SOIL*. 33 



soils, being* easily managed, and raising every species 

 of crop the climate will admit of. Such loams as are 

 of a dark red, bright chesnut, or hazely colour, if dry 

 and mellow, are almost invariably excellent. 



Gravelly loams, when warm, sound, and dry, or free 

 from springs, are useful soils, more especially in wet 

 seasons. 



Stiff loam, is naturally a poor, cold land. On walking 

 over it, it is found extremely adhesive in wet weather, 

 and it requires a long time to dr}^, which retards plough- 

 ing till late in the spring. It may be considered as for- 

 ming a medium between the clods of clay and the crum- 

 bUngs of loam. But if well manured, and perhaps drain- 

 ed, it will become very productive. 



The poorer sorts are of a pale yellow, or whitish 

 colour, and require abundance of manure to render them 

 fruitful. 



I^oams of every kind, whether wet or dry, are natu- 

 ral to grass : Some, however, which lie Hat become 

 mossy, when they have been a few years in pasture or 

 mowing, and require to be ploughed up; unless the 

 moss is destroyed by scarifying or harrowing and top 

 dressings. Gypsum will sometimes destroy moss, when 

 strewed on a dry loam in the spring. 



Loamy lands are generally too cold, and often too 

 wet, for bearing good crops of Indian corn; unless well 

 warmed and mellowed, by suitable manurings, &c. The 

 dry, redish, dark coloured kinds, and those which have 

 a mixture of gravel or sand are most suita])le for til- 

 lage. 



There are writers who speak of a soil which the}' call 

 black or garden mould ; but this being a species of artiiicial 

 soil, into which the others are generally brought by the ef- 

 fects of manures, the decayed remains of animals and vegi- 

 tables in the course of cultivation, it is not deemed neces- 

 sary to speak of it particularly. All good mould be- 

 comes black by being exposed to the sun and air a year 

 or two. Sir H. Davy says, a black soil containing much 

 soft vegitable matter, is most heated by the sun and air; 

 and the coloured soils exposed under equal circumstan- 

 ces to sun, acquire a much higher temperature than pale 

 coloured soils. 



4* 



