endure the rigour of the winter as may be seen from Mr. 
Legard's report of the Neswick farm. The condition of 
land, together with its dryness and sandy nature^ have a far 
greater influence than climate upon the early maturity of the 
crops growing upon it ; for instance the harvest three miles 
south of Doncaster and up into Nottinghamshire, is earlier 
by ten days than on the north side of Doncaster, or even 
than upon the magnesian limestone of the same latitude, 
because there is here a large range of sandy siliceous soils ; 
silica having a greater power than any other earth of retain- 
ing heat : again, the harvest on the magnesian limestone, 
though at a higher elevation, is forwarder than on either the 
central plain of York on the east of it, or on the coal mea- 
sure country on the west, because great flocks of sheep are 
kept upon it, and therefore it is in better condition than 
either of the other districts ; and yet there are instances on 
the clayey soils of the plain of York, as upon the Hon. 
Stanhope Hawke's farm, which is well drained and in excel- 
lent condition, of the time of harvest being actually earlier 
than upon the limestone. The crops on sub-soil-ploughed 
land are considerably earlier. The grass lands upon the stiff" 
undrained soils east of Doncaster and of Womersley hardly 
ever show a trace of vegetation until the first week in June, 
while those much further north as at Easingwold, Thirsk, 
and even near Newcastle upon the banks of the Tyne, are 
covered with verdour. At Edinburgh, the grass land made 
in high condition from drainings from the city, is as forward 
as any in England. A cold climate in the mouth of a farmer 
often becomes a false allegation for the neglect of draining 
and want of condition in the land. The observations of 
meteorologists, made with philosophical instruments, and 
registered for a series of years, are much less liable to error 
than the opinions and feelings of individuals, concerning 
heat and cold. 
