MODERN HIGH FARMING. 11 



long period, ultimately produces highly fertile soils containing sili- 

 cates of aluminum, potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron, phosphates, 

 sulphates, and chlorides. 



The soil at first resulting from this gradual decomposition forms 

 very thin layers, in which only the lower orders of plants find suffi- 

 cient food to fructify deriving from the air and the rain their 

 carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. In the natural process of 

 death and decay, these fresh elements of fertility in various states 

 of combination are transferred by the plants to the soil, which is 

 thus enabled to afford nourishment to a higher vegetation, and, by at- 

 tracting to it the animals in search of vegetable food, receive from 

 them other elements conducive to the highest fertility. 



The study of Geology even if only elementary will therefore 

 enable the agriculturist to accurately guage the natural resources of 

 his country, and will teach him how to adapt his ideas upon drain- 

 age, irrigation, plowing and sowing to the surrounding circum- 

 stances of soil and climate. He will learn to mix and combine differ- 

 ent soils, and understand that certain overlying beds on his lands 

 may not at all resemble in composition or be derived from the under- 

 lying rocks, but may have been carried from immense distances and 

 deposited by water. Then it may frequently happen that in some 

 fields he may have a very stiff and unworkable clay which his geo- 

 logical map would show to repose upon a deposit of sand or of lime- 

 stone, and in such a case he could at once (after previously verifying 

 the fact by some preliminary boring or deeper ploughing) open up a 

 quarry and supply his clays with the necessary elements for their 

 conversion into loam. 



The acquirement of knowledge will naturally induce us to seek 

 by art to assist or even to improve upon nature, and well-considered 

 preferences will be accorded to certain cultures and breeds of cat- 

 tle, while into the soil will be introduced those elements of fertility 

 in which it has been proved to be deficient. 



Sufficient attention will be paid to drainage, the necessity of free- 

 ing the land from an excess of water being even greater than the 

 introduction of fertilizing elements ; for, although under proper con- 



