540 The Scouring Lands of Somerset. [oct., 



physical condition of the surface soil in order to find a 

 remedy. 



The question then arises : Is it possible to improve the 

 physical condition of these soils ? Here the results of the 

 mechanical analyses are of value. They prove to be not 

 widely different from those of the soils of some well- 

 known valuable pasture land in other parts of the country. 

 It seems certain, therefore, that it is not the actual mechanical 

 composition of the soil which is at fault ; and hence there is 

 no inherent reason arising from the structure of the soil why 

 improvement should not be possible. Further, there is reason 

 to suppose that by altering the physical condition of the 

 soil improvement does set in; and possible remedial measures 

 which seem worth trying suggest themselves. 



For example, when "teart" land is ploughed up and laid 

 down again after an interval, the new pasture is not "teart" 

 at first, but only gradually becomes so. There are, however, 

 no experimental data available on this subject, and it is a 

 matter of importance to find out any means of keeping such 

 newly-laid-down pasture permanently sound. 



Again, the possibility of improvement by means of drainage 

 is worthy of attention. As has been mentioned, all pastures 

 on the Lower Lias formation in Somerset do not scour cattle, 

 and it is those fields in which the texture of the surface soil 

 is most "clayey" and the stiff clay subsoil comes nearest to 

 the surface which are the worst. Dr. Voelcker, writing in 

 1862, and referring to a case of two fields side by side, both 

 on the Lower Lias formation, one scouring and the other 

 sound, suggests that "the scouring field would be found to 

 rest on a stiff, impervious clay subsoil, not very far removed 

 from the surface ; and in the sound field the subsoil would, 

 in all probability, be of a much more porous character, or 

 be found at a greater depth than that usually penetrated by 

 the roots of grasses." Certainly there always seems to be 

 more definite surface soil which is of looser texture and better 

 aerated in the fields that do not scour, when compared with 

 adjoining scouring land; such fields would in consequence 

 be slightly better drained. 



A great deal of the pasture land in Somerset was drained 

 many years ago, but at a great depth (usually 4 ft. to 



