SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. 251 



whywater in the subsoil makes a field cold ? 389. State the ar- 

 gument in favor of draining wet lands ? 390. 



When does the water in a soil sink ? 391. When does it rise ? 

 391. What do you call that action by which it rises? 387. 

 Will you explain this more fully ? 391. 



Should a cultivated soil be permeated by the air ? 392. What 

 is the pressure of the atmosphere in each square inch of soil ? 68. 

 Would this pressure force the air into openings made by the 

 plough and harrow ? It would. 



What gases does a rich and moist soil take from the air ? 392. 

 What possesses this power in a high degree ? 393. What infer- 

 ence from this ? 393. 



- What possesses this power of absorbing and holding gases in 

 the next degree ? 394. What possesses it in a considerable de- 

 gree ? 394. What in the lowest degree ? 394. What argument 

 do we derive from this against entrusting green manures to light 

 soils? 402. What in favor of composting such manures with 

 peat? 402. 



What is said of the effect of peat, swamp muck, and fermented 

 manures ? 395. Will you describe the effects of mixing clay with 

 sandy soils ? 396. 



If the farm, before spoken of, has now been bought, what will 

 become the question ? 397. State some of the difficulties which 

 the occupant will have to encounter ? 397. 



What will the farmer find among the first things to be done ? 

 398. Can he apply these manures, so as to give every field ex- 

 actly what it needs, and no more? 399. How may he apply 

 them? 399. 



How may he find things on this farm? 400. How must he 

 take them ? 401. 



If he should conclude to use half his green manure now, and 

 keep the other half for composting, what would you say of put- 

 ting the first half into sandy or lightish loamy soils ? 402. What 

 objection is there to using it as a top-dressing for mow-land ? 

 402. Might it do well thus ? 402. What would be a safer appli-r 

 cation of it ? 402. Why ? 402, 393 and 394. What striking in, 

 stance of loss, by the application of green manure to a sandy soil, 

 is mentioned ? 402. How has better corn been raised on similar 

 lands? 402. 



What is said of the application of barn-yard manure ? 403. 

 What of the composted manure supposed to be found on this 

 farm ? 404. What of hog-pen manure ? 405. Of sink settlings ? 

 406. Of chip manure? 406. 



What is said of the application of night-soil ? 407. What does 

 old plastering contain ? 408. What is its most valuable ingre- 

 dient ? 408. Is this very soluble ? 408. Would you put it on a 

 small space ? 364 and 408. 



How should our farmer, on his new place, decide whether to 



