SOIL. 



Bre might be fuppofed to have been the caufe ; but as the 

 confumption of vegetables by that element, however great 

 the walte may be of a part of their ufeful principles, is always 

 produftive of more or lefs fertility, the appearances above- 

 mentioned muft be owing to caufes of which no corredl 

 opinion feems to be at prefent entertained. Tliis defcription 

 of muir is the mail barren, and its improvement the molt 

 hopelefs, of any foil known there, and no attempts hitherto 

 made have either rewarded the enterprize of the undertakers, 

 or held out inducements to others to follow their example. 

 But there is another fpeciesof muir foil, which confiits, like 

 that already defcribed, of a ilratum of vegetable fubllances 

 upon the top, not of a black or burnt appearance, but re- 

 fembling the plants in a dry Hate intermixed with earth, 

 without having been afted upon by any thing but the wea- 

 ther. Thefe, when examined, are found to contain a con- 

 fiderable proportion of the properties common to all vege- 

 tables, and when properly treated, are capable of being con- 

 verted into a foil friendly to vegetation. The (tones upon this 

 kind of muir are of the fame colour with thofe met with 

 upon the bell foils. There are confiderable trails of this 

 foil, which, by good management, might be conliderably 

 improved : indeed a great part has been much ameliorated 

 of late years, in many diftricts, and is in a progreflive (late 

 of improvement. 



And in the analyfis of the fame writer of the turf of thefe 

 foils in the diltrift noticed above, he difcovered nearly the 

 fame principles as are found in thofe of the mody kind. 

 No gyplum was obtained from this turf, nor did the 

 ! trial by the magnet difcover any iron. Many other trials 

 I were made with dilferent kinds of turf, taken principally from 

 muirifh foils, the refult of which feems to eltablifh the con- 

 ftitaent parts of the turf to be, i, an acid ; 2, an alkah ; 

 3, oil ; and 4, vegetable earth, in a conliderable quantity. 

 In cafes where the turf is pared very thin, it is found to con- 

 tain lefs acid and more alkaline falls and vegetable earth 

 than where it is deep cut, and much of the foil taken along 

 with it. 



In the improvement of thefe kinds of foils different me- 

 thods mull be purfued, according as they poflefs more or 

 lefs of the vegetable principle, and as they are of the deeper 

 or thinner kinds. Where there is much heath, the great 

 objeft will however be that of dcftroying it as quickly as 

 poffible, in which view paring and burning may be had re- 

 courfe to with vail advantage and fuccefs. The application 

 of caudic lime has likewife been found highly beneficial in 

 the fame intention. 



The ufe of different fubdances of the animal and ve- 

 getable kinds, as dung and the mud of ponds, in the form of 

 earthy comports, may likewife be found advantageous on 

 foils of this nature, with judicious modes of cropping with 

 plants of the grain and green kind ; the latter being fed off 

 aB much as polTible upon the land by (heep. 



Some think the belt means of improving all forts of foil of 

 this nature, is, after the heath has been, in fome mcafure, re- 

 moved, where it is long, by the application of lime or marie 

 over the furface, allowing it to continue in that Hate for the 

 fpace of two or three years, when thefe foils arc to be broken 

 up and fown with projier forts of crops in alternation with 

 turnips and potatoes, the ground being laid down again to 

 grafs when it has been brought into proper condition for it. 

 The turnips, where it is pradlicable, fhould always be eaten 

 off upon the ground. Where the Iieath is of the long llrong 

 kind, it may be dellroyed either by burning, pulling it up 

 by the roots, or by fuffering the grafs to rife and choak it 

 up. See WASTE-Zanr/. 

 All thefe and fome other modes may be praAifcd in 



improving heathy foils with much luccefs in different 

 cafes. 



It therefore appears, from the whole of what has been 

 faid upon foils, that great care and attention are always requi- 

 fite in improving the nature and qualities of them, and that 

 the farmer (liould conllantly be properly on his guard in 

 undertaking fuch forts of work. 



Soil, in Gardening, the fine furface-mould or earthy ma- 

 terials, in which plants and trees grow and afford their pro- 

 duce. Different forts or qualities of foils are neceflary, in 

 this point of view, for different ufes and applications ; but 

 for the more general purpofes of culinary gardening, thole 

 of the more light and dry loamy kinds, which are readily 

 broken down and reduced in their particles, are probably 

 the mofl extenfively ufeful and beneficial, particularly when 

 they have been well impregnated and enriched with proper 

 forts of manure, or other fimilar matters. See Compost 

 and Manure. 



Some, however, think that the belt general foil in this in- 

 tention, is that middhng kind of loam, which, in fome parts, 

 is capable of being made of very different degrees of light- 

 nefs and friability, fo as to fuit and be proper for different 

 forts of vegetable crops, by the fimple addition of fand or 

 fandy matters, in due proportions ; and in other parts, of 

 different degrees of ftiffnefs, tenacity, and cohefion, by the 

 fuitable addition of clays or clayey materials, in the necef- 

 fary quantities. There are others who prefer foils of very 

 different natures and qualities, or which are very differently 

 condituted, for the ule of raifing the many different forts 

 of garden vegetables, and think it incapable of being ac- 

 complifhed in the belt and moll perfedl manner, where this 

 is not the cafe. It is therefore probable, that confiderably 

 more latitude in refpedl to the nature of foils is necelfary 

 in the garden cultivation of plants, than in that of the field. 



In general, the depth of a garden-foil, where the bottom 

 or fub-foil is perfeAly open and dry, (hould be confiderable, 

 as not lefs than three feet, or more, in any cafe where fuch 

 a depth is to be procured ; but where there is a bottom or 

 fub-foil of rather moid clay, or any other impervious ma- 

 terial of that nature, a lefs depth may fometimes be more 

 fuitable and proper, and particularly where fuch bottom or 

 fub-foil has been well drained and freed from too much wet- 

 nefs : however, in all or mod indances where this is inca- 

 pable of being properly efteiled, or the trouble and ex- 

 pence of getting and providing a dratum or layer of gravel, 

 or other fimilar fubdance, to be placed over it, are too great 

 to be incurred, the depth of the foil ffiould not by any 

 means be lefs than four feet, as when it is of lefs thickncfs, 

 there may be danger of the roots of herbaceous vegetables, 

 and of fruit and other trees, reaching and driking into it, and 

 being thereby greatly injured or dellroyed. And for fome 

 purpofes, as thofe of growing particular kinds of fruit- 

 trees, fuch a foil would be quite ruinous and wholly im- 

 proper, unlefs fome fort of impedinicnt was given to the 

 roots driking downwards, by forming a kind of pavement 

 with dones, bricks, or tiles, about two and a half or three 

 feet under the furface of the ground, jud above the clayey 

 bed. The depth of good garden foils fhould, of courfe, in 

 common, be from two to three feet, and in particular cafes 

 four feet or more. The nature of the particular foils, and 

 the (ub-foils or bottoms on which they red, mud, however, 

 in a great meafurc, regulate their depths. 



In cafes where the natural foils of gardens are to be re- 

 moved, and thofe of new and better kinds formed and pro- 

 vided, much regard is neceffary to be had, in the introduc- 

 tion of the different kinds of earthy materials of which they 

 are to be compofed. The foils of'^all the different parts arc 

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