SOIL. 
Jluttans. When these soils have been drained and 
brought into cultivation, they are not infested by any 
of these five plants as weeds except Arundo phrag- 
mites; and they generally produce such luxuriant 
crops of corn as to be remarkably free from all 
sorts of weeds; but when they are indifferently 
farmed, they become distinguished by the presence 
of the corn thistle, Cnicus arvensis.—The clay soils 
which constitute the greater proportion of low carse 
lands are older and have been longer in a dry state 
than rich recent alluviums; and the plants which 
appear on them, in their natural state, are more nu- 
merous, and indicate the firmer texture of the ground. 
These are sweet briar, Rosa rubiginosa, common 
alder, Alnus glutinosa, common sallow, Salix caprea, 
common furze, Ulex europeus, meadow sweet, Spr- 
rea ulmaria, wild angelica, Angelica sylvestris, great 
spearwort, Ranunculus lingua, and common sorrel, 
Rumezx acetosa. When such clay soils are subjected 
to cultivation, the shrubs and herbaceous plants 
are easily rooted out; and the weeds that appear 
are introduced either amongst the seed- grain or 
amongst the dung. These are, broad-leaved dock, 
Rumex obtusifolius, groundsel, Senecio vulgaris, nip- 
plewort, ZLapsana communis, cockle, Agrostemma 
githago, wild chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, and 
common sow thistle, Sonchus oleraceus. ‘The agro- 
stemma and wild chamomile are introduced amongst 
the wheat and grass seeds, and maintain their ground 
among the subsequent crops.—The poorer clay soils, 
including the red or rock marl-clay, often found in- 
cumbent on red sandstone rocks, and those yellow 
ochry clays that are often met with in elevated situ- 
ations, produce, in their natural state, the following 
perennial-rooted herbaceous plants,—knobby rooted | 
hgwort, Scrophularia nodosa, upright meadow crow- 
foot, Ranunculus acris, tufted hair-grass, Aira cespi- 
tosa, corn horse-tail, Equisetum arvense, and marsh 
woundwort, Stachys palustris. When these soils 
are brought under tillage, the common colt’s-foot, 
Tussilago farfara, grows amongst the corn crops, 
and is eradicated with difficulty when there is any 
calcareous sand mixed with the clay. The annual 
weeds, indicative of such clay soils, are, wild mus- 
tard, Stnapis arvensis, red eye-bright, Bartsia odon- 
tites, peach-wort, Polygonum persicaria, and knot- 
grass, Polygonum aviculare.—The natural produc- 
tions peculiar to strong black loam, incumbent on 
whinstone or limestone rock, and reposing on a 
brownish open bottom above that rock, are bladder 
campion, Silene inflata, toad-flax, Antirrhinum lina- 
ria, field scabious, Scabiosa arvensis, great knap- 
weed, Centaurea scabiosa, red shanks, Polygonum 
amphibium, and rough cock’s-foot grass, Dactylis 
glomerata. When the rock is near the surface, the 
plants are, common rest harrow, Ononis arvensis, 
hare’s-foot trefoil, Trifolium arvense, and hop trefoil, 
Trifolium procumbens. When soil of this nature is 
brought under tillage, the plants above enumerated 
gradually disappear. Under indifferent management, 
however, the Polygonum amphibium and Ononis ar- 
vensis are not readily extirpated. The plants found 
amongst the corns are, or ought to be, chiefly an- 
nuals, of which the following are the most charac- 
teristic,—scarlet pimpernel, Anagallis arvensis, ivy- 
leaved speedwell, Veronica hederifolia, needle chervil, 
Scandix pecten-veneris, black mustard, Sinapis nigra, 
and hairy tare or fetter, Hrvum hirsutum. The four 
kinds of soil now enumerated, if they are met with 
within the 56° of north latitude, and under an eleva- 
tion of 400 feet above the level of the sea, are capa- 
ble of carrying wheat in perfection. ‘The clays, if 
under an elevation of 300 feet, will produce excellent 
crops of beans with good management. Oats and 
barley may also form part of the rotation; but pota- 
toes and turnips, except on the first and fourth kinds, 
are raised with difficulty. The fourth soil is seldom 
261 
found at a high elevation, and is what farmers term 
‘land that carries a clod,’ highly favourable for the 
culture of all sorts of corn and green crops.—Nearly 
allied to this is light black loam, on a clay subsoil, 
only it has a greater proportion of sand amongst the 
loam or vegetable matter, and less of clay or binding 
matter in its composition. The subsoil is also more 
various. Sometimes light black loam is found re. 
posing on a clay or impervious ‘ till’ bottom, spongy 
in the winter months, and apt to throw out plants 
by spring frosts. Many of the plants are found in 
soil of this nature that are to be met with on the 
poorer clays. The most predominant, when the soil 
is in a natural state, are, soft or common rush, Jun- 
cus effusus, sneezewort, Achillea ptarmica, wild tansy 
or silver-weed, Potentilla anserina, and mugwort, 
Artemisia vilgaris. The last continues some time 
after the ground is cultivated. The annual plants, 
indicative of this soil and subsoil, are, charlock, 
Raphanus raphanistrum, sheep’s sorrel, Rumex aceto- 
sella, and corn marygold, Chrysanthemum segetum. 
In wet sandy furrows, and at the ends of ridges, 
toad-rush, Juncus bufonius, sometimes occurs. None 
of the above plants indicate great richness in the 
soil. Oats, barley, pease, potatoes, and turnips, 
succeed well on such soils, under favourable cultiva- 
tion; and when there is a quantity of small stones on 
the surface, flax will be raised with advantage.— 
When light black loam is found on an open or gra- 
velly subsoil, the plants most conspicuous are, com- 
mon broom, Genista scoparia, common furze, Ulex 
europeus, black knap-weed, Centaurea nigra, yel- 
low bed-straw, Galium verum, and common ragwort, 
Senecio jacobea. When, by cultivation, these plants 
are displaced they are followed by common corn 
mint, Mentha arvensis, blue bottle, Centaurea cyanus, 
corn madder, Sherardia arvensis, corn gromwell, 
Lithospermum arvense, parsley piert, Alchemilla ar- 
vensis, and tall knot-grass, Avena elatior,—which 
last is a troublesome perennial plant in light lands. 
The common corn thistle will also be found a 
troublesome intruder where the furze was formerly 
established. Where the above plants are found to 
predominate, corn crops of every description will 
succeed, if the climate is favourable. The soil may 
be found rather light for beans, and too open for 
wheat; but eating off turnips with sheep, and allow- 
ing the grass division to be two years under pasture, 
will improve the texture.—On sandy and gravelly 
soils, the broom, as a shrub, is found to predomi- 
nate, particularly above freestone rock. Where the 
sand or gravel is of a calcareous nature, the whin 
acquires an establishment. The herbaceous plants 
peculiar to such soil are, bird’s-foot trefoil, Lotus 
corniculatus, blue bell flower, Campanula rotundt- 
folia, eye-bright, Euphrasia officinalis, sweet-scented 
spring grass, Anthoxanthum odoratum, and seaside 
sandwort, Arenaria peploides. When sandy soils in 
tillage receive too much of the harrow, the common 
spurry often destroys the growing crop. The com- 
mon couch-grass, Triticum repens, is a troublesome 
plant, and requires close attention to the cleaning of 
drill crops to keep it under. The annual plants 
found amongst the corn, under proper cultivation, 
are, common spurry, Spergula arvensis, purple dead 
nettle, Lamium purpureum, common fumitory, Fuma- 
ria officinalis, shepberd’s purse, Thlaspi bursa-pas- 
toris, common knawel, Scleranthus annuus, thyme- 
leaved sandwort, Arenaria serpyllifolia, and common 
cudweed, Gnaphalium germanicum. Soil of this 
description is improved by lying long in pasture, and 
by eating turnips off it with sheep.—Moor may in- 
clude heath-pastures in general, containing a con- 
siderable proportion of peat in the soil, with the 
subsoil exceedingly various, as indicated by the plants 
found. Many of the plants formerly mentioned are 
to be met with in low moors; and when the whin, 
