180 



lowed and made friable the new soil, especially if aluminous ; 

 which greatly assists the pulverization or comminution of its 

 parts. The ground is next well dunged for a potatoe-crop, 

 with ordinary animal manure, or better, peat compost, made 

 with farm-yard dung, according to the fermenting process of 

 Lord Meadowbank, and twice heated and turned. In de- 

 fault of compost during the trenching, particularly if the sub- 

 soil be clay, it is advisable, soon after the potatoes are planted, 

 to hoe into the drills as much slacked lime, in fine powder, as 

 is generally used to a wheat crop, that is, about a hundred 

 and fifty or sixty bushels per acre. This treatment surpri- 

 singly tends to comminuate the subsoil turned up ; it brings 

 the hard or inert substances contained in it into a state of de- 

 composition or solution, and renders them the proper food of 

 plants. If the process be conducted with common judgment, 

 the value of the potatoe-crop cannot be less than from 201. to 

 25/. per Scotch acre (I have myself drawn 30Z. under fa- 

 vourable circumstances;) and it fully pays the labour and 

 manure laid out, and perhaps some rent besides. By the 

 succeeding season, the ground will be in a good condition to 

 be planted ; after which, it should be kept with the hoe for 

 three years. 



In so far, then, the mode of preparing the ground for close 

 plantations is superior, in point of economical arrangement, 

 to the preparation for open dispositions of wood, as it is clear 

 that it may be prepared without expense to the owner. By 

 the directions here given, the soil in the latter is more pul- 

 verized, and approaches, if well managed, to the state of fine 

 dark-coloured mould, such as is used for a vinery, and supe- 

 rior to that of most vineries. In the former, what is deficient 

 in fineness is often compensated by variety, and by the 

 extensive scope, which it gives to the roots to search for their 

 food. 



On considering these various methods of improving soils. 



