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tion, character and mode of action; and it is but owing to
our present knowledge of these relations that we may hence-
forth rationally decide whether the one or the other kind
should be used for the improvement of particular soils.

It is apparent that soils of a proper mechanical texture,
such as are, to an equal extent, both binding and porous,
which furthermore possess the required power for retaining
moisture without permitting, however, an injurious accumu-
lation of water in their body; which also have the capacity
of absorbing and retaining gases, or show, in general, such
qualifications as are marks of a high state of culture, and
more or less characterized by the presence of a proper quan-
tity of humus in them; it is apparent, I say, that soils of
this description will be more benefited by the application of
the putrefied than fresh variety of stable manure. The lat-
ter may even act injuriously on the condition of these soils,
by increasing the quantity of humus already contained in
them, far above the proportion which is considered to be
proper and most fit for prospering vegetation; whilst the
putrefied stable manure, which in the course of putrefaction
has lost most of its humus, will supply nothing but the defi-
ciencies of ammoniacal and mineral matters that may occur
in these soils, and with them, all that these soils want for be-
ing restored to fertility.

All classes of soils, with the exclusion of their extremes,
such as stiff clays and light sands, possess more or less the
properties above alluded to, or may easily obtain them by
their own exertions, in a regular course of cultivation. For
all these the application of putrefied barn-yard manure is the
most advisable and rational. This is not less the case with
regard to the improvement of meadow land. Here is no
loosening, nor any other mechanical effect intended to be pro-
duced for the purpose of improving the texture of the soil,
and the application of humus, therefore, of no use whatever.
A manure for meadow land is rather expected to contain a
maximum of directly nourishing substances in a form ready
for assimilation, and as it can only be applied as a top dress-
ing, to possess such physical properties as will most facilitate
its uniform distribution over the ground. In both respects,
the putrefied manure deserves the preference. It contains,
as we know, its fertilizing principles in the most concentrated
form, and being, besides, reduced to a state of great fineness
and subdivision, offers advantages, as to its management,
which fresh stable manure, on account of its coarseness, can-
not equally present.

Stiff clay soils and light sandy soils, on the contrary, re-