PEOCEEDIXaS OF THE FaR^IEES' ClVB. 507 



limited districts of countrv, wliore tlie soil has l)een formed from dis- 

 intciiTated shale, or soft roek, that was so constituted that it has given 

 siitHcient consistency to make good wheat land. Tlie snljsoil, or 

 rather the nnderljing- rock l)eing' full of cracks and seams, allows all 

 sur]»lus water to escape, thus perfectly draining every square foot. 

 The owner of sucli land is fortunate, if the rock is only made of the 

 right materials. Tiiere is but little of this peculiarly formed land. 

 ]\tost lands that are usually called " chiyey loams,"' ai-o due to an 

 entirely ditferent process of nature. Tlie clay was dep(>sited in water 

 in thin layers, divided by lamina of sand. W^ater ])asses very slowly 

 down through such a soil, tliough it will drain horizontally very 

 rapidly, iinding its way along the thin layers of sand. In such a soil 

 tile draining is at once very effective. 



Tlicre are clays in which the silicious matter is not in layers but 

 distributed through tlie whole mass of clay. These lands are very 

 difHcult to drain, and re(|uire drains to be very close together to make 

 them suitable to raise wheat. 



In the selection of farms, it is very connnon to prefer the sandy 

 loams, because of their being more easy of cultivation, and more free 

 from stagnant water, but if the object is to raise winter wheat, it will 

 be found in the end that the more clayey soils are the most valuable, 

 from the fact that thev are more enduring and make better returns 

 for the numure that is put on them. 



Either extreme, too much sand or too much clay, should be avoided 

 in selecting a wheat farm. The experienced farmer will find no diffi- 

 culty in knowing when he has found just the true muan ; the unskilled 

 may derive some benefit from the hints I have given. 



While clayey loams are best adapted to the profitable production 

 of winter wheat, it is well to remark that there are other soils, such 

 as gravels, sands and the like, on which crops of wheat are constantly 

 grown. P>y using hardy varieties of wheat, I have raised fiir crops 

 on alluvir.m, once a perfect swamp, that had been depositt'd by the 

 freshets of a brook, but the water of this l)ro(;k lias much lime in it, 

 and theajluvium in some places a|)proaches and is, in fact, an earthly 

 marl. On all the inferior wheat lands, the crop is subject to disease, 

 and to great injury from the depredatii:)ns of insects, not having the- 

 power to outgrow aiid overcome these enemies. High manuring and 

 perfect cultivation are absolutely necessary to secure average crops 

 on these lands, and so forced must be the firming that even in new 

 countries the owners of such lands very soon find that they can put 



