AGRICULTURE WITH CHEMISTRY. jyy 



Clay is the fittest substance to be applied with a view to 

 alter the arrangement of the parts of a chalky soil. Peat 

 is a good application to soils of this nature, which are 

 frequently termed hungry soils, and very deficient in ve- 

 getable matter. And as a sufficiency of dung is not to be 

 procured to manure fully every part of a farm, peat 

 may be appHed in one or other of the states of prepa- 

 ration already mentioned. Unfortunately for the improve- 

 ment of chalky soils, neither clay nor peat is to be found 

 but at the extremities or outskirts of the extensive trads 

 of chalky countries: wherever they are to be had, the 

 application of them should not be negleded. Calcareous 

 soils, which have long been under the plough, contain a 

 large proportion of phosphat and oxalat of lime. These 

 insoluble saline matters may be rendered serviceable to 

 vegetation by alkalis, vitriolic acid, vitriolic neutral salts, 

 (especially if superacidulated) and by pyrituous and 

 aluminous substances. Even green vitriol, which has hi- 

 therto bjen considered as unfriendly to vegetation, will, 

 when in a proper manner applied to soils like this, con- 

 siderably improve and promote the growth of pasture 



grasses. 



It 



