under the feet while walking upon it. From the analyses of 
the chalked and unchalked soils, there does not seem given 
to the former any additional power to absorb water by the 
addition of the chalk, at least it does not appear in the 
analysis, although the power of containing water between 
siliceous sand, and lime in its fine state of carbonate, is by 
Schoebler's experiments as 25 to 85. Again, the firmness 
and consistency of pure clay in a dry state is represented 
numerically by Schoebler at 100; that of siliceous sand by 
0, that of lime in its fine state of carbonate by 5, but in 
their wet or moist states, clay is 27, sand 3.8, while that of 
lime is 14.3, or about one-half of that of clay; so that in 
affording consolidation to any soil, two parts of lime are 
equivalent to one of clay ; or, conversely, one part of clay 
will go as far as two parts of lime. Unfortunately, however, 
there are no comparative experiments before us respecting 
chalking and claying, although at Riplingham there are two 
distinct beds of clay, and the subsoil at Neswick is said to 
be clay. These clays are no doubt marls, and I can only 
add, from Hillyard, " that marl is a mine of manure for 
those who are so fortunate as to have it for a subsoil ; but 
" the desire of possessing it is lessened, because it generally 
lies under an inferior surface of soil ; this applies more 
" decidedly to chaW It is, however, certain that either marl 
or chalk added to a siliceous sandy soil, will not only give 
consistence, but exert the more proximate causes of increasing 
fertility, hy promoting the absorption of oxygen, siliceous sand 
being represented by 1.6, clay 15.3, carb. of lime 10.8 : also, 
hy increasing the absorption of moisture from the atmosphere, 
siliceous sand being .0, clay 42.0, lime 31.0, and by increas- 
ing the poicer of the soil to retain icater, siliceous sand being 
25.0, clay 70.0, carb. of lime 85.0. Its power of retaining 
heat, however, will be diminished, while siUceous sand is 
represented by 100.0, clay is 66.0, and carb. of lime 61.0. 
