10 THE VILLA GABDENER. 



will probably have become black and peaty in appearance ; and unless the 

 water can be thoroughly got rid of by draining, such soils are decidedly unfa- 

 vourable both for building and gardening. As chalky soil is almost always 

 dry, it is favourable for building on ; but, unless it has a considerable depth 

 of soil over it, the expense of forming suitable garden ground is greater than 

 on most other soils. A chalky subsoil in a valley is generally covered by a 

 depth of loam on the surface, which loam forms one of the very best soils for 

 growing every description of vegetables in the highest degree of perfection. 

 Chalky soils, though dry, are invariably colder than most others, from the 

 whiteness of the chalk not absorbing readily the sun's rays, and from the slow- 

 ness with which a dense body like chalk is penetrated with the rain of summer, 

 which is one of nature's chief modes of warming subsoils. A strong clayey 

 soil is not to be desired ; because it will cost a great deal to render it fit for 

 garden purposes; and because it forms a dangerous foundation for small 

 houses built on its surface, on account of its liability to shrink during the great 

 heats of summer, and to expand when remoistened by rains, thus throwing 

 the walls of the house out of their perpendicular. In various parts of Middle- 

 sex, to the north of London, brick cottages may be seen built on strong clays, 

 with walls leaning to one side, or bulging out, or with deep cracks in them 

 produced by this cause. However, where the foundation of the house is sunk 

 to the depth of 3 ft. or 4 ft., or where the surface of the clay is covered with 

 a thick coat of gravel, small stones, or sand, or where it is paved, or laid with 

 flag-stones, to the breadth of 3 ft. or 4 ft. all round the house, this disadvantage 

 of a clayey soil will not be experienced ; because the soil immediately con- 

 nected with the foundation is thus, in a great measure, protected from atmos- 

 pherical changes. A strong clayey soil can be walked on with pleasure fewer 

 days of the year than any other, on account of its retentiveness of moisture ; 

 tod it is the most expensive to cultivate, from its being alternately too hard 

 and too wet. It is, therefore, the very worst kind of soil for houses having 

 an acre or two of ground attached ; and it must obviously be the very worst 

 that can occur, either for kitchen-gardens or flower-gardens. There is a 

 description of clayey soil which is almost always soft and moist, because it 

 abounds in springs ; and, though no soil whatever, in its natural state, can be 

 worse for building on, or for gardening, than this moist clay ; yet, if it admits 

 of being thoroughly drained, it may be rendered better for either purpose than 

 the tough strong clay above mentioned. The reason is, that this springy 

 clay, from the very circumstance of its being springy, or, in other words, so 

 porous as to admit of water rising up through it, is less retentive of moisture, 

 and more freely and easily worked, when drained, than the other. In some 

 cases, however, the springs which rise from the subsoil cannot be effectually 

 cut ofi; so as to render the surface perfectly dry ; by which is meant, perfectly 

 free from all moisture, but that which falls on it in the form of rain or snow. 

 Loamy soils (which, for our present purpose, it will be sufficient to consider 

 as intermediate, either between sand and clay, or between peat or soft black 

 earth, and chalk) are not unfavourable for building on, and are highly favour- 

 able for every description of gardening. A sandy loam, with rock or sand, 

 or even gravel, for a subsoil, luay be considered as the most favourable of all 

 for gardening purposes, and, indeed, as the best soil for a country residence. 

 11. Subsoil.— The substratum on which the surface soil rests, is, both for 

 building and gardening, of more importance than the soil itself. No surface 



