r9.io.] The Scouring Lands of Somerset. 



54i 



4 ft. 6 in.). Even such deep drainage has in some cases 

 much improved "teart" land (as Dr. Voelcker also mentions), 

 but, as a rule, it is of very little use in such a heavy clay soil. 



It is, however, most probable that drainage as near the 

 surface as is practicable would in very many cases improve 

 the surface texture and decrease the tendency to produce 

 scouring herbage. This is a point with regard to which 

 careful experiments would give most useful information. 



Two cases in support of the view that drainage near the 

 surface would be valuable are of interest. 



On one farm there is a small field which always yields 

 sound herbage, and which is surrounded on all sides by fields 

 which frequently scour cattle badly. The farmer calls it his 

 "hospital field." The only possible explanation seemed to 

 be that twenty or thirty years previously this field alone had 

 been drained by open "cuts." 



The other case is one in which considerable improvement 

 as regards scouring has actually taken place in several fields 

 which were drained at a depth of about 2 ft., although drains 

 were already there at about 4 ft. 6 in. 



Scouring on " teart " land must be due either to the abnormal 

 chemical composition of the herbage directly affecting the 

 animals or causing an unusual fermentation in the intestines, 

 or to a specific organism, bacterial or protozoal. If we assume 

 that the actual cause is chemical in nature, it is possible that 

 the very close texture of the soil and consequent poor aeration 

 lowers the respiration of the plant and causes the formation 

 of unusual compounds. On the other hand, assuming a 

 micro-organism to be primarily concerned, then we are led 

 to the conclusion that it is the physical condition of the 

 ! " teart" soils which renders those, and those only, a suitable 

 habitat for the organism. The evidence on the whole seems 

 in favour of the former alternative. This is not, however, 

 the place to discuss these two hypotheses, but in either case 

 it seems that we shall probably be driven to attempt to alter 

 the physical condition of the surface soil in order to improve 

 matters. 



