42 
sudden physical or chemical changes may have serious con- 
sequences. 
The clearing and reclaiming of virgin soils for the purpose 
of rendering them available for agriculture requires a great 
deal of knowledge and care lest serious mistakes be made, which 
can only be remedied later on at great expense. 
Forest Land. 
In reclaiming forest land the removal of the timber and un- 
derbrush is the first operation. As a rule the heavy timber is 
easily disposed of for building or fuel purposes and the cut- 
ting is of no expense, or rather a source of revenue. The re- 
moval of the heavy rock and the cutting of the underbrush is 
often a serious and expensive problem. Frequently this is 
disposed of by burning, but such a radical method is often 
not practicable nor advisable, and in such cases the local con- 
ditions must be taken into consideration. 
As a rule, forest lands are very rich in humus, and burning 
is therefore advisable ; in fact, beneficial, since the ashes will 
tend to neutralize their more or less pronounced acidity, due 
to the decay of vegetable matter. If the land is somewhat 
poor in humus and the surface soil shallow, burning will often 
be found harmful and the roots and underbrush must be dis- 
posed of in another way. In most instances the conversion of 
forest lands into an arable condition will be hastened and as- 
sisted by an application of lime or marl. 
Mcadozvs and Pasture Lands. 
Soils that have been used exclusively for pasturing pur- 
poses are as a rule not immediately fit for the growing of 
crops, but must receive the proper treatment before they are 
in proper condition. Thorough cultivation first of all is es- 
sential, consisting of ploughing, harrowing and rolling. The 
grass sods must be destroyed by burning or other methods, 
and if the soil is found to react acid, lime must be applied. 
It is often found very beneficial to leave such lands after the 
first ploughing in the rough furrow exposed to the air and 
sunlight for some time. This alone will often sufficiently 
sweeten and condition the soil. 
Heavy Clay Soils. 
Clay banks which, owing to their close and impervious tex- 
ture, are more or less unproductive, can be reclaimed and 
made to produce good crops if properly treated. Humus in 
certain forms, lime, and also sand will be found of great ser- 
vice in changing the physical and mechanical condition of 
heavy clay soils. 
