8 
Report on the Agriculture of Belgium. 
Casting a glance at the analytical results in the third column, 
the reader will not fail to discern that the lowest layer of this 
Campine soil contrasts most favourably in all particulars with the 
top-soil, and that it likewise shows a decided superiority over 
the intermediate layer. The proportion of oxide of iron, it will 
be seen, rises in the third layer to 1 per cent., and that of alumina 
to nearly ^ per cent. ; and with this rise we find an increasing 
amount of phosphoric acid and potash. In its natural state the 
third layer had a reddish colour, due to oxide of iron. The 
differences in the amounts of organic matter in the three layers 
of soil are greater than they appear in the preceding tabular state- 
ment : for, in the case of the third-soil layer, the organic matter 
given in the analysis includes a considerable proportion of water 
of combination, which, together with the organic matter, is dissi- 
pated on healing the soil with a view of determining the amount 
of the latter, whilst in the top and intermediate layer the organic 
matter includes scarcely any combined water. 
The preceding analyses are interesting, for they clearly demon- 
strate the propriety of bringing up the lowest layer, which is by 
far the most fertile of the three ; and mixing it with the second 
layer, and turning the all but completely barren top-soil to the 
bottom. 
The poverty of all the three layers in lime is very marked. 
Lime performs important functions in the vegetable economy, and 
is itself a constituent which enters largely into the composition 
of the mineral portion of all our agricultural crops. It cannot 
therefore be doubted that an abundant supply of chalk or lime, 
or better still clay-marl, would greatly improve the productive 
power of these Campine soils. Indeed lime, in some form or 
the other, should be freely incorporated with these lands if it is 
desired to effect a radical improvement in its agricultural capa- 
bilities. The propriety of freely applying lime to this kind of 
land receives an additional support in the fact that the interme- 
diate-soil layer is full of organic acids, or so-called sour humus, 
which require to be neutralised by a base, such as lime, before 
they can become plant-food. — AUGUSTUS YOELCKEE. 
The autumn before the land is to be brought into cultivation 
the heath is cut, and, preferably, used during the winter as litter 
for stock, otherwise it is left to rot on the compost-heap. While 
the weather permits, the land is dug with the long Flemish spade 
to the depth of about 2 feet, the top layer being completely 
buried, and about 15 inches of the two lower beds mixed and 
brought to the surface. The cost of this operation ranges from 
6/. or 6/. per acre up to a much larger amount, but it bears no pro- 
portion to the thereby increased value of the land ; for the rental- 
