On  the  Poxoer  of  Soils  to  absorb  Manure.  379 
cerned  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  closely  connected  with  the 
power  of  the  soil  to  detain  the  substances  in  solution.  The  roots 
of  the  plants  which  are  supposed  to  take  up  the  mineral  and 
other  matters  presented  to  them  could  only  do  so  to  a certain  and 
limited  extent,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  water  must  pass  from 
the  irrigated  meadow  almost  as  fully  impregnated  with  these 
substances  as  at  first.  But  we  now  see  that  the  influence  of  the 
water  is  felt  long  after  it  has  drained  from  the  land,  and  that  it 
has  left  behind  it  in  the  soil  a rich  manuring  of  those  elements 
which  plants  delight  in.  If  upon  further  investigation  this  view 
should  turn  out  to  be  correct,  the  choice  of  water  for  irrigation 
will,  other  things  being  equal,  rest  with  that  kind  which  contains 
salts,  See.  most  suitable  for  manure,  and  every  attention  will  be 
paid  by  thorough  draining  to  enable  the  soil  to  act  as  a perfect 
chemical  filter,  and  to  bring  its  absorptive  powers  into  full  play. 
Lastly,  I have  little  doubt  that  when  further  progress  has  been 
made  in  the  inquiry  which  is  now  being  carried  on,  and  it  shall 
have  been  ascertained  fully  to  what  ingredients  in  clay  the  ab- 
sorptive power  of  soils  is  due,  and  the  various  chemical  pro- 
perties of  this  particular  substance  shall  have  been  carefully 
studied,  that  the  theory  of  liming  and  the  circumstances  under 
which  it  is  or  is  not  admissible  will  be  made  plain.  If,  further, 
the  investigation  should,  as  may  be  hoped,  throw  light  upon  the 
cause  of  natural  fertility  in  some  soils,  and  the  very  different 
agricultural  value  possessed  by  land  in  all  outward  respects 
of  similar  capabilities,  a great  step  will  have  been  made  in  the 
right  direction. 
CORRIGENDUM. 
In  the  article  on  Water-meadows,  vol.  x.  p.  470,  it  was  stated  on  the 
authority  of  Mr.  James  Ley  that  the  fall  on  a meadow  of  Lord  Poltimore’s 
was  only  4^- inches  in  1980  feet.  I observed  that  this  fall  “ was  so  wonder- 
fully low,  that  unless  the  measurement  had  been  given  me  by  the  person 
who  laid  it  out,  I could  not  have  believed  it.”  It  turns  out  that  Mr.  Ley 
was  in  error  in  his  statement.  I have  since  examined  the  field,  and  find 
that,  though  to  the  eye  the  meadow  is  perfectly  flat,  the  fall,  as  taken  by 
the  level,  is  much  more  than  Mr.  Ley  stated,  as  is  also  the  case  on 
Mr.  Barber's  field  mentioned  in  the  same  page. 
I may  take  this  opportunity  of  stating  that  the  new  mode  of  managing 
water-meadows  recommended  by  me  in  that  article,  namely,  by  repeated 
penning  of  sheep,  continues  to  answer,  maintaining  the  stock  invariably 
in  good  order,  and  that  the  only  inconvenience  arising  hitherto  from  it  is 
the  enormous  extent  of  stock  which  it  requires  to  be  purchased,  and  the 
difficulty  even  then  of  keeping  the  grass  down. — Ph.  Pusey. 
