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the first few years excellently, inasmuch as it decomposes clay
and humus, by which process alkalies, &c, previously retained
by them, will be liberated, and a greater activity in general will
be produced; for the future, however, not at all satisfactory; inas-
much as the soil became exhausted, the humus decomposed, and
therefore no substance, which preserves nourishment is present,
without which a proper texture of a soil cannot be possible. The
soil is in such cases over-limed. It is on this class of soils in
England that arose the proverb, "lime enriches the fathers, but
impoverishes the sons."

For these soils, in general, we have to apply stable manure, or
in want of it, we have, from time to time, to turn under a lay of
green clover. By means of this treatment we produce soon a con-
siderable quantity of humus, which is now deficient, and give at
the same time the means for the rise of a great mechanical force
in the body of the soil, viz: by the carbonic acid gas which is con-
stantly going off from the Humus and which favors the crumbling
of these fragments of rocks, inasmuch as the Humus became in-
timately mixed with them.

Finally, as to the soils of the Eastern Shore and the southern
counties of our State, it has already been stated that they are of
alluvial origin and composed principally of fine river sand, which
by means of washing, it is very easy to separate from the rest.
On account of the fine grain of the sand, however, and of some
clayey cement always accompanying it, the soil possesses cohesion
and water-reserving power to remain fresh and plastic inside,
whilst the outer crust has already become dry. Soils of this same
kind, which are composed of coarse sand instead of fine sand, are
much less fertile than the former; we do not, however, meet them
very frequently in these localities. Those of red color (peroxyd
of iron) are generally more productive than the gray. The prin-
cipal object in improving the mechanical texture of these kinds of
soil must be directed to the increasing of the quantity of clayey
cement, besides a proper quantity of carbonate of lime, by which
means the binding power of the earth is increased without doing
any injury to its porosity. The application of a marl of more
clayey than sandy or calcareous constitution, will perfectly answer
in this case.

THE DIRECTLY NOURISHING PROPERTIES OF

SOIL.

We have considered in the foregoing part the fundamental ingre-
dients of soil and described the highly important influence which
they have on vegetable life, inasmuch as the mechanical texture
of the soil depends on their various proportions, as well as on the