26 Coiineclion between Geoloijy and yicjricidture in 



Pomeroy, Avliere the former occupy the highest ground, their 

 superior fertihty is not the less marked. If it be said that this is 

 not a fair comparison, inasmuch as the beds of the carbonaceous 

 series are generally far from affordino- a good soil, we may take the 

 country between Totnes, Torbay, Babbacombe Bay, and Newton 

 Bushell, where the red sandstone series is intermingled, under 

 similar conditions as to height and climate, with grauwacke 

 slates and limestone ; and except trappean rocks occur among 

 the latter, the same circumstance will be observable. 



The soil on the carbonaceous series generally is far from good, 

 though here and there more fertile spots maybe found, as in some 

 places near Bideford, Tiverton, and a few other localities, particu- 

 larly where the beds are red. In those situations, also, v/here 

 trappean rocks are mingled with them, as near Launceston, 

 Milton Abbot, and Tavistock, on the west, and near Bridford, 

 Cristow, Ashton, and Trusham, on the east of Dartmoor, their 

 condition seems often much improved, the wash of the decom- 

 posed parts of these trappean rocks often passing over them. 

 The country between Launceston, Hartland, amd Okehampton is 

 among the most dreary and barren in the district, a poor yellow 

 clay being a very common product of the decomposed shales and 

 sandstones there found, for the grains of the sandstone are fre- 

 quently cemented by matter which thus decomposes. The land, 

 moreover, is generally high, and down succeeds down in monoto- 

 nous succession. The country improves in appearance in the 

 range of these rocks to the eastward ; still, however, as a whole, 

 its general character is not fertile, as a journey from Barnstaple 

 to Tiverton will readily show. Oaks flourish well upon these 

 rocks in several situations, and might probably be successfully 

 raised in many valleys now almost uncultivated. 



From the very variable mineralogical character of the grau- 

 wacke, we might anticipate the very great difference observable in 

 the country occupied by that rock, every due allowance being 

 made for the varied meteorological conditions to which it is exposed 

 according to locality. On the north, the hard sandstones of the 

 Foreland, and those extending from the Hangman Hills to 

 Croydon Hill, on the south of Dunster, form such high land, that, 

 for that reason alone, we should not expect much successful culti- 

 vation ; but in the lower and more sheltered situations little ferti- 

 lity is observable : indeed, there are few among these sandstone 

 beds which would be readily decomposed at their exposed surfaces. 

 The agricultural character of the lime-bearing band of schistose 

 rocks extending from Ilfracombe and Combe Martin, by Exford, 

 to Nettlecombe, near Monksilver, is much superior to the last, and 

 very fair land may be seen in the less elevated and sheltered situ- 

 ations. The next band of grauwacke, ranging from the coast 



