SB' SOIL9»- 



stances are liable to sink into such soils pretty fast, it S^ 

 necessary to plough deep to return them to the surface-. 

 It is worthy ®f remark, that the substratum of a sandy 

 soil, is often a strong clay ; thus nature furnishes the 

 means of perfecting her works for the use of man, upoa 

 the same ground. 



The crops best adapted to sandy soils are, common 

 turnips, potatoes, carrots, barley, rye, buckwheat, clo- 

 ver, sainfoin, and other grasses. Wheat is not very nat- 

 ural to this soil ; but wl.en in good condition, it will pro- 

 duce tolerable crops of this grain ; particularly when 

 sown on a sward of clover turned under. The lighter 

 kinds of it are too little retentive of moisture, during^ 

 the heats of summer, for p;ood crop» cf Indian corn ; but 

 those which are dark coloured are generally good for 

 this crop. In some places the most valuable improve- 

 ment upon this kind of land has been made by laying it 

 into grass, and treating it with top-dressings of difierent 

 kinds of soils, which, when liberally applied, have, often 

 changed the appearance, tmd so much altered its na- 

 ture, as to render it capable of bearing a succession of 

 valuable crops of grain. Even a blodng sand may be 

 reduced to a loam, by eov/ing plaisler, r/ith red top, or 

 other fibrous rooted gi-asses, until a swai-d can be obtain- 

 ed, then dress with plaisler ^and such things as mention- 

 ed above, and mix them Vv^ell with the sandy turf by 

 harrowing. The'^frosts and rain ©f winter will also as- 

 sist in tbir?. When the sward hi* become strong and 

 rich by the aid of manures, break up by deep plough- 

 ing; take one crop of potatoes, or grain, k-y down, and 

 proceed as before ; in a few years it will be r rich sandy 

 loam. 



Sandy soils push forward crops much sooner than oth- 

 er soils, they are of all others the least productive of 

 weeds. Turnips, &c. raised on them are of a better 

 flavour, and less liable to be attacked by wonns. Fruitg 

 or seeds ripened on such soils are better to keep, be- 

 cause they contain the fewest watery particles. 



It is a rule, in regard to sandy soils, never to pick off 

 any small stones that may be found in them, as they con- 

 tribute to prevent evaporotion, and to preserve moii. 

 ture. 



