INFLUENCE OF MINES UPON LAND AND 

 LIVESTOCK IN CARDIGANSHIRE. 



By J. J. GRIFFITH. 



(AgricuUural Department, University College, Aberystwyth.) 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



Historical ....... 



Sources and agencies of contamination . 

 Effects ujion grass land .... 



Effects upon arable land .... 



Effects upon animals ..... 



Minerals occurring in the veins 



Analyses of water samples from polluted rivers 



Analyses of mine refuse .... 



Analyses of sediment from leats and rivers 

 Analyses of soils ...... 



Effects upon physical properties of soils . 



"Lime requirement" of affected .soils 



The form in which lead occurs in soils 



Absorption of lead by the plant 



Pot and field experiments .... 



General conclusions ..... 



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 394 



During the years 1908-1913 inquiries with reference to the infertihty 

 of soils were frequently received from farmers in various parts of Cardi- 

 ganshire. Upon examination it was found that the primary cause of 

 infertihty in most of the cases was the presence in the soil of appreciable 

 quantities of lead. At first it was thought that only a few isolated spots 

 were thus affected. Further investigation, however, revealed the fact 

 that a relatively large area of what should be naturally the best land 

 of North Cardiganshire was suffering from the same cause, and that 

 a considerable number of farmers were of opinion that both their soils 

 and their live stock suffered from "lead poisoning." Consequently, it 

 was thought advisable to make a survey of the affected land and to 

 investigate possible remedial measures. 



It appears that attention has been drawn on various occasions in 

 the past to the undesirable effects of mine wastes uj)on Cardiganshire 

 soils. 



