only for peaty soils, but for other descriptions of land also. The soft new red sand-stone is the best, being easily ground into powder, and containing perhaps more marl. In the absence of a better description of manure, the soft or decayed trap rocks would be found, when reduced to powder, to be highly beneficial to mountain and bog lands. The mechanical effect of this powder would be somewhat similar to that of the sand-stone, and being chiefly composed of felspar and hornblende, which are known to contain potash, soda, lime, and other substances favourable to vegetation, we have no doubt it would prove beneficial not only to peaty soils, but to other different kinds of soils also. In a country abounding with bogs as Ireland, it would be satisfactory to try the effects of these substances, the author never having witnessed the results produced by their application to any kind of soil himself. Since this article relating to the application of powdered rocks to bog soils was written, the author has been informed by the Honorable Mr. Nugent, of Higham Grange, Leicestershire, that he used powdered sand-stone in the improvement of peaty soil, and experienced from it the most beneficial results. He is a gentleman of scientific taste, and great practical skill, as an agriculturist; and there is no doubt that if we were to follow his example in Ireland, in reference to sand-stone powder, we should soon be convinced of its beneficial effect on peaty soils. Some peaty soils are so impregnated with iron as to be absolutely poisonous to plants. The poisonous influence, however, of the feruginous matter may be neutralised by the application of lime to the soil containing it. As a direction to those who understand nothing of peaty soils, it may be well to observe, that mountains of moderate slopes, with a surface covering of from one to three feet of black peaty mould, and free from excessive moisture or feruginous matter, are most easily reclaimed. Such slopes, facing the south, are preferable to similar ones of any other aspect; and a northern aspect is the worst of all. A shaking bog, with a great depth of soft, spongy, undecomposed vegetable matter, surcharged with water, and producing but a scanty supply of white light ashes, when burnt, is the most difficult to be reclaimed, and, when reclaimed, is most apt to revert to its original state of peat, and therefore requires most care to keep it in a productive condition. In proportion as a peaty soil approaches these two extreme conditions, so will it be easy or difficult to bring it to, and retain it in, a productive state. THOROUGH DRAINING. The farmer desirous of reaping a plentiful harvest, must, in the first place, be particularly careful to retain no more water in the soil than is essential to vegetation, a greater quantity being invariably injurious. His land being dry, his next care should be to enrich it with manure, without which an abundant crop cannot be expected. The last duty that devolves on him is to keep his land clean. These three principles must be always kept in view: any one of them being neglected, must prove injurious. Manure is thrown away, to no purpose, upon land (especially in cold climates,) containing an excess of water, which never fails to diminish the fertility of the soil, and encourage the growth of coarse grasses, and useless weeds. When the ground is not kept clean, weeds encroach upon the useful plants, often gaining the ascendancy by extracting from the soil an undue proportion of nourishing juices, which should be reserved solely for the use of the growing vegetable intended for use. When noxious weeds are allowed to grow up among corn or vegetables of any kind, they deprive the crop of its due proportion of light and air, which are essential to its growth. The same remarks apply to pasture or meadow land, which should be kept dry, manured, and clean. How often have we seen useless weeds occupying the place of the sweetest herbage, by smothering it altogether. This should be prevented by checking the growth of, or eradicating, such weeds, before their number and size become injurious. Formerly few persons understood draining upon scientific principles: the plan then pursued was both expensive and inefficient, owing to a want of knowledge of the geological formation of the earth's upper strata. A proper knowledge of the cause producing excessive moisture frequently saves time, labour, and expense; as a single drain, cut in the proper place and direction, may effect more than ten made without reference to the producing cause, as known by the aid of science. Rain water is retained either on the surface, where it evaporates, or penetrates to a lower level through beds of sand, gravel, or other permeable substances; and at some small distance beneath the surface, meeting an impenetrable bed, it flows through the porous stratum, which usually terminates at, or near, the surface, on the side of a declivity, or at some point lower than the source, and at which point it escapes, spreading itself on the surface, in all directions lower than the point of escape. While the water remains very far under the surface it does no great injury; it is therefore the business of the drainer to check its progress before it reach the surface, by confining it to some channel, from which it may be carried away through some convenient outlet. The observations we have been making will be easily understood by referring to the annexed diagram, where A B represents the porous A α stratum through which the water penetrates, escaping at B; ab is the tenacious stratum which resists the further descent of the water, and, therefore, the pressure from above will force the water out at B, which will evidently spread over the distance B H. To effect this, it is manifest a drain cut at E would have no effect; to arrest the progress of the water percolating through A B, the drain E should descend below ab, which, in all cases, would be expensive, and in many impossible, the distance between E and the stratum ab being too great. Having ascertained, by sinking at E, that the stratum AB is too low, a skilful drainer relinquishes the cut at E. It would be equally injudicious to cut a drain at G, as the space B G would still be subject to the drenching influence of the water escaping at B. But by making the cut at F, the spring would evidently be arrested in its course, and therefore could not reach or injure any of the ground between B and H. From this investigation, it follows that the drain ought to be cut a little above the point which separates the wet and dry portions of land, which would dry the entire of the space BH, subject to the injurious influence of the spring issuing from the point B. There are cases in which two or more springs issue from the face of the hill, at different points, as may be seen in the annexed diagram. all the space FH, so far as the spring b is concerned ; but without the drain at G, the space GH would still be under the influence of the spring issuing from the point c. In the second last wood-cut, if the drain at E happened to go below the stratum AB, it is evident that the drain at F was not at all required. But in many cases, it is a matter of extreme difficulty to know whether or not the drain sinks below the stratum through which the spring percolates. Therefore, after having cut the drain E, it would be advisable to wait for some time, in order to ascertain whether the water ceased to issue from the point B, as in the event of its having done so, a drain at F was then unnecessary. A knowledge of this fact is of the utmost importance to |