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GRAVELLY SOIL. 



The gravelly soil is that in which gravel forms the lar-'' 

 gest part; and is distinguished according to the nature of 

 the earthy matter mixed with it; as clayey gravel?, 

 loamy gravels, or sandy gravels. The goodness of such 

 soils depends upon the properties of the gravelly ingre- 

 dients, and the proportion of earthy matter mixed with 

 them. Those are best which partake largely of slaty 

 gravel. A coarse sand, and a fine gravel are nearly the 

 same. 



Generally speaking, gravelly soils are hard. They 

 are more porous than sandy soils, atid may properly be 

 called hungry soils^ especially when the parts of which 

 they consist, are hard in substance and rounded in form. 

 As a gravelly soil is more difficult to mellow than a san- 

 dy one, the former is the least valuable. 



The open porous nature of gravelly soils, disposes 

 them to admit moisture very readily, as well as to part 

 with it v;rth equal facility ; which causes them to burn, as 

 it is termed, in dry seasons, but have the property of 

 quickly recovering with the least rain. They likewise 

 have the property of being more early than the more 

 hea?y sorts of land. 



Hard gravels must be improved by deep ploughings to 

 enable crops to withstand drought ; by the application of 

 clay, marl, peat, or other earth; by the mud of ponds 

 or rivers, the dung of cows and swine, sea-weed, stravf 

 partly rotted, or almost any substance which will retain 

 moisture for some time; various animal manures in the 

 form of composts, with loam and ashes ; and by irrigation, 

 ■f the water be full of sediment. The appHcation of 

 iiuli things in abundance, will meliorate it for a long 

 time. Such soil will answer for crops that require much 

 heat, as Indian corn, beans, peas, potatoes, &c. With 

 the aid of i^ypsum they will produce good crops of clo- 

 ver, which may be followed by rye. 



Sometimes the gravel is so covered with stone, that 

 hardly any mould can be seen. Land of this description 

 »s very troublesome to work, destructive to implements, 

 fcc. but with proper management can be rendered pro- 

 ductive. 



The wet, cold, springy gravel, is a very bad soil ; it 

 may be improved by draining ; by frequent returns of 



