1230 Additions and- Corréfions

a mellownef$ under the fpade. Very expenfive drains greatly. correct its ill qua- lities, but it requires a prodigious quantity of manure to fertilife it. Some gravels are fo fharp and burning, that they produce nothing except in wet fummers; but fuch are known at any feafon ef the year. Sands are as various as gravels, and are all eafily difcoverable in their natures. The rich red fand is, he believe 8, as profitable a foilas any in the world. It has at all feafons a dry foundnefs, and at the fame time a moifiure without wetnefs, which fecures crops even in dry fummers. The

fpade is fufficient to try it at any feafon of the year. The lichi fandy loam is like- i o F

pa ec

wife an admirable foil: it will bear ploughing, like the preceding, all winter long, and appears quite found and mellow when tried with the fpade. If it lies under a winter fallow, the beft way to judge of its richnefs is to remark the fate of the furrows, and the degree of adhefion in the foil. Stiff land, being dry and crumbly, is a great perfection, and fand, being adhefive, is an equally good fign. When, therefore, the farmer views a light fandy loam, whofe found drynefS is acknow- ledged, he may-prefume the foil is rich, in proportion to its adhefion. IE it falls flat in powder, and has no adhefion, it isa mere fand. The white chalky marm is often cold and wet, will not bear ploughing in winter, unlefs the weather is very dry or frofty; runs exceflively to mortar with a heavy fhower when in a pulyerifed tate. It is a cold foil, of little profit, except with peculiar management; but an{wers beft when dry laid down to faintfoin.”

It is concluded, that“ it fhould be laid down in general as a maxim, that ftrong, harfh, tenacious clay, though it will yield great crops of wheat, is yet managed at fo heavy an expenfe, that it is ufually let for more than itis worth. Much money is not often made on fuch land, The very contrary foil, a light, poor, dry fand, is very often in the occupation of men who have made fortunes. Some permanent manure is ufually below the furface, which anfwers well to carry on: and fheep, the common fiock of fuch foils, is the moft profitable fort he can depend on. All tiff foils are viewed to moft advantage in winter: the general fault of them is wetnefs, which is in the greateft excefs at that feafon of the year. If the fields are level, and the water flands in the land, notwithftanding the furrows are well ploughed and open, it is a fign that the clay is very ftiff, and of fo adhefive a nature as to contain the water like a difh. It is likewife probable, that draining may prove infufficient to cure the natural evil of fuch land.* This kind of foil likewife thows itfelf in the breaking up of ftubbles for a fallow; a very ftrong draught of cattle is then necefiary to work it, It breaks up in vaft pieces almoft as hard as iron. When it is -worked fine it will run like mortar, with a heavy{pring or fummer fhower. Thefe foils will yield very great crops of beans and wheat,&c, They mufi, like others,