ANALYSIS OF SOILS. 19 



know by what means they can meliorate the soil. I 

 find that B. is deficient in lime ; but understand in 

 reply, that this earth is distant from his residence, 

 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, unless the production of one article 

 or grain is made the standard ; for differently con- 

 stituted soil will produce different crops advanta- 

 geously: one farm produces fine wheat, another 

 barley ; others again the finest oats and beans in 

 the parish. To compound a soil of exact chemical 

 parts, so as to afford permanent fertility, is a mere 

 theory. Nature and circumstances may produce a 

 piece of land, that will yield unremitting crops of 

 grass, and we call it a permanently good soil ; but 

 art cannot effect this upon a great scale. A small 

 field in this parish always produces good crops ; not 

 in consequence of any treatment it receives, but by its 

 natural composition ; consisting principally of finely 

 pulverised clay, stained with red oxide of iron, a con- 

 siderable portion of sand, and vegetable earth : but 

 though I know the probable cause of this field 

 bearing such good wheat, I cannot bring the sur- 

 rounding and inferior ones into a like constitution, 

 the expense far exceeding any hope of remunera- 

 tion. Rudolph Glauber obtained gold from com- 



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