of Central Somerset. 3 



c. Facts connected with Water. 



8. Certain waters in districts where scouring prevails appear 

 to have a decided medicinal effect on the health of cattle that 

 drink them. 



9. The composition of these waters has not as yet been ascer- 

 tained. 



10. Soft or rain water, and the black ditch-water from peaty 

 land, are preferred by cattle to the hard-water springs of the 

 lias. 



1 1. The black waters from peaty soils are always soft ; that is, 

 they contain but a small proportion of mineral and saline con- 

 stituents. 



12. The dark colour of water from peat is not due to any 

 astringent principle, but to compounds of humic and ulmic acids, 

 two organic acids of humus. 



d. Facts connected with Heritage. 



13. No satisfactory evidence exists showing that in scouring 

 meadows particular plants grow in abundance, which, like Linum 

 catharticum (purging flax), possess purging properties. 



14. The herbage on many scouring pastures has by no means 

 the appearance of that of poor, hungry pastures, but rather the 

 reverse. 



15. It has never been shown that the produce from scouring 

 land contains anything injurious to the health of animals fed 

 upon it. 



16. Manures appear to increase the evil in exactly the propor- 

 tion in which they increase the luxuriant growth of the young 

 herbage. 



17. During the driest summer months in the year the upland 

 herbage possesses the greatest scouring property. 



18. After the first frost in November the herbage loses more 

 or less 'completely its prejudicial character, and during the colder 

 and wetter months of the year pastures affected by this evil 

 exhibit it only in a slight degree, or not at all. 



We shall presently see the practical bearing of these facts, 

 which to my mind seem well established. They are empirical, 

 but most of them may be explained in a simple, rational manner, 

 and not a few can be subjected to an analytical inquiry, which 

 affords us a clear insight into the causes of this dreadful complaint. 



At the request -of the Council of the Bath and West of England 

 Agricultural Society, I visited last summer (in company with 

 Mr. Poole, to whose kindness I am greatly indelited) some of the 



B 2 



