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Peacock : The Foiland Soils. 



made me a convert to the true theory of alluvium, i.e., silt and 

 warp, and I advise you all to read his works. He points out with 

 his usual practical knowledge that Samphire beds turn into coarse 

 grass beds in about 10 years, but 20 to 30 should be allowed to 

 pass over for the roots and decayed veg-etable matter to fill the 

 ground with those rich organic deposits which make the soil 

 good. Moulton Marsh, inclosed in 1875, was 77° yards from 

 the old bank to the sea after a growth of 38 years. In some 

 parts of the foreshore the inclosures have followed too rapid lv, 

 carried on by men who did not understand silt formation. The 

 ground in consequence is poor sandy loam instead of rich silt. 

 As the Fen rivers supply the whole of the mud for the silt, and 

 not the sea, enclosing good foreshore can only go on at a certain 

 fixed rate. 



Time is slipping away, and I can only just refer to the pro- 

 verbial richness of the Fen soils, which can grow such crops as 

 this county cannot equal except on similar soils. The pastures 

 of the silt are unequalled, and the celery of the peat require 

 some beating when size is considered. The potatoes of the silt 

 may be set against the mangolds of the peat. Both these soils, 

 which are good enough for Sheep in summer, are but poor 

 winter ground. One turnip grown on chalk or Lincolnshire 

 limestone has as much food in it as two grown on peat. Xow 

 a peat soil is five times richer in nitrogen than either of the soils 

 from the rocks just named — ten times richer than a badly-farmed 

 limy soil — the best dressing then for peat is either of these 

 rocks. I always advise that pure chalk or limestone rock 

 should be broken up about the size of road metal, and should 

 be applied to peat as heavily as the pocket will allow. One 

 benefit of this dressing is it lasts a lifetime if it is once well 

 done. 



The silt requires lime in a more active state, and it should 

 not be overdone, as is frequently the case. A young land agent, 

 with more theory than practical experience, ' made a lot of 

 lime,' and added it by tons per acre to a rich silty loam. The 

 quicklime did its work effectually, and the barley crop was laid 

 flat while in flower, and was totally ruined. For silt soils a five 

 to ten cwt. per acre dressing of quicklime, applied as often as 

 possible in autumn, followed by a spring dressing of good cake 

 manure cannot be beaten by the finest artificials ever contrived. 

 As this lime can be obtained for 14s. or 15s. a ton ready ground 

 the cost is not out of the way. A manure drill is the best means 

 of applying it. Time will not permit me to speak of the artificial 



Naturalist, 



