XX APPENDIX. 
     
    
   
   
    
     a similar degree offer-tility. The virgin soil of this 
     
     variety sometimes contains four per cent. of the car- 
     
     bonate of lime, while in the older cultivated fields 
     
     there is seldom more than 2% per cent. of that mine-‘ 
     
     ral. The difference in the quantity of lime carried 
     
     ofl‘by the crops, should be supplied by the farmer. 
     
     In many instances there appears to be a deficiency of 
     
     vegetable matter, compost of peat, with peat ashes, 
     
     or lime are therefore required, for renovation. The 
     
     argillaceous or clay loam exists in small quantities; 
     
     from its retentive properties, it withstands the drought 
     
     and frequently brings forth heavy crops ofgrain and 
     
     grass,peat ashes or lime is worthy oftrial upon them, 
     
     as muscle mud or marsh mud are too tenacious for 
     
     stubborn clays. 
     
    

    
     The calcareous or marly soil has resulted from the 
     
     decomposition ofthe great quantities of oyster shells 
     
     brought to the uplands by the native savages in past 
     
     ages. They are found upon the borders of the bays 
     
     and rivers, where they afford rich supplies of manure. 
     
     The carbonate and phosphate of lime applied to the 
     
     soil in proper quantities, greatly improve it, but in 
     
     situations where the surface consists of only those 
     
     shells, sterility prevails. By burning or grinding 
     
     these ancient Indian collections, and distributing 
     
     them widely over the land, great benefit results. Five 
     
     tons of peat mixed with one ton of calcined oyster 
     
     shells form a most valuable compost. 
     
    

    
     The peaty soils are limited, and from too great a 
     
     quantity of vegetable matter are not productive. 
     
     Their improvement will consist in proper draining, 
     
     the application of lime and the argillaceous earths. 
     
     It has been believed by many that the soils ofthe 
     
     Island are generally deficient in lime. Lands that 
     
     have been under cultivation for many years would 
     
     be improved by that mineral, judiciously applied. It 
     
     should be remembered, however, that the sub-strata. 
     
     of rocks—the origin of a great portion of the soils— 
     
     contain lime, and those soils are more calcareous 
     
     than those of the neighbouring Provinces, which 
     
     may, in some degree, account {or their greater pro-