402 Market -Garden Soih and Crops 



The available plant food is about normal in sample 39, but is 

 rather high in samples 13 and 19 which are both used for market- 

 gardening. 



4. Glacial Series. 



There is only one soil formation of this series, which may be 

 named the glacial gravel soil formation. There are slight differences 

 in texture and properties in the soils occurring on this formation but, 

 as was previously explained, these are not sufficient to demand a sub- 

 division. 



For convenience in describing the formation it may be divided into 

 two groups. («) The Blunham glacial gravel area almost entirely 

 devoted to market-garden crops: (?;) isolated areas occurring as thin 

 cappings on boulder clay, generally held by large farmers in conjunction 

 with heavier laud. 



The Blunham area is of considerable extent. The soil is heavier in 

 texture than any of the valley gravel formations and contains fewer 

 stones, which are generally smooth with flat surfaces. The soil is a 

 cool good working loam very suitable for peas, runner beans, brussels 

 sprouts, late potatoes, onions, marrows and small seeds. The soil is 

 not cropped quite so heavily as the valley gravel soil formations. The 

 owner usually has to be satisfied with one crop a year but in some cases 

 early peas are followed by brussels sprouts, or failing this, by spring 

 cabbages. The soil is, as a rule, not so hea\nly manured as the green- 

 sand or valley gravel soil formations, the land being dunged only once 

 in two years. 



In the case of the smaller areas of glacial gravel, occupied by larger 

 farmers, one finds that they are following the market-gardening practice, 

 either sub-letting their best fields to the market-gardener, or using them 

 themselves for market-garden crops. 



Late potatoes, brussels sprouts, onions, parsley and strawberries all 

 flourish exceedingly on these rich glacial areas, while cereal crops and 

 roots give very large yields. Potatoes with very iudift'erent treatment 

 average 8 tons; onions average 8-12 tons, depending on the season. 

 Very high yields of wheat are frequently obtainable, as high as .W bushels 

 to the acre being the yield in some years. The soil is so good that three 

 cereal crops are often taken consecutively, each yielding very well. 

 Wheat would average out at about 5 ((uarters and oats 10 quarters per 

 acre. Strawberries too succeed pnrticnlarly well and frequently give 

 over 2 tons of fruit per acre. 



