258 
Cultivation of Clay Lands. 
is generally called pure clay. The constitu¬ 
ents of which it is composed are chemically 
united in most cases; that is, so combined 
that they cannot be separated by washing or 
other mechanical means. 
The strongest clay soils, which brings us to 
the practical part of our subject, consists of 
the last mentioned clay, with 5 to 15 per 
cent, of silecious sand, mechanically mixed, 
which admits of separation by boiling, when 
the sand settles, and the clay, which remains 
suspended in the water, may be poured off. 
A clay loam has a still larger proportion of 
sand, 15 to 30 per cent., which can be sepa¬ 
rated as above, and which renders the soil 
more loose and friable. A loamy soil has 30 
to 60 per cent, of sand ; a sandy loam , 60 to 
90 per cent.; while a sandy soil has not over 
10 per cent, of pure clay , which, it must be 
borne in mind, though called pure clay, con¬ 
tains only 36 to 40 per cent, of alumina. 
The distinguished characteristics of clay 
soil in an agricultural point of view, are 
their great tenacity, which renders their se¬ 
paration by the plow and other implements, 
more difficult than such as have a larger 
proportion of sand; and when so divided, 
they do not crumble and separate into minute 
particles, except under peculiar circum¬ 
stances. They have a strong affinity for 
water, holding it in great excess after rains; 
and their texture is such, as to prevent 
the easy escape of the surplus, so desirable, 
and even necessary, to the most successful 
cultivation and growth of vegetable life. 
These are objections that attach to all clay 
soils, in their unimproved condition. They 
are inherent in their nature, and inseparable 
from their constitution, wherever found, or 
however existing. These deficiencies are 
still further augmented when they occupy a 
level position, as many of them do. To rid 
them of their surplus water is the great ob¬ 
ject to be accomplished, and if this be effect¬ 
ually done, all other difficulties vanish. In 
Scotland and England, where they have a 
large proportion of this kind of land, which 
is more highly esteemed than any other, for 
wheat and other of the most valuable crops, 
they have, as is well known, adopted to a 
considerable extent, a system of thorough un¬ 
der-draining. We have received in the last 
No. of the Lond. Farmer’s Mag., the details of 
this system, from Mr. Smith, of Deanston, 
which we shall give at length hereafter, if 
we can find room, as containing the latest 
and fullest intelligence on this most impor¬ 
tant practice ; and, for the present, content 
ourselves with extracting from the Jour, of 
the Roy. Ag. Soc. the details of an effectual 
system of draining, so cheap as to be within 
the reach of every one where the materials 
are to be had conveniently. They are from 
the pen of Rev. G. V. Holcomb. He says : 
“ The land is drained with dried turf, pro¬ 
cured for the purpose from the fens, similar 
in appearance to what used to be consumed 
instead of coal in the cottages ; the length 
varies from 12 to 16 inches, according to the 
goodness of its quality, some being more 
brittle and more easily broken in carriage 
than others; the width and depth of the best 
turves is about 3 inches ; the retail price is 
now Is. per thousand : 4 horses in a wagon 
easily bring 3000. Supposing the drain to 
be a rod, i. e. 5| yards, asunder, the usual 
distance, 2000 turves amply suffice for one 
acre of land; the durability of the drainage 
depends upon the soundness of the clay, the 
depth in the earth at which the turf is buried, 
and the goodness of turf, which varies in dif¬ 
ferent parts of the fen. 1 have myself been 
a tile-maker for my own consumption, and 
used many thousands, but after twenty years 
of practical experience of tile and turf, pre¬ 
fer the latter; it is two-thirds cheaper than 
tiles, and, where sheep-folds are set, not so 
liable to have the drains broken in, the turl 
giving way to the drift, whereas the tile 
breaks and the earth follows. I now cut 
across the old tile-drains to make turf ones 
in opposite directions, and deeper in the 
ground. The tile-drains are frequently found 
to be destroyed—rats, rabbits, moles, or nar¬ 
row wheeled carriages passing over them are 
all injurious. Turf is found to be sound 
which has been laid 16 years, but it pays 
well to renovate the drains every eight sea¬ 
sons. The shape of the drains corresponds 
with the turf. I send a slight sketch. The 
first operation is with a double-breasted plow, 
which makes a deep impression in the land : 
the laborer then takes a shovel to clear out 
the loose earth ; afterwards he uses the 
spade ; lastly lies uses the land-ditch tool, 
with which the lower part of the drain is ex¬ 
cavated to the depth of twelve inches more : 
the width of this aperture is about 3 inches 
at the top, and is gradually reduced by the 
shape of the implement to one at the bottom. 
The dram is perfectly cleared by a drawing 
tool or hoe. The turf is then pressed into 
the drain by the foot to its depth, which is 
about 3 inches, leaving an open course for 
the water of about 9 inches deep underneath ; 
when expanded by moisture, with the earth 
filled in open, it will bear any weight of 
horse or cart. The party of men who under- 
