RULES AND SUGGESTIONS IN HUSBANDRY. 43 



hausted, yet the same general laws govern in all. 

 Deterioration will progress in all soils which are 

 cropped, unless there is returned to them, in the 

 form of manure, some equivalent for what is being 

 constantly carried off. 



RULES AND SUGGESTIONS IN HUSBANDRY. 



We shall now proceed to give some rules and sug- 

 gestions in husbandry, of general application, to en- 

 able farmers, and particularly novices in the art, to 

 judge of the character and qualities of their soil, its 

 adaptation to particular crops, the causes of its de- 

 terioration, and the means of perpetuating its fertil- 

 ity ; or, if worn-out or impoverished, of restoring it 

 to its pristine vigour. The facts and suggestions 

 which we shall give are the results of our reading 

 and our practice ; and though they may not in all 

 cases prove to be sound, we think that in the main 

 they will be found to be so. 



The essential elements of a good soil are sand, 

 clay, lime, and vegetable or organic remains. Mag- 

 nesia, iron, and other matters are often found blend- 

 ed with the preceding ; but, in general, they are not 

 considered as exercising a great influence on its fer- 

 tility, except they exist in more than ordinary pro- 

 portions. 



2. The presence of sand, clay, and vegetable mat- 

 ter in a soil is deemed essential to all crops ; and 

 lime, in some of its forms, is considered indispensa- 

 ble to many crops, and particularly to wheat. 



3. The presence of sand and clay is readily de- 

 tected by the experienced eye ; that of vegetable 

 matter by the consistency and colour of the soil ; 

 and that of carbonate of lime by drying a portion 

 of soil, and pouring upon it some acid having a 

 stronger affinity for the base than the carbonic acid, 

 as muriatic acid, or even strong vinegar : if it con- 

 tains lime, effervescence will ensue ; and the propor- 

 tion may be ascertained by very simple modes of 

 analysis 



