37

These surveys at once refute the idea of "sandy plains, a
mingled series of estuaries, islands, &c., just rising above
tide."

It is well to observe here that the coast survey shows the
same general face of the country to extend all down this pen-
insula to a few miles of Point Lookout.

The above elevations of this ridge as to their lowest point,
have been carefully determined by instrumental surveys made
by the best engineers, and are therefore entitled to full confi-
dence.

To the nature and composition of the soil, and the means
at hand on it and under it, for its improvement, I shall now
invite special attention. The conclusion - might be fairly
drawn from what I have said of the growth and productions
of this State, that it has a fertile soil. A reasoning farmer
would know this from the enumeration of its forest trees, but
I shall give proof more direct and circumstantial than this,
and shall give it of different kinds, each substantiating and
confirming the other and each showing the truth of my state-
ments and opinion.

To a proper understanding of what I say in relation
to the several varieties of soil, some general remarks in rela-
tion to it is necessary.

The soil is that portion of the earth which forms its outer
crust and is indispensable to the vegetable world, not only for
its mechanical support, but also for furnishing it materials
for growth and nourishment, and the fertility of a soil other
things being equal is in direct ratio to its mechanical texture
and crop nourishing substances which it may contain; the two
factors are mechanical texture and nourishing substances, the
product, the crop. When therefore soils are called fertile, it
is meant that they have a proper mechanical texture for sup-
porting the roots and stalks of plants to be grown in them,
and also contain a supply of the nourishing properties or sub-
stances which vegetable life requires in a form and condition
which the plant can readily appropriate to its growth and
development. By a good soil is understood that variety of
soil which, from its physical texture, is capable of being sup-
plied, and one from which with ordinary care and attention
remunerative crops may be gathered.

This idea of a good soil is presupposed on a knowledge
of the nature and components of the several parts which go
to make the sum of a fertile soil, and it is from knowledge of
this kind that correct ideas only can be formed.

Since four substances, namely: Silicia, Oxide of Iron,
Clay and Alumina, form by far the greatest proportion of a soil
other substances existing comparatively only as traces, the
physical properties of a soil must depend on the relative quan-
tities of these four fundamental ingredients, and are therefore
as different as the numerous proportions in which these four
substances can be mixed, or as different as the varions modes