184 ADAPTATION OP 



lying west of the Alleghany range of mountains ; and from 

 the abundance of vegetable mould, or humus, which such 

 soils contain, and the intimate state of admixture with 

 earthy materials in which it is found, they are not so stiiF 

 as the quantity of clay which they contain would seem to 

 indicate. But their texture will become more compact 

 as the vegetable matter becomes exhausted by bad hus- 

 bandry. From the absence of lime in most of the prim- 

 itive formation east of the Alleghanies, many districts, 

 although not deficient in the other ingredients, are not 

 found congenial to the growth of wheat. 



No. 4 is a fine clay loam, such as abounds in many 

 limestone districts, and contains a very large proportion 

 of carbonate of lime. The application of lime or marl to 

 such a soil would be a waste of time and money. Indeed, 

 while there is four per cent, of carbonate of lime in a 

 soil, it is doubted whether these applications can be made 

 with any advantage. 



No. 5 may be termed a very rich sand loam, in which 

 there is one fifth clay, one tenth humus, or organic mat- 

 ter, and a sufiiciency of carbonate of lime for ordinary 

 purposes. This soil is easily worked, is adapted to al- 

 ternate husbandry, if made dry, and, although graduated 

 a tenth below No. 1, is probably as profitable a soil as 

 the farmer can cultivate. 



Nos. 6 and 7 may be denominated kind clay soils, 

 about upon a par with No. 5, clay more preponderating 

 in their composition, and with less than half the humus 

 that No. 5 contains — a deficiency, however, which a 

 good farmer would soon contrive to remedy. 



Nos. S, 9, and 10 are rated of less value than the 

 preceding, because they are deficient in carbonate of lime 

 and humus. Upon these, it is presumed, mild hme, and 

 marl, and ashes would prove benefici-al, and would raise 

 them to the value of Nos. 6 and 7. All of these num- 

 '^'bers, and those which follow, may be considered as corn, 

 turnip, and clover soils, if the deficiency of humus is sup- 

 plied by manuring. 



Nos. 10, 11, and 12 form the Hghtest classes of 

 soils, and are termed sandy, from the preponderance of 



