18 ANALYSIS OF SOILS. 



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 

 complaint, or a grievance ! 



I report nothing concerning our variously consti- 

 tuted soil, thinking that no correct statement can be 

 given by any detail of a local district under cultiva- 

 tion, 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 proportions of lime, sand, 

 clay, and vegetable earth, &c., that a given quan- 

 tity of a certain field contained ; but the very next 

 ploughing would perhaps move a substratum, and 

 alter the proportions; or a subsequent dressing 

 change the analysis : the adjoining field would be 

 differently 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 correspondents, who send 

 me samples of their several farms, and request to 



