SOI 



SOI 



the size of their particles. For their ! 

 chemical differences, the preceding 

 process must be adopted. 



" It is often useful to ascertain j 

 nearly the composition of a soil with- 

 out having time or opportunity to 

 make accurate experiments. A grad- 

 uated glass tube which can be carried 

 in the pocket, and a small vial with a 

 ground stopper, containing diluted . 

 muriatic acid, and secured in a wood- 

 en case for fear of accident, are all the 

 apparatus required. A Uttle of the i 

 soil is taken and moistened with wa- \ 

 ter ; a few drops of the acid are pour- 

 ed on ; and by the greater or less dis- 

 engagement of bubbles the proportion 

 of calcareous matter is guessed at, 

 and its presence proved. The soil, 

 mixed with water, is poured into the 

 glass tube and well shaken. In a few 

 minutes the coarse sand is deposited, 

 shortly after the liner sand, and, last- 

 ly, the clay and impalpable matter, of 

 which the lightest remains longest 

 suspended. Distinct rings can-be ob- 

 served in the deposites, and the grad- 

 uated tube shows their proportion. 

 A person accustomed to this method ' 

 will guess with great precision the 

 general qualities of the soil ; and | 

 when the geological structure of the j 

 neighbourhood and the nature of the 

 subsoil are taken mto consideration, 1 

 the value of the land for pasture or I 

 cultivation is guessed with little dan- 

 ger of making very glaring mistakes. , 

 To surveyors and valuers this meth- 

 od is of very great help, when other 

 means are not at hand. 



" In practice, soils are usually di- 

 vided into light, mellow, and stiff; 

 but this gives very little information, 

 there being every imaginable variety 

 in each of these. In the article Ara- 

 ble Land, we have given a more par- 

 ticular classification from Thaer, but 

 tlus is found chiefly applicable to al- 

 luvial soils. There are still minute 

 circumstances which produce great 

 fertility or the reverse, and which it 

 is difficult to investigate. An accu- 

 rate chemical analysis, joined to a 

 careful mechanical examination, and 

 very correct accounts of the average 

 produce under difierent systems of 



cultivation, can alone give us a scale 

 according to which the natural fertility 

 of different soils can be classed ; and 

 this must be the work of time and in- 

 dustry joined to science and practical 

 knowledge. We shall therefore con- 

 clude this article by recommending to 

 every lover of agriculture to observe 

 and note the peculiarities of tiie soils 

 with which he is best acquainted ; to 

 analyze them frequently and under 

 various circumstances, and thus en- 

 deavour to find to what peculiar sub- 

 stance or condition is to be ascribed 

 a greater or less degree of fertility ; 

 so as to lead to the simplest and ea- 

 siest mode of rendering indifferent 

 soils fertile, and increasing the pro- 

 ductive power even of the best." — 

 {Rham.) ' 



SOILING. "This is the name giv- 

 en in agriculture to the mode of feed- 

 ing horses and cattle in the stable or 

 yards with food brought to them as 

 it is cut in the meadows or fields. 

 The great advantage of soiling cattle 

 is the increase of manure of the best 

 quality which is thereby produced ; 

 and this circumstance alone can coun- 

 terbalance the great trouble and ex- 

 pense incurred in cutting and carry- 

 ing all the green food from a distance 

 to the farm-yard. 



" The system of soiling is not very 

 generally adopted, it being so much 

 easier to allow the cattle to crop their 

 food in the pastures ; but in those 

 countries where property in land is 

 greatly subdivided, and where farms 

 are small and good pastures scarce, 

 as in Flanders, France, and Switzer- 

 land, especially where the vineyards 

 render manure scarce and dear by 

 taking a considerable portion of it 

 and returning none, there the soiling 

 of cattle is almost a matter of neces- 

 sity. A cow or ox requires from two 

 to three acres of pasture or meadow 

 to feed it all the year round, allowing 

 a portion for hay; but by raising clo- 

 ver, lucern, sainfoin, tares, and other 

 green crops, three cows or more can 

 be fed with the produce of one acre, 

 especially if a portion is in turnips or 

 other succulent roots. Thus the 

 straw of the white crops is converted^ 



735 



