THE VALUATION OF LANDED ESTATES. 323 



that barren soils only contain 4 Ib. of lime. Such soils produce crops 

 late in the season, and, as a rule, they do not rent high. Although a 

 good deal depends upon their position as to climate, they are generally 

 warm soils, and in many favourable situations they produce early crops 

 and rent well. 



Sandy Soils. These are made up of the small rough particles of 

 stones which have gradually been reduced to that state by the agency 

 of the atmosphere, or by the action of water at some remote period. 

 We often meet with sandy soils in different forms, where they are 

 mixed up with other matters, such as peat, gravel, loam, &c. Pure 

 sandy soils are not valuable as crop-producers, but when mixed with 

 peat, loam, or clay, they become valuable. Sand is a great retainer of 

 heat, and when mixed with other soils, thus becomes beneficial in the 

 production of crops early in the season. They are easily worked at almost 

 any season of the year. They are, however, hungry soils, and require 

 liberal and constant manuring; and without this, great crops need not be 

 expected from them. In clay soils, from the large proportion of water 

 which they contain, manure will lie a long time before it decomposes 

 and becomes useful to the plants growing on them ; but in the case of 

 sandy soils, manure does not lie long, as, from the want of moisture, 

 it decomposes very quickly, and hence the necessity of feeding such 

 soils liberally. But it is not a good system to apply a very large 

 quantity of manure to them at once, as a large portion of it would 

 either sink into the soil beyond the reach of the roots of the plants, 

 or escape in the form of gases into the air, before the plants could 

 have time to take it all up ; therefore such soils should be manured 

 frequently, and not too much at once. After a few years' cropping, 

 such soils are much improved by trenching. They bear good crops of 

 turnips, barley, and oats ; and when laid down in grasses they give a 

 sweet herbage. 



Loamy Soils. Good loam soils are composed of decayed animal and 

 vegetable substances, and therefore are rich in this respect. They are 

 generally dry, and do not require any great extent of draining. The 

 greater the depth of such soils, the greater is their value ; and the thin- 

 ner they are, they become of less value. Three kinds of loam are usu- 

 ally found namely, a black loam, clay loam, and a light loam. The 

 black loam contains the greatest amount of animal and vegetable 

 matter, and is the most fertile ; the clay loam contains a proportion 

 of clay ; the light loam contains a proportion of sand. All are good 

 bearers of the most of our cereals, provided the climate is suitable. 

 A good light loam is the most useful soil we can have for general 

 purposes. 



