CARL VON LINNE AS A GEOLOGIST NATPIORST. 725 



These words were prophetic, because it is well known that the use of 

 marl has substantially benefited the development of agriculture in 

 Skane. This occurred much later, however, and it apj)ears that 

 Linne's exhortation was at first left unheeded. 



******* 



Wind-blown sand seems to have been an object of special interest 

 to Linne, and his descriptions of fields of this sand and their drifts 

 are very picturesuqe. In the Oland journey he gives an account of 

 such fields from the northern extremity of the island : 



From the " Sjotorp " we started out for the next village, Granknlla. As 

 soou as we had passed by the latter the whole region between the village and 

 the sea was seen to be full of sand hills. 



The sand was driven from the sea and scattered over the entire field by a 

 strong south wind. The sand did not fall until it came to the calm precincts 

 of the forest, where the violence of the wind died out. Great sand dunes were 

 here to be seen, like giant snowdrifts, on the sides of the forest, burying large 

 pine trees so that often barely one-third of the top of the trees could be seen 

 sticking out of the drifts. The trees were thus gradually smothered, because 

 the sand prevented the penetration of any life-sustaining rain water or damp- 

 ness, and as the outer trees successively decayed the sand drifts moved annually 

 farther and farther into the forest. It seemed rather curious to run about on 

 these sand difts and botanize between the tree tops. The sand in no wise 

 resembled the heath sand of Skane, but was of a much coarser marine variety. 

 It was quite white, consisting of clear quartz and a little red spar, but so rough 

 and uneven as to be unfit even for scouring purposes. On the side toward tlio 

 field the drifts were practically flat and showed waves and undulations like 

 those of a sea bottom, but on the inner side, toward the woods, they were so 

 steep as to be scarcely accessible by climbing, and about 24 feet high. 



Linne further mentions the occurrence of " sand oats " or "" shore 

 rye " among the sand at this place : 



This " sand oats " is the same as the Dutch use to sow on their dunes in 

 order that the sand may become firm ground. It has also been recommended for 

 the fields of Skane. 



******* 

 Linne studied the drift sand in many places in Skane, mostly at 

 Ahus and Angelholm : 



There was plenty of wind-blown sand in the high-lying fields on both banks 

 of the river at Ahus, but mostly on the southern. The sand is quite white, 

 clear, and fine; the reason being that if any coarser pieces or gravel are 

 mixed with it they remain where they are when the finer sand is blown away. 

 The wind often carries the sand a distance of li miles, a fact which is best 

 seen on the snow in winter time. Thus the sand makes the rivers shallow and 

 intermingles with the ground and fields. * * * Wherever a juniper or 

 crowberry bush or a willow was found on these hills it was quite covered over 

 with sand, forming a big knoll, above which only the ends of the branches 

 could be seen. In many places where shrubs and grasses had grown large 

 hillocks or small hills had been produced through the sand gathering and 

 mixing with the straw, and again where this grass had disappeared it was 



