316 



NOTICES OF AUTHORS. 



seems undoubted, that land is much increased in fer- 

 tility by being brought to this state." 



Whether a greater accumulation of vegetable 

 mould or enriching of the soil, would take place un- 

 der a system of rotation of crops, stirring of the 

 ground, and manuring, or under Nature's o^vn sys- 

 tem of management — whether, under forest, or im- 

 der the rich leafy grasses depastured by cattle, is a 

 question of the greatest intricacy, and only admits 

 of local decision, being dependent upon climate, soil, 

 and circumstance. From our author's statements, it 

 would appear that his mind had only ranged along 

 the surface of the subject. He has not taken into 

 account the quantity of root which herbaceous vege- 

 tables annually leave in the ground — ^in some kinds 

 little inferior in bulk to the portion above ground. 

 We have traced oat and wheat roots running down 

 into clay five and six feet (as deep as those of many 

 kinds of trees), extremely numerous, and fine as hu- 

 man hair. He seems not aware that the bulk of 

 yearly vegetable produce is much increased by cul- 

 ture, alternate cropping, and extraneous manm*e, such 

 as lime, mixtm-e of earths, sea-ware, bones. He has 

 not considered that the annual dead roots within the 

 soil, and the vegetable and animal manure, and the 



