204 Causes of Fertility or Barrenness of Soils. 
Root crops living so much bj their leaves, and taking such 
small quantities of the valuable mineral matters out of the soil, 
will grow on every variety of land, provided we can once ensure 
a good start for the young plant, and the soil be sufficiently open 
to allow of the swelling of the bulb. There is, of course, a wide 
difference in the relative amount of crop which different soils will 
produce without manure ; but the intelligent cultivator can remedy 
any defect by the application of small doses of forcing manures, 
added to thorough and frequent stirring of the soil — a point which 
seems as necessary to healthy growth as the presence of the 
manure itself. Tlie successful cultivation of the turnip and other 
root crops depends upon climate more than upon soil, and there- 
fore we can hardly name any peculiar soil as specially adapted 
in all cases to grow these crops. We may safely say that stiff 
undrained clay is not suitable, but ought speedily to be made 
so, and that all other descriptions of soils, where climate is 
favourable, will, under judicious management, produce a green 
crop. 
Mangold wurtzel seems adapted for growing on soils too stiff 
for the white turnip, or swede ; and as it possesses valuable 
feeding properties, and will usually grow a greater weight, we 
strongly recommend its more general adoption. It will be found 
invaluable for stock late in the spring, when the rawness, so 
evident before Christmas, will be replaced by a large percentage 
■of saccharine matter ; indeed so rich do they then become, that 
great caution is necessary not to give lambing ewes, &c., too 
many while the lambs are young. Many farmers think it more 
exhausting than the swede crop. Nothing in its analysis would 
lead to such a conclusion ; on the contrary, we find a large per- 
centage of common salt — a substance that can be added as a top 
dressing for a mere trifle. Carrots and parsnips require deep 
sandy soils where no obstructions exist to the descent of the 
tap roots. Potatoes also thrive best upon light loamy soils, 
at least they appear less subject to disease in such situations ; 
formerly they were profitably grown on every description of 
isoil. 
We may sum up what has been stated above as follows : — Stiff 
soils are peculiarly adapted to the growth of wheat ; when drained, 
well cultivated, and containing a portion of lime, they grow beans 
better than any other sort of land, but are not so well adapted to 
the growth of root crops as lighter soils. Calcareous soils produce 
good quality of barley, root, and all leguminous crops, while 
sandy soils are adapted for rye, flax, and roots of all descrip- 
tions. 
