Farminrj of East Lot! dan. 



277 



Oceanic sweep from the west, flowing to the east, and depositing 

 the debris to the east of all protruding rocks or hills. The pre- 

 dominating feature in most soils is claj, more or less retentive. 

 Wiiere light, sandy, or gravelly soils prevail, they are generally- 

 situated along the coast, the margins of some rivers, or more 

 properly " burns," or at the foot of the Lammermuir hills. The 

 character of the surface soil in most instances has been partially 

 altered by the application of lime and manures. This alteration 

 is most marked along the coast-line, where the refuse of towns or 

 fishing villages and sea- weed, which have been long applied to the 

 land, and lime, have changed the original texture of the soils, 

 what were primarily sandy or clayey soils being now rich light 

 or heavy loams. These soils, from this acquired composition, 

 and from the local facilities as regards supplies of sea-w^eed, have 

 long maintained a high character for productiveness. This cir- 

 cumstance has so influenced public opinion as to attach a cha- 

 racter of natural fertility to the county which it does not possess. 

 The large crops raised in East Lothian are attributable mainly to 

 the liberal application of manure and a judicious system of 

 cultivation, aided by a somewhat favourable climate. 



This statement is not applicable to East Lothian alone. The 

 principal corn-producing districts in England, such as Lincoln- 

 shire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, all consist chiefly of soils naturally 

 inferior. The same remark holds good across the Channel, of 

 which Belgium is the most striking example. If we glance at 

 ancient countries, Palestine and Sicily, at one time great corn- 

 producing and even exporting countries, they also have soils na- 

 turally inferior. 



The prevailing soils in East Lothian are clays, more or less 

 retentive. These soils, when chemically examined, show a 

 higher percentage of argillaceous matter than their appearance 

 would indicate. As there exists considerable misapprehension 

 on this point we will state briefly the causes which are in ope- 

 ration tending to mislead practical and even scientific men. The 

 character of a soil, viewed agriculturally as regards friability or 

 retentiveness, is less dependent on the composition of the soil 

 than on the nature of the climate — the quantity of rain which 

 falls — the manner in which it falls — the nature of the subsoil, 

 whether retentive or porous — the nature of the rock, whether 

 compact or intersected with fissures — the average amount of ob- 

 scuration of the sun's rays — the character of the wind as regards 

 the amount of moisture — the force of its currents ; in short, it 

 is the relation subsisting between the air and the soil, which, 

 within certain limits, renders a soil either friable or retentive ; 

 and, we may add, highly fertile or comparatively ban-en. An 

 ordinary clay soil may, from the character of the climate, be 



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