Causes of Fertility or Barrenness of Soils. 201 
adapted to the growth of wheat. The miserably deficient crops 
which we too often see on some of the strong land districts (the 
weald of Kent and Sussex, for instance) is no disproof of this, 
since it arises from the wetness and poverty of the ground, and 
would prove even more fatal to other cereals. Of course it 
would be untrue to say that such soils would grow better crops 
of wheat than light warm soils in good condition, but they will 
bear the wheat crop more frequently repeated than other cereals, 
although the result is often very dismal : but what I would.^say 
is, that clay of an average quality, containing a certain portion of 
silicates and alkalies, freed from excess of moisture, and properly 
cultivated, is the proper soil for the wheat crop, and in no other 
can we obtain such large or frequent crops without the aid of 
extraneous manures. The wheat crop being more remunerative 
than any other grain, we should expect to find clay soils bring- 
ing the highest price in the market ; such was the case formerly, 
when tlie practice of agriculture was confined within narrower 
channels, and such would be the case now were there not counter 
objections, such as the great expense of working, and the unsuit- 
ableness of such land for the rearing, »Scc., of stock. The general 
adoption of turnip husbandry and the low price of wheat during 
the last few years have tended to depreciate the value of such 
soils by giving an undue value to the lighter ones. The writer 
of this essay is of opinion that we shall see a reaction of public 
opinion in this respect, and that under the influence of thorough 
drainage and enlightened practices, clay soils must attain a much 
higher comparative value than is the case at the present time. 
Once open the soil and allow the atmosphere thoroughly to 
penetrate, and the great objections will be removed : the expense 
of cultivation need not then greatly exceed light land ; the growth 
of the root crop and its consumption on the land will become 
practicable ; the farmer may look for profit to his stock as well as 
his crop, to the fold and the barn-door. On a good soil it is quite 
possible to get three wheat crops and one bean crop without ex- 
hausting the land in a six years' rotation, commencing with 1 
fallow, 2 wheat, 3 spring beans, 4 wheat, 5 seeds, 6 wheat. 
Another desirable feature in many clay soils is the excellent 
pasture they produce when properly drained. If we except the 
small tracts of alluvial soil which border some of our principal 
rivers, our best feeding land rests on clay. A due admixture of 
pasture and arable land is invaluable to the cold-land farmer ; 
the consumption of the straw with cake in the yards during 
winter supplies abundant manure for the ploughed ground. The 
flock must be maintained either on the grass with roots, or, 
weather permitting, penned on the land. During summer and 
autumn, when the light-land farmer has most difficulty in finding 
