18 ANALYSIS OF SOILS. 



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 

 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, 



