T. RiGCx 399 



C'lihiposition. The dark sand formation is cliaracterized by very 

 low percentages of phosphoric acid, potash, and calcium carbonate. 



The soil^ of the slopes facing Sandy is a good deal richer than the 

 soil of the plateau above. This is due to the wash of the finer material 

 from the plateau. The percentage of phosphoric acid in sample 47 is 

 very high for this formation, but the available plant food is also very 

 high and probably -1 per cent, of phosphoric acid has been added by 

 intense manuring. 



(&) The brown sand formation. 



This formation extends from Everton through Potton to Gamhngay 

 and is almost entirely devoted to market-garden crops. Wonderful 

 changes must have been effected since 1875 when Dr Bonney^ described 

 it as very sterile and as supporting little but Scotch firs. The crops 

 grown on the brown sand formation are exactly similar to those grown 

 on the plateau of the dark sand formation. Early potatoes are the 

 important crop. They are followed by white turnips which grow 

 through the Autumn and are pulled in November and December. In 

 almost every case, the large turnips not suitable for marketing are 

 cut up and ploughed in, and quite frequently if the crop is slightly 

 inferior and prices are low the whole crop is turned under for green 

 manure. 



The large farmers on this formation, especially those whose farms 

 are partly on heavy land, usually grow '"full' crops of market-garden 

 produce and are satisfied with one good crop a year. They winter or 

 keep a number of cattle, more for the sake of the manure which is 

 made than for a profit on the cattle. They generally run a small flock 

 of sheep which is folded on the ground with kohlrabi and summer 

 cabbages. There is no definite system of rotation of crops on these 

 sand lands, and particularly is this so in the case of the small 

 market-gardeners. 



The large farmers seem to arrange their crops so as to give as much 

 rest to the land as possible between crops. Cereals are grown once in 

 four years further to sweeten the land. The following are examples 

 of the general procedure : brussels sprouts, late potatoes, wheat or 

 oats, late potatoes, early potatoes, late potatoes. 



Brussels sprouts and potatoes are usually dunged with 2-5 to 30 tons 

 of London dung. Sometimes the dung is put on the sprouts alone and 

 the following crop of potatoes receives a large dressing of soot. 



' .Sainjjle 47, Apjjendix. 

 - Loc, cif. 



