20 ANALYSIS OF SOILS. 



through the winter, they were disposed of, and the sheep 

 augmented. After about six years' service, my honest, 

 quiet, sober laborer died, leaving his wife and two chil- 

 dren surviving : a third had recently died. We found 

 ' him possessed of some money, though I know not the 

 amount ; two fine hogs, and a flock of forty -nine good 

 sheep, many far advanced in lamb ; and all this stock 

 was acquired solely with the regular wages of ten shil- 

 lings a week, in conjunction with the simple aids of 

 rigid sobriety and economy, without a murmur, a com- 

 plaint, or a grievance ! 



I report nothing concerning our variously constituted 

 soil, thinking that no correct statement can be given by 

 any detail of a local district under cultivation, beyond 

 generally observing its tendency, as every soil under 

 tillage must be factitious and changeable. As a mere 

 matter of curiosity, I might easily find out the propor- 

 tions of lime, sand, clay, and vegetable earth, &c., that 

 a given quantity of a certain field contained ; but the 

 very next plowing would perhaps move a substratum, 

 and alter the proportions ; or a subsequent dressing 

 change the analysis : the ad^ining field would be dif- 

 ferently treated, and yield a different result. I do not 

 comprehend what general practical benefit can arise 

 from chemical analysis of soils ; but as eminent persons 

 maintain the great advantages of it, I suppose they are 

 right, and regret my ignorance. That the component 

 parts of certain lands can easily be detected, and the 

 virtues or deficiencies of them for particular crops be 

 pointed out, I readily admit; but when known, how 

 rarely can the remedy be applied ! I have three corre- 

 spondents, who send me samples of their several farms, 

 and request to know by what means they can meliorate 

 the soil. I find that B. is deficient in lime ; but under- 

 stand in reply, that this earth is distant from his resi- 

 dence, and too costly to be applied, D. wants clay ; E. 

 is too retentive and cold, and requires silex or sand ; 

 but both are so circumstanced, that they cannot afford 

 to supply the article required. Indeed it is difficult to 

 say what ought to be the component parts of a soil, un- 

 less the production of one article or grain is made the 



