I1G
and so variously mingled them together, as to stamp neighbour-ing spaces with the most opposite qualities of friability and co-hesion, and every different shade, from voluntary fertility to al-most absolute barrenness, that it is not to be expected the in-dustry of man can so fully overcome the predominant faults ofdifferent soils, as to reduce them to one standard of fertile dis-position. But it is wonderful what change towards this disposi-tion is produced by overturning and mixing masses of the earths,which have lain in different situations together ,* and it appearsthat, in all cafes, the extremes may be palliated : for though fer-tility, fo far as a mixture of the earths is concerned, lies betweenthe extremes of cohefion and porofity, it is not confined to the driftmedium ; foils equally feitile, though for different purpofes, and re-quiring different treatment, being found at confiderable diftances oneither fide : and there is perhaps no fp'ot, on which there is anything like foil to work upon, which may not be rendered more pro-duftive, either of corn or grafs, by judicious applications.
The applications which have been recommended for the corrcflioaof too great cohefion, are, lime, fand, fea-(hells, burnt earth, com-poll of peat-mofs. Shell marl was long thought a manure betterfuited to open than to denfe foils, and has been mod frequently ap-plied to the former.
Marl sand, j
And you’ll buy land ;
Marl clay,
And you’ll cast your labour atvay,fays the old proverbial rhyme. But, from the effeft which repeatedmarling has had of making open foils ftill more porous and open, thefame might be expedled to make denfe foils friable ; but there is*teflimony to that purpofe. One of the effects attributed to lime ata manure, is that of feparnting the particles of coheilve foils. Thuis not an eafy talk. The Uriel adhefion which holds the particlesof clay together, refifts the intervention of other fubftances, anilthe comparative fpecific levity of this earth makes it rife over hea-vier fubftances. The praftice of reducing fuch ground to a fin* jmould, by fallowing in the drought of fummer, before the lime t# 'applied, is therefore peculiarly proper for this purpofe. The limfiin powder, (hould then be fpread and intimately mixed with the foilif pofnble, before rain come; and a moderate quantity at a time,and the operation repeated, is evidently preferable to applying tb-’whole at once, for efledting the purpofe in qucllion. Sand beingof a quality directly eppofite to clay, is well adapted to anfvver ihcfame purpofe ; and can be bed mixed in. the fame manner. Wthough lime and fand operate fome degree cf friability on clay, wheiileparately applied, their united effeft is much more powerful. h°‘tiling has been found to improve the confidence of hard thin fofljmore than the old .moitar of ruined buildings. This might be wf"imitated, by (lacking lime with foul putrid water, or the juice of*dunghill, and mixing it with fix or feven times its bulk of fand® (