XJT DIFFERENT KINDS OF SOILS, kt. 



The whole surface of the earth is made up of a few 

 finnple ingredients. With regard to Agriculture our in- 

 quiries are bounded to tiie soil on whieh we tread, and 

 to the substratum which supports it. These, in a judi- 

 cious system of farming, are objects of great importance. 

 The obstacles, which baffle the hopes of improvement, 

 are just as likely to lie in the subsoil, which is beyond 

 the reach of the ploughshare, as in the upper surface ; be- 

 cause when the former is close or extremely retentive of 

 Dioisture, the expense and hazard of cultiva'iing the sur- 

 face is considerably increased, whilst the growth of 

 plants cultivated upon it is much abridged and impeded, 

 particularly in adverse seasons ; and for this reason, 

 neither of them ought to be disregarded, A coat j of stiff 

 clay has been rendered productive, by the mere circum- 

 stance of resting on a bed of sand, or a rock of lime- 

 stone.; and, therefore, every cultivator, who wishes to 

 pursue a course of good management, shouUl go over 

 all his tieids, by digging pits in various places of at least 

 eighteen inches down, that he may know the materials 

 on which he is to operate. He can then lay his plan 

 with greater certainty of success, and, what often hap- 

 pens, the subsoil may furnish him with the means by 

 which to ameUorate the surface. 



The earth which generally presents itself first to the 

 eye, is no particular kind of soil, but, usually a mixture 

 of the soil underneath, with every adventitious substance, 

 either purposely brought to, or accidentally lodged up- 

 on it, causing it in many places to increase yearly in 

 depth. It has pleased the creator of the earth, to leave 

 it in some places more barren, in others naturally im- 

 proved. We are to uee our understanding in observing 

 what is the kind of that natural improvement; and our 

 industry in imitating the processes of nnture. 



A farmer, should be well actpjainted with the soil he 

 has to cultivate, previous to the application of manure^ 

 'Or a selection of crops: because what would be good 



