. The flat moors, and even the declivi- 

 ties of many hills in Scotland, consist of this per- 

 nicious till, particularly in northern exposures, 

 and where the adjoining land, exposed to the 

 south, is often of a light, dry, and kindly soil. 

 The natural sterility ol" this kind of clay, where it 

 has little or no covering of any other soil, is always 

 apparent, either from its total want of herbage, or 

 from the poverty and scantiness of the plants it 

 produces. The only object, therefore, in draining 

 it, is to relieve the better soil adjoining, from the 

 effects of its wetness ; and, in pastures, to render 

 it by that means, less injurious to the stock that 

 may at times feed upon it. 



Loams. — These may be considered the most 

 manageable, useful, and productive of all soils. 

 They are compounded of different materials ; but 

 the substances that contribute most to the forma- 

 tion of loams, are clay, sand, gravel, and vegetable 



* In England, this may be called spongy. In Scot- 

 land it means, where there is a small oozing-out of 

 water, but no permanent spring. 



mould ; and as these prcMlominate, they have ac- 

 quired their distinguishing names accordingly. In 

 proportion as the argillaceous or clayey part exists 

 in the soil, the nearer it approaches to that sub- 

 stance, and hence it is denominated clayey loaja. 

 The difference in the lightness and friability of 

 soils of this class depends on tlie relative propor- 

 tions of the other ingredients; and where the pro- 

 portion of these lighter substances prevails, hence 

 thev are distinguished by the names of sant/y or 

 'j^ravelly loams. Ft would appear, therefore, that 

 the proper admixture of these ingredients must 

 constitute the excellence of this soil, and must 

 render it morepulverizuble and prolific, than when 

 one or other of the dililjrent ingredients predomi- 

 nates. When allowed to rest, loam acquires a 

 degree of cohesion, little inferior to clay ; and al- 

 though it absorbs water freely, and swells with it, 

 it retains only a proper quantity of moisture for the 

 purposes of supporting vegetation, and allows the 

 superfluity to run off where there is a descent; or 

 yields it readily to drains that may be necessary to 

 draw it ofT. With regard to the color of loams, it 

 varies, from the application of the means used lor 

 their improvement, by cultivation and manure. 



In situations where it has undergone little chancre 

 by these artificial additions, the color is generally 

 a light brown, or hazel ; but where much culture 

 has" been bestowed, and large and frequent manur- 

 ings applied, particularly in the vicinity of towns, 

 the texture is altered, and the color approaches to 

 that of^black. Considerable tracts of natural loam 

 are found in many parts of the kingdom, particu- 

 larly on the sides of rivers , and as they are often, 

 in these situations, injured both by floods and other 

 water, it becomes an object ofiniportanceto remedy 

 these defects, by proper drains and embankments. 

 Sandy and Gravelly soils. — These differ consi- 

 derably from each other in respect of color, and in 

 the nature of their consistence, and other qualities ; 

 but they may not improperly be classed under the 

 same head. Sands are of various colors — brovvn, 

 red, white, and yellow. In an agricultural point 

 of view, however, it may only be necessa-i-y to 

 notice the two first. The difference of color, 

 weight, and quality, depends on the nature and 

 quantity of other substances, with which they 

 may be combined. These ingredients may be 

 clay, loam, or other earthy substances, and ac- 

 cording to the quantity of each, sands are either 

 heavyor light in proportion. Those of the first 

 description,'vvhere clay is the most prevalent, ap- 

 proach nearest to loam, and are, although more 

 tenacious of moisture, the most valuable on that 

 account. Such as are chiefly sand, and with less 

 mixture of clay or vegetable mould, are too light, 

 insipid, easily saturated with water, and seldom 

 very productive. They are also, as well as the 

 light gravelly soils, apt to be scorched in hot sea- 

 sons, which is not the case with soils of a more 

 retentive (juality. They absorb water greedily, 

 though they do not retain it long; it soon filtrates 

 through them to the nearest declivity, which ren- 

 ders their drainage an operation of easy and cer- 

 tain efl'ect. 



Gravelly soils partake nearly of the same quali- 

 ties as those that are sandy ; but the particles that 

 compose them being larger in the first, there must 

 be a less proportion of animal, vegetable, and 

 earthy substances intermixed, consequently a 

 greater deficiency of the nutritive qualities, than in 



