848 Studies on the Pakeozoic Soils of North Wales 



artificial drainage has been carried out, bear a herbage of coarse grass 

 and rushes. 



The Anglesey medium loams are fairly well cultivated. Patches of 

 waste occur at intervals where the rock rises above the surface and the 

 surrounding soil is too shallow for cultivation. The most usual rotation 

 is grass, cut for hay for two years and grazed for two, three or more 

 years, oats, roots and oats. Comparatively little barley and wheat are 

 grown. The district is chiefly noted for its black cattle. 



The country is generally rather bleak and wind-swept. If the force 

 of the wind were broken by shelter-belts, the agriculture of this area 

 might compare with that of the best districts of England. Market 

 gardening, in view of the mildness of the climate and the suitability of 

 the soil, seems to offer a good prospect. Bulb-growing has been very 

 successfully practised in places. 



The figures in the table are the average of twenty-six samples. As 

 will be seen the various fractions are fairly well balanced, no fraction 

 being markedly predominant. Calcium carbonate was only found in 

 one sample. The subsoils approximate very closely to the soils in 

 mechanical composition. 



Two sub-types must be noticed. There is a sandy type occurring 

 along the south-western coast of Anglesey, which is formed by the 

 admixture of blown sand with soil of the chief type. All gradations 

 can be found from open dune to ordinary loam unmixed with sand. 

 Except in the extreme south, where market gardening is practised on 

 the sandy soils of Newborough, the ordinary type of Anglesey agricul- 

 ture persists up to the fringe of the areas of sandy waste. Five samples 

 were examined and average figures are shown in the table. Calcium 

 carbonate was always absent. It is noteworthy that although very 

 sandy these soils contain almost as much potash as the soils of the 

 main type. 



Another sub-type which has only been separated from the main 

 type on account of a difference in chemical composition is that found as 

 a result of the disintegration of granite. It resembles the main type in 

 all respects except that it contains a much higher proportion of potash. 

 As only two soils of this type have been examined the sub-division is 

 unimportant, but the average is given in the table. It will be noticed 

 that the potash figures lie well outside the range of the main type. 



The soils formed from drift deposits are slightly heavier than the 

 sedentary soils but the difference is not sufficiently marked to separate 

 them from the main type. 



