soits. ol 



or S inches thick, to break the cohesion of its prirticles. 

 But marl, marl and dung", hme and ashes, are found to 

 give such soils the highest degree of fertility. Dnng 

 will not be sufficient, unless in very great quantities. 

 Dung and sand is better than dung alone. If these can- 

 not be had in sufficient quantities, burnt cla}^ gravel cr 

 light loam, saw du-^t, chips, straw, stubble, SAvamp mud 

 especially with ashes, bark of trees, rotten wood, or 

 even pebbles will be useful. When once made rich 

 they are extremely valuable ; holding the manure re- 

 markably, A small quantity of horse, sheep, or fowls 

 dung every year, will prevent them from ever returning 

 to their natural cold state. 



A stiff clay, may be reduced to a loam, by dressing the 

 surface frequently when under a sv/ard, or covered with 

 herbage, with plaster, sand, and rich manures, until a 

 rich sward is obtained ; then turn in the sward for til- 

 lage, and lay down as soon as pos'^ible, and dress again 

 as before ; in a few years, the stittest clay may be redu- 

 eed to a rich clay loam. 



It is thought proper once in 6 or 8 years to sum- 

 mer fallow certain kinds of clay, even when in a clear 

 state, to prevent the sourness and adhesion from wet 

 ploughing, which exposure to the sun and winds in sum- 

 mer may remove. Clay soils should be ploughed in the' 

 fall. No soil requires more ploughings, which should 

 be given it when neither too wot nor too dry. Fre- 

 quent harrowings are also necessary to mix the sandr; 

 and other materials well with thecla}^ la England it iir? 

 customary to plough a clay soil four or live times. 



If water stands on such land, it should he ploughed in 

 ridges and water-furrowed. The width of the ridg- 

 es should depend upon the degree of wetness. Some- 

 times drains are necessary. The value of clayey soils, 

 depends upon having an open subsoil. A tough clay re- 

 tains moisture so much as to rot the seeds and roots of 

 plants. 



Clayey soils, though they are supposed to contain more 

 of the food of plants than any other, are apt to be bar- 

 ren in a natural state. When not too wet, and proper- 

 ly manured, they are well qualified for wheat, oats, bar- 

 ley, beans, peas, flax, clover, and other artificial grasses 

 in large quantities. But they must not be fed with hcav> 



