fe) AGRICULTURAL SURVEY

seems to consist principally of the decayed roots of aquatic vegetables, but when drained, consolidated, and rneliorated, by top dressing or irrigation, becomes valuable meadow and pasture land:‘the surface of this kind of land will, upon draining, sink several inches.

The first general division of clay soils consists of two va- ricties: first, the strong, stubborn, harsh, tenacious clay, or clay loam; secondly, the more mild, tractable, or friable marl er loam.‘The sandy soils are more or less light, and in some degree intermixed with loam, gravel, or other matter; the mixed soils are also various, and may be termed loam, gra- velly loam, sandy loam,&c. according to circumstances.

The excellency of all good soils, probably, depends on the component parts being intermixed in a happy proportion; m their being of a sufficient thickness upon the sub-soil or under- stratum; in the composition of such under-stratum being neither too solid or compact to retain and stagnate all the fall- ing moisture, nor too porous to let it pass off too quick; and in the surface lying with a proper aspect to receive the solar rays, and to let off the superabundant moisture., A large pro- portion of clay gives too much tenacity, and retains too much water. Where sand predominates, the soil being too porous, suffers the water to pass through, or evaporate, and retains too little. Marl and calcareous earth are excellent correctors of both these defects. Stagnant water, by its chilness and want of motion, is death to vegetation: hence the necessity of draining wet soils. A due admixture of vegetable matter enriches the compost, and the action and heat of the solar rays upon the whole mass, bring on a gentle fermentation, and give life and vigour to the latent and prolific principles of vegetation contained therein. Where nature has left her work unfinished, it is the business of art, and of the farmer’s profession, to assist and forward her operations, and to assimi- late, as much as possible, such unfinished spots to those which she has left nearest perfection: he who does this in the most rational and complete way, is the best farmer..