ns 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 





mixture of many earth*, arc more perfect than those 

 possessed by a mixture of only one or two. But however 

 it is explained, it la a fact which it b >me out both by the 

 observations of the geologist and the experience of the 

 farmer. When the soil overlying the junction of two 

 rocks, whose mineral composition is different, appears to 

 be owing to a mixture of the parts of each, it is always 

 found to be more fertile than the soil ou either side of it, 

 the one possessing the mineral composition merely of the 

 one, and t!ie other the mineral composition merely of the 

 Other. This mixture of soils frequently takes place, 

 especially when the strata of the twe adjacent rocks are 

 horizontal, and the one thins out over the other. A very 

 marked instance of increased fertility produced in this 

 way occurs near Frampton-on ^ ern, Gloucestershire, 

 where the graver thins out over the clay of the lias. The 

 land on the former of these beds is valued at 25*. per 

 acre ; that on the latter, which is of a perfectly opposite 

 character, is raised at 20*. per acre. Tbers is a band 

 about 80 yards wide between the two, where the gravel 

 thins out over the clay, in which the soil is valued at 35#. 

 per acre. These valuu is were made by a committee of 

 the farmers of the paiish, for the purpose of apportioning 

 t new ratej } ">d the differences in them are evidently 

 owing to a mixture, in the narrow band alluded to, of the 

 clay on its one side witl. the gravel on the other. 



But the advantage of such a mixture is not only 

 attested by the geologist who observes in nature cases in 

 which it is apparent, but it is recognised by the practice 

 of the farmer. 



In the fen countries, the soil on the peat is alt i and 

 improved by spreading over it the clay on which it lies. 

 "When this has I i done twice or thrice the vdue of the 

 soil is greatly in ase«l ; instead of being so light as 

 formerly that it was blown about by the wind, it has 

 acquired a firmness I ing ii r the growth of Wheat and 

 Beans. This means of improving peaty soils might pro- 

 bably be made use of more generally than it is, for the 

 very formation of peat requires that its subsoil he clayey, 

 or at least tint it possess the rctentiveness of clay ; and 

 the chief t lult of peaty toils being lightness, the remedy 



is thus alwsys st hand. 



Another instance occurs of an artificial mixture of 

 soils, and the advantage at iding it is attested by the 

 practice of the Norfolk and Suffolk farmer. It is a 

 common practice there to remove the delects of the light 

 sandy soil of the lower member of the plastic clay, by 

 digging pits in the corners of the fields, and fetching 

 thence the clay, and sometimes the chalk marl which j 

 occure at a considerable depth, and spreading it over the 

 surface, at the rate of 100 cubic yards per acre. This, 

 though it is ( cted at a cost of G</. a cubic yard, is pro- 

 ductive of a most profitable result. The land, as in the 

 case of the peat, acquires a valuable degree of tenacity. 

 In Staffordshire, also, and over the whole extent of the 

 diluvium on the new red sandstone formation, it is a 

 practice to dig the red marl which lies at no great depth, 

 and spread ic over the soil, which is a stiff gravelly clay. 

 The difference here between the substances thus mingled 

 is not so great as in the other cases, but is sufficient to 

 Under the operation profitable. There are many other 

 Cases in which an advantageous admixture of soils might 

 be effected, and in which the subsoil-plough, which has the 

 effect of gradually mixing the soil with the subsoil, might 

 be used with advantage. In naturul cases of mixture, 

 such as those already alluded to, where a rock of oue 

 description thins out over one of another kind, a more 

 thorough mixture of the ingredients of each might be 

 effected by this implement to the depth of at least 

 16 inches. In those cases, again, where the subsoil is 

 composed of beds of different material alternating with 

 one another, a mixture of these could be effected to a 

 similar depth in a similar manner. Thus, one of the 

 members of the old red sandstone series consists in some 

 places of alternating beds of clay and sand ; and the soil 

 is sandy or clayey, according as it is above the one or the 

 other. It is full of water, which accumulates in the sandy 

 strata and gets its way to the surface by rising over the 

 edges of the beds of clay. In this case the improvement 

 consequent on the use of the subsoil-plough after drainage 

 would be immense ; the surplus water would not only 

 be taken away, but the soil itself would be altered, the 

 sandy and clayey strata would be mingled. 



The fertility of an alluvial soil which is formed ot the 

 mouths of large rivers by the subsidence of the earthy and 

 vegetable matter carried down by them, is owing not only 

 to the fineness of the particles of which it is composed, 

 but also to the circumstance thit it is composed of par- 

 ticles of a variety of rocks — of all those, in fact, through 

 which the bed of the river passes, and is therefore gene- 

 rally a mixture of every variety of earth. 



The mineral composition of a soil influences its value 

 also, inasmuch as on it depends, in a great measure, the 

 expense of working it. This, of course, is the case only 

 on arable lands, but there, the labour on a clay soil is 

 necessarily greater than the labour on a light sandy soil. 

 And it is evident that though in both cases the amount of 

 gross produce were the same, yet on subtracting the ex- 

 pense of labour, the«value of the free produce would be 

 lets in one case than in the other M. S. 



{To be continued.) fc 



would be under aqaeJhf favoui ihle circumstance 3 by 



British farmers. In practice it is not found to act so 

 beneficially as elsewhere, if used on the laud under which 

 it is found ; and not only is it too heavy to bear the 

 expense of land-carriage, to distant farms of lighter soil, 

 but the nature of the tenures would for the most part 

 render it illegal to remove it. The soil in the south is 

 very different but hardly less valuable ; and as the owners 

 generally farm their own land, every advantage is gained 

 which careful farming, adequate capital, and modern 

 improvements can bestow. In the south are the only 

 lime quarries which exist in the island, and from these 

 kilns excellent lime is procured at a cheap rate — a two- 

 horse cart-load for about 5s. The southern shores are 

 also most prolific in casting up ** wrack " or M i-weed, 

 which is drawn away with great avidity and industry. 

 This is generally put upon the \Y neat and Gat stubbles 

 during autumn and winter, ploughed in while yet fresh, 

 and without any additional manure the Potatoes are 

 planted in spring. The Potato crops thus managed, are 

 generally good, averaging 30 and often reaching nearly 40 

 bolls (each boll being 4 cwt.) per acre. The sea-weed is 



>t considered permanent manure, and can seldom be 

 relied upon for more than one crop ; it is not, ho.vever, 

 an uncommon circumstance for a large farmer in the south 

 to wrack the whole of his Potato hind, and be thus enabled 

 to bestow the farm-yard manure upon his Turnip crop. 

 As before stated, the usual rotation of OTOps adopted is 

 that udez the four-course system, breaking up the Grass 

 or Clover leaf or Oats, these being followed by Potatoes, 

 and the Potato land being subsequently limed (by some, 

 when the Potatoes appear in rows above ground, by 

 others after the crop has been removed) for the succeed- 

 ing Crop of Wheat or Barley, according to the quality of 

 soil, or the speculative spirit of the farmer. 



The species of Potato generally planted for the main 

 crop is that called ** Cups." It is a prolific and hardy 

 variety, sin 1 bears a good character in the Liverpool and 

 Manchester markets. Upon inland farms the most of the [ 

 yard manure is bestowed upon the Potato crop, so that 

 their Turnips are generally raised upon bone-dust, with 

 or without vegetable ashes. During the last two years 

 large quantities of guano have been imported from Liver- 

 pool, and this useful manure, when ptudently applied, 

 has been found admirably adapted to the Manx soils. How 

 far it may be trusted for the succeeding crops of grain 

 and Grass seeds is yet, perhaps, hardly ascertained ; but 

 there can be little fear of their succeeding if at least one- 

 half of the Turnip crop is consumed on the land. The 

 Barley is generally sown in spring with Grass seeds; 

 Winter Barley is a variety little known or used in this 

 island, although I have no doubt it would succeed, favoured 

 as it would be by our mild seasons. Amongst other fiscal 

 privileges with which the island is endowed, it is most 

 happily free from those oppressive excise laws, which, es- 

 pecially as regards the malt duty, cramp the energies and 

 lessen the profits of the British farmer. Every brewer i--, 

 and any farmer may be, his own maltster ; and the home 

 market for Barley (although greatly depressed by the 

 recent tariff) is generally steady and fairly remunerative. 

 In the management of the Hay crop the Manx farmer is 

 culpably deficient. The Grass is generally allowed to 

 shed its seed before it is mown, and if not exactly over- 

 made, it is at all events allowed to remain in cock until, 

 by the alternate influence of sun and rain, the nutritious 

 properties have been for the most part wasted away. The 

 lea generally continues two years, being mown one year 

 and grazed the other, when it is broken up to receive the 

 Oat-crop, which recommences the course. 



As part of the course of cropping it may be proper to 

 mention (now that increased attention is being invited to 

 the subject in England) that it is generally the custom of 

 the native Manx farmer to raise a small annual crop of 

 Flax, but for domestic purposes only. The value of the 

 seed for cattle feeding, and of the steeping fluid as liquid 

 manure is little known, and perhaps never made use of, 



placed as speedily as possible under ground taJ 

 with the furrow-slice ; for when it has agaia 

 itself with carbonic acid from the air, and has thual!!? 11 

 mild, many of its qualities are either entirely lost^** 

 much impaired, especially its action upon the raj** 

 humus and the vegetable matter of the soil. Ca^!* * 

 will not suddenly loose its properties; several Si 

 weeks, will elapse, before it will have become oi5 

 saturated with carbonic acid, for it has firat to SS 



It is to be obserTed,kT 

 ever, that perfectly caustic lime, being easily lolgj/* 

 water, may injure the crops, especially if large qmafc* 

 are used. It must, therefore, be made a general raUjS 



en manured with a large quaijfc 

 wn immediately afterwards wuV J 

 L-rop, unless it contains much humic acid in a fret J 

 for this will immediately combiue with the lime and? 



water which it has absoibed. 



audit* 



indeed the Flax is generally pulled before the seed-pod is with ammonia, and thereby compel the ^ atte Q ner the 

 ripe. At a former period much attention was paid to the form of gas, which will be the case . tnc , ous Jgb. 



a soil which has been 



lime is not to be so 



c 



for 



a mild compound. 



All crops grown after lime manure, will ripen the 

 for it, and this, in cold climates, is of some imparts 

 To this is to be added, that such crops are not only «» 

 relished by cattle, but that they are really more nur 

 the former will be especially seen in the case of thewn 

 ferruginous soils, plants grown on them being unpalu* 

 to the cattle, on account of the iron contained iatW 

 and they become more nutritious and more savour? i^ 

 the application of lime, because the superabundant* 

 vegetable acid is then neutralised. 



To moors or peaty soils, caustic as well as m 

 may be of use by neutralising the malic acid, and if i 

 soil should be barren on account of sulphate of iroat- 

 sulphate of alumina, which are easily soluble in wit» 

 application of lime will correct it most essentially, bra* 

 composing those most deleterious salts and combining^! I 

 their sulphuric acid into gypsum. I 



It has been also asserted that a plentiful application 1 

 lime will be useful to crops by its continually giving % 

 to the roots of plants that carbonic acid which it 

 from the air, thereby constantly supplying them with 

 bon. This assertion, however, not being based on is; 

 experiment whatever, does not deserve much crec 

 because even conceding that lime will give up to the rot) 

 the carbonic acid which it absorbs, this could (as we Km 

 seen before), only be done by their yielding tothelisi 

 another acid, which might contain as much, and perinsi 

 more, carbon, than the carbonic acid. The chief w4 

 lime is that it decomposes vegetable matter and the as 

 of humus, and that it combines afterwards with the hm 

 acid, and thus, in the shape of humate of lime, wka 

 is soluble in 2,000 parts of water, yields to the platt I 

 nourishment, which is probably useful, as this saltct> 

 tains only 13 parts of lime and 87 parts of humic arid. 



However useful the manuring with lime may be ins** 

 cases, we must guard against an over-use of it; becais 

 as lime prompts the humus to a speedier decompo.- 

 a substance, which is to be preserved as much as po«M^ 

 and which in fact, ought never to be entirely destrtjw 

 on account of its hydroscopic and other good properaBJ 

 it is evident that the over use of lime will at length resif 

 a soil quite barren. It is, therefore, to be made agw» 

 rule that the ofcener lime is employed, theoftenero* 

 also is to be brought on the field, the only substitute p* 

 haps for this being vegetable mould, and this in large qs» 

 tides; by this, certainly the humus, though not the** 

 substances which are contained in the dung, might .bi« 

 some way replaced. Care mutt also be taken that* 

 more vegetable nourishment be elicited by the lime OT 

 the humus than the crop can consume; becau* 

 the soil contain much above the quantity thus reqoi 

 it is always to be feared that much humus will be lost o^ 

 extracting powers of the rain-water. Lime *™ m 

 however, ought never to be applied during the ^ m ^ 

 because the Time easily takes hold of the humic acir^ 

 in farm-yard manure is combined withammonia, e ^ 

 if the soil contain but little humus. Lime wM^ 

 up the sulphuric and phosphoric acids alreadv aaB t»* 



this crop, and previous to the decline of the Irish linen 

 trade it was considered remunerative. The deep peaty 

 soils of the M Curragh" land are admirably adapted to its 

 successful cultivation, and if the value of the fibre is in 

 some degree deteriorated by the ripening of the seed-pod, 

 yet that loss would, it is believed, be amply counter- 

 balanced by the value of the boiled seed for cattle-feeding, 

 or of the raw seed for the next sowing. 



In continuing this sketch of the Agriculture of the Isle 

 of Man, it will remain to give some account of the live 

 stock bred or imported into the island, of tiie implements 

 of Agriculture— the average rents of land — the forms of 

 leases — and of prices and quotations of markets, and to 

 notice some peculiarities of tenure which exist 



It will, moreover, be only fair towards the English 

 reader, and in no way unjust towards Manx Institu- 

 tions, which are not conceived in the spirit of modern 



MANX AGRICULTURE.— No. II. 



Considering the size of this island, the soil varies 

 more than might be expected. The soil of the northern 

 extremity is strong and deep, well adapted for Wheat and 

 Beans, and valuable crops of the former are in favourable 

 seasons generally obtained. In this portion, also, a large 

 extent of deep alluvial soil occur?, and excellent marl may 

 be obtained, but tie latter is not so much used as it 



pectmg insular laws, 

 customs, and privileges, which exist only for the benefit of 

 the natives, and are oftentimes used as cruel engines of 

 oppression and inhospitality towards the stranger who 

 may settle amongst them. — Cultor. 



{To be continued.) 



ON MINERAL & INORGANIC MANURES.— No. IV. 



By Professor Charles Sprexgel. 



{Translated from the Germin.) 



As lime possesses all the above qualities only in its 



caustic state, it follows, that, in order that the manuring 



, with hme may produce the greatest effect, it should be 



drier the soil is. It is true that the nitrrj^^ 

 stances of the dung will, perhaps, by the P r ^ sa itp e tre; 

 change into nitric acid, and thus into l g amm0Q jg 

 still, it is always to be apprehended t *' a jnime airf 

 which may be generated may be volatilize^ s h ou ldbe 

 dung are applied in the same year, the jj me on ,jg 

 ploughed under with the fallow-furrow :~ on i/ a sm £ 

 other hand, with the seed-furrow, ani y generally be- 

 quantity is to be taken of the latter. Qt c j ec0D1 p sinf 

 lieved that this is done for the sake < reagon j 8 that 

 the dung too soon, but the more prc. f Ijme and ^ 

 it may not drive off any ammonia ;.* ammonia WO ali 

 were mixed in the same furrow, r 

 necessarily be volatilized. y ime be bar nt for 



It is also to be observed tliat r cent . f carbonate 

 manure which contains 30 or mor r n *j ou ^ m £nf- 

 of magnesia (Dolomite), as it ha^ on r^he reasosof 

 land that such lime will injure vff h ' Qrne out ) is, that 

 this assumption (although not 5^ tfae car bonic acid of 

 magnesia will, after burning, ^ the gu . ca ]i e d three- 

 the air, and in such proportic be (^^4; which td> 

 quarter-carbonate of magnesiF wflter wou ' ld pro bablf 



being soluble in 2500 parj ju ' than they need, 

 supply the plants with mo;^ of the Do i oro ire «re 

 It may be, also, that the b£ inino . a longer time in * 

 caused by burnt magnesia b ° rnt lime __ s0 mac* 

 state free from carbonic a goil wiI1 mostly unite with 

 so, that the humic acid J of nesla (oiuch more 



it ; and then that the ty fi of j^j will supp ly the 

 soluble in water than - a# Ja goiIs ricll in ham* 

 plants with too much 0ntaini too mUC h magnes* 

 the bad effects of the 1 



