1836] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



489 



The ireneral character of clay flirm.s is, that | chalk is burneil anJ slaked liy water, or in the air, 

 though the crops are abundant, they are culliva- I belbre being laid on land, its efiiicis are an imnic- 

 ted at great annual expense. Great strength ofi ('''I'e and powerllil stimulant to vegetation, bc- 

 teams and implements, and much tear and wear 

 occur, in consequence of the more li^equent need 

 of fallows. When a heavy soil becomes foul 

 with root weeds, there is no remedy like fallow- 



nig; its stubborn adhesiveness does not allow of 

 li'eeing it fi-om weeds by any other means than by 

 repeated ploughing and exposure to a summer's 

 eun. While the weeds are destroyed, the soil is 

 ameliorated; and in autumn is fit lo receive a 

 dressing of manure followed by wheat seed. If 

 pretty free from weeds, ii may receive what is 

 called a winter fallow — /. e., ploughed in the au- 

 tumn — lie all winter to be reduced by the frost — 

 and in the spring it will be in order to have seed 

 sowed upon it as soon as it is dry enough to be 

 harrowed. Some such clay soils are regularly 

 fallowed every third 3"ear, which is certainly a 

 great loss to the tenant, when not duly provided 

 for by the tcrrr.s on wliich he holds his land, and 

 indeed, in all cases, to the community ; but there 

 appears no remedy — at least, no profitable remed3^ 

 For notwithstanding machines have been invent- 

 ed, and much ingenuity exercise<l, to break and 

 loosen the hardened surfiice of clay soils for the 

 reception of seed, yet, though a passable crop 

 might follow this breaking or rubbing (as it may 

 be called) of the surface, it was soon found that 

 the deep-rooting perennial weeds were neilher 

 checked nor destroyed: so that the practice was 

 soon abandoned. There is, however, some de- 

 scriptions of heavy land where no fallowing is re- 

 quired. Wheat and beans, or other corn, and 

 clover succeed each other alternately, and the 

 weeds which are nurtured by the wheat are kept 

 under by the lioe during the growth of the beans. 

 An opposite description of heavy land is called 

 hungry clay : this is commonly mixed vvilh gravel, 

 impregnated with a considerable portion of iron ore. 

 Very ii^vv plants enjoy themselves on this kind of 

 soil, and it is only improvable by thorough draining, 

 liberal dressings of lime or chalk, and frequent 

 dunging. In the neighborhood of" chalk hills this 

 kind of land is often met wilh, and is much im- 

 proved by a coat of pure chalk ; — to obtain which, 

 pits are sunk in the fields down to the rock, wdience 

 the chalk is drawn in the raanacr detailed in Ch. 

 XII. In all those countries where chalk abounds, 

 the fields are indented with circular hollows, show- 

 ing where the rock has been excavated below ; 

 and fi-ora the very many large dells to be seen in 

 the same districts, now filled with fine old oak 

 trees, it is evident that chalk — either as it is natu- 

 rally found, orailer being burnt into lime — was in 



sides Ireeing the land from slugs and insects. 

 Calx or Lime. 



It has already been observed, that chalk, though 

 one of the primitive earths, is never, in a pure 

 state, found Ibrming an arable surface. It is, ne- 

 vertheless, present perhaps in all njood soils ; and, 

 fi'om what has been remarked of its properties 

 above, it should be the endeavor of the f u mer to 

 make use of it as much as possible; — though in 

 saying this, it must be of course understood that 

 it is to be employed with a due regard to prudence. 

 It is equally beneficial to clay, sand, gravel, and 

 peat-earthy soils ; and tliough not, jjerhaps, the 

 direct food of plants, is a prime agent in proi)aring 

 vegetable or animal matter ah'eady on the soil to 

 yield nutrition to all. 



Caustic lime is supposed to be a preventive 

 against that disease in wlieat, commonly called 

 smut ; not only in preparing wheat seed, but by 

 dressing the land wilh it before sowing. Whether 

 it be a cure for this disease is, perhaps, questiona- 

 ble, because we know it is not in every instance 

 effectual; but we are quite sure that llie wheat 

 crop will be greatly improved by such a dressing. 

 Clover leys, intended for wheat, are much infested 

 by slugs, vvhich often, if not prevented, prove ru- 

 inous to the crop. In such a case, alibeial cast of 

 quick-lime should be given before llie plough, 

 vvhich will either kill, or so disable the slugs, that 

 no danger need be apprehended from their depre- 

 dations. If the lime be not given before sowing, 

 it may be applied after the wheat is up if necessa- 

 ry. It may either be sowed by hand, from seed- 

 kits, or flora a light cart with shovels. Night 

 sowing, when the dew is on the blade, is most ef- 

 fectual ; because the slugs are then feeding. If 

 rain fall soon after the lime is sown, its burning 

 quality is lott, and no longer ofll'nsive to the slugs; 

 in which case, another dose will be necessary. 



Of the other descriptions of earths, there are 

 only two combinations of them which are par- 

 ticularly interesting to llirmers, viz., sand and 

 loam. 



Sand and Gravel. 



Sand, if drj*, is easier and less expensively cul- 

 tivated than any other. Though very subject lo 

 be infested b/ qnelcii and other running rooted 

 weeds, it is readily cleared of them. The crops 

 raised on sand are sooner ripe, and some descrip- 

 very early times extensively used for improving j liotjs are of finer quality than those from richer 

 the surface of the land. ' | and stronger gound ; but the bulk is deficient in 



Clay is improved by chalk, in consequence ofj both corn and straw. The liability of sandy land 

 the latter breakinsr the consistency of the foriTier. j to suffer from drought is a great drawback on the 

 If drawn and laid on in the autumn, the frost will re- 1 profits of cultivation. In dry summers, the crops 

 dace the lumps during winter, so that it may be j are sometimes hardly worth collecting. At the 

 plouirhed in at seed-tliTie, or when ihe field is fid- { same time, no land pays better ibr inqjrovement, 

 lowed up. The pulverizing or reducing effect of i provided the means are at hand and the force suf- 

 chalk on clay is occasioned, as before mentioned, j ficient. Whatever application has a tendency to 

 by its power of attracting, at all times, a large ; give it compactness, will also make h more reten- 

 portion of water from the" earth or air; and this tive of moisture. For this purpose, clay, marl, chalk, 

 being congealed bv frost, swells and disturbs every or any other earth of a heavier description, will 

 particle near it. Its -mechanical reduction of clay i greatly improve the staple. For sheep husbandry, 

 facilitates all operations, and renders it in every | a sandy scil is well adapted ; the treading and 

 respect fitter for the orowth of plante. When 1 tail dress of the flock is invaluable for such laud. 

 Vol. IV^— 62 



