7. To know if there is any mucilage, and 
what quantity, take 30 or 40 lbs. of the soil, 
boil it in 10 gallons of water for an hour, let 
the earth subside, pour off the clean solution, 
afterwards add four or live gallons of water 
to the earth, stir them thoroughly, let them 
stand to subside, pour off the water clear, mix 
it with the former, and evaporate the whole 
to dryness, putting it into a water bath to- 
ward, the end of the evaporation; what re- 
mains is the mucilage, making allowance for 
that part of the decoction which was not 
washed out from the earth, and deducting 
the saline substances, which will crystalize if 
there is a considerable quantity, but will be 
destroyed in the operation, if in small pro- 
portion, as they generally are. 
8. To know if there is any calcareous earth 
in the soil, and what quantity, take ( 2\ oz. ot 
the dry soil, apply to it-£ oz. of muriatic acid, 
and 4 oz. of water in a glass vessel sufficiently 
large ; let them stand together till no more 
effervescence takes place ; and if it was very 
considerable, pour in -V oz. more of the acid, 
let this stand also till the effervescence ceases, 
if any arises upon pouring it in. continue to 
add more acid in the same manner, until 
what was poured in last produces little effer- 
vescence, which is often at the first, and ge- 
nerally at the second or third half ounce. 
After the effervescence has ceased, put the 
whole in a filter, let the solution filtrate 
through ; pour half a pint of water upon what 
reipams in the filter, let that filtrate also in 
the same vessel ; add to the solution thus fil- 
ttated \\ oz. of caustic volatile alkali for every 
ounce of acid used; if any precipitation takes 
place there is magnesia, earth of allum, or the 
calx of a metal (generally iron or copper) 
contained in the soil ; after adding the vola- 
tile alkali, the whole is to be thrown into a 
filter again; after the filtration has taken 
place, pour into the liquor a solution ot mild 
lixt vegetable alkali in water ; if there is any 
calcareous earth in the soil, a precipitation 
will take place; continue to add the solution 
of the alkali till no fresh precipitation ensues, 
throw the whole into a filter, let the liquor 
filtrate off, pour on by degrees a pint ot wa- 
ter, let that filtrate off also, dry what remains 
in the filter, it is the calcareous earth. 
9. To know the proportion of sand and 
clay, take what remains in the filter alter the 
first solution in the foregoing operation, and 
by the elutriation separate the sand from the 
clay, dry and weigh them; if there is any 
pyrites it will appear in the sand. 
In the above processes the principal tilings 
to be attended to are, whether there are any 
metallic or aluminous salts, as these are ab- 
solute poisons, and therefore are to be de- 
composed by quick lime; whether there is 
such a proportijn of neutral or earthy to 
be hurtful, m which case the solution in pro- 
cess 2. will taste salt, a soil containing them 
in so large a proportion will hardly ever ad- 
mit of culture for grain; whether there is 
calcareous earth, and in what proportion, as 
that ascertains the propriety of applying any 
manure containing it, and the quantity ot that 
manure: what the proportion of sand and 
clay is which ascertains the propriety of add- 
ing clay or sand: whether there are pyrites, 
as that shows why, and when a soil will be 
long in being brought into cultivation; py- 
rites are best destroyed by fallowing, and af- 
terwards applying lime. 
HUSBANDRY. 
The soils of this country have been de- 
scribed under numerous heads, and distin- 
guished by a variety of vague local terms. 
They seem, however, to be capable of being 
considered and characterised, as far at least 
as is necessary for practical purposes, under 
the distinctions of 
Clayey, Gravelly, 
Loamy, Peaty or Mossy, and 
Calcareous, Vegetable Earthy soils. 
Sandy, 
Each of these divisions must of course 
comprehend several varieties, according to 
the nature andpreponderancy of the different 
sorts of materials of which t Ley are consti- 
tuted or composed. By different combina- 
tions of these substances all the intermediate 
kinds of soils are formed; and upon a proper 
mixture of them, in certain proportions, de- 
pends the success of the farmer’s industry. 
Sand, clay, and water, are the grand compo- 
nent parts, whatever colour or texture the 
soil may happen to have. 
Clayey or argillaceous soils. Soils of this 
kind differ very materially, according to the 
nature and quantity of tire clay that enters 
into their compositions, and the adulteration 
which lias been produced in it by the inter- 
mixture of different earthy matters, as w ell 
as various mineral, vegetable, and animal 
substances. For clays are, in general, far 
from being pure in the states in which they 
are found fn the earth. They are in many 
instances united with large proportions of 
siliceous or sandy matter. On these accounts 
it is that the clayey soils of some districts are 
so abundantly fruitful and productive, while 
those of others are insuperably sterile and re- 
fractory. 
These facts not only shew that there is a 
prodigious variety in respect to the qualities 
of these substances, but that they must afford 
equal variety to the soils into which they 
enter, and therefore require to lie more 
closely examined, and more nicely ascertain- 
ed than they appear yet to have been, before 
all the varieties of soil usually classed under 
the denomination of clayey can be well as- 
certained and understood. 
But these substances do not differ only in 
their properties and qualities, but likewise in 
their colours, and the closeness with which 
their particles are united. They are found 
in their natural states of various colours, such 
as red, w hite, blue, and yellow, and of dif- 
ferent degrees of density, so as, in some in- 
stances, readily to admit ol being united with 
the different materials that are applied, in 
order to meliorate their conditions; in others 
they can scarcely be made to join with them 
by any means in the power of the agricul- 
turist.' In soils of the first kind, the quan- 
tity of siliceous or sandy matter, in general, 
bears a much larger proportion to that of the 
argillaceous or clayey, than in those of the 
latter, and in many cases too the mixture of 
other substances is proportionably larger. 
The nature of the clayey stratum, in respect 
to its thickness or thinness, as well as its con- 
tiguitv, or remoteness from springs of water 
underneath it, is too commonly overlooked 
in considering these sorts of soils ; but all 
these circumstances demand particular atten- 
tion, and ought to have considerable influence 
m directing the means of cultivating and im- 
proving, clayey soils. 
p33 
It is obvious, from what has been al eacly 
advanced, that, notwithstanding the differ- 
ences that take place from the accidental 
mixture of different materials, in different 
degrees and proportions, all the descriptions 
of this sort of soils must possess more or less 
of the heavy and adhesive stiff qualities; and 
that according as these are more or less pre- 
dominant, due respect being at the same 
time had to the various other circumstances 
that have been stated, the business of cultiva- 
tion and improvement must be varied and ap- 
plied. 
Loamy soils. Loam denotes any soil 
which is moderately cohesive, that is, less so 
than clay, and more so than loose chalk. Soils, 
therefore, of tins description admit of con i- 
derable variety. The substances that are 
most commonly found to contribute to the 
formation of loamy soils, are clay, sand, 
gravel, and chalk: and as either ingredient 
predominates, so is the soil denominated, as 
clayey loam, sandy loam, & c. Clayey loam 
is moderately cohesive, in which the argilla- 
ceous ingredient predominates; so that its 
coherence is greater than that of any other 
loam, but less than that of pure clay. Besides 
the argil silex eaters largely into the compo- 
sition. Sometimes an oxide or calx of iron 
in small proportion is found blended with the 
clay and sand. In proportion as the argilla- 
ceous or clayey principle diminishes, they 
recede from the nature of the clayey soils ; 
consequently the nearer the quantity of 
that substance approaches to tin t of the 
others, the stronger and more heavy will the 
loamy soil be. The differences in the light- 
ness and friability of the soils of this class, in 
a great measure, depend on the relative pro- 
. portions of lire other ingredients. Where 
the calcareous ingredient greatly exceeds 
those of the sandy or gravelly kinds, they are 
neither so light nor so pulverizable as where 
they are nearly equal, or where the sandy or 
gravelly matters considerably predominate 
over it. 
In situations where this sort of soil has 
been but little disturbed, and consequently 
little changed by the artificial additions of 
either animal or vegetable substances, and 
those which it naturally contained not having 
advanced to tiie stage of perfect solution and 
decay, it is generally found of a light brown 
or hazel colour ; but where much culture has 
been employed for a length of time, and 
large applications of animal and vegetable 
matters frequently made, the natural and ar- 
tificial materials of these kinds having pro- 
ceeded more nearly to the state of perfect re- 
solution and destruction, it has an appearnce 
that approaches to black. From these 
various circumstances the properties of tire 
soiis are likewise considerably altered and 
affected, as well as their colours changed. 
From the soils of the loamy class being 
more friable and brittle, as well as more dry, 
than most of the clayey ones, they are ca- 
pable of being tilled with much greater ease 
and facility, as well as much less strength of 
team, and at almost every season of the year. 
And, on account of their property of re- 
ceiving and transmitting moisture more 
| freely, they are less apt to be indurated by 
too much dry, or chilled by too much wet 
weather. Besides, they are more influenced 
on exposure to the agency of the atmosphere 
and other external causes, and thereby more 
