NEW PUBLICATIONS. 239 



tjllires an insight into the nature of those agents most active, and 

 universally present in fertile soils. The ingredients which occur 

 in the most minute proportions, are those upon which its fertility 

 depends. Silica, alumina, lime, magnesia, oxide of iron, and man- 

 ganese, potash, soda, phosphoric acid, chlorine, and a certain pro- 

 portion of disorganized and partially decomposed organic matter, 

 appear to be the most common and universal constituents of soil. 

 But the state in which these bodies are combined, and the condi- 

 Ition of the organic matters, decide, not unfrequently, between bar- 

 renness and fertility. Light sandy loams need a heavy top-dress- 

 ing of leached ashes, after which, they will produce abundant crops. 

 When a soil is properly charged with a limed compost, gypsum is 

 an excellent fertilizer, and should always be sown broadcast, with 

 clover, which serves to retain the ammoniacal matters disengaged 

 from nitrogenized manures by the action of lime. 



Pulverized granite is a good amendment to clayey soils. When 

 here is a deficiency of lime, it may be supplied in a compost with 

 ()t'at, either in the form of marl, or of slacked lime. 



The alkalies are best introduced by means of ashes in a peat 

 compost. 



Magnesia is to be employed in combination with an acid, as the 

 sulphate, or phosphate. Magnesian earth may be applied with 

 profit to soils containing an excess of the sulphate of iron arising 

 from the decomposition of pyrites. 



A mixture of peat, urine, a little epsom salt, lime, and gypsum, 

 will make an excellent fertilizer to almost all kinds of soil. 



Salt acts as a powerful fertilizer, especially on soils remote from 

 he sea. It causes an increased growth of foliage, and gives the 

 plant more strength, so that a much larger crop of grass is obtain- 

 jd where it has been spread. It should not be used in larger 

 juantities than from three to four hundred pounds to the acre, and 

 t is best to mix it into compost while adding the recently slacked 

 ime, for it will serve to retain the ammonia. 



Phosphates of soda, potash, magnesia, ammonia, and lime, are 

 all powerful manures, and enter largely into the composition of 

 slants. Phosphate of lime is obtained from burnt bones. 



In noticing this report, we have perhaps exceeded the proper 

 imits ; but as few copies only of the work are printed, we were 



