2 14 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH AR BORICUI/IURAL SOCIKTY. 



was (juite sufficient to account for a more intense washing-out of 

 the soils. However, this bladder is pricked by the recent 

 progress in the geological surveys. It is already proved beyond 

 doubt, that in the North-Western territories the deposits of at 

 least two distinct glacial periods are in evidence, mostly 

 separated by formations of interglacial character. There are 

 thus practically no differences in the history or the composition 

 of the deposits between the diluvium of the east and west of 

 North Germany ; any divergencies which may now exist have 

 developed since vegetation and man took possession of the land. 

 Owing, to a great extent, to the accidents of agricultural tenure, 

 belief in the old-fashioned theories regarding the inferiority 

 of the heather-clad soils in North-Western Germany died slowly. 

 Good bits of forests existed long ago, well-grown oak and pine 

 trees surrounded most of the homesteads, and fields yielding 

 satisfactory crops, chiefly of rye and potatoes, existed in the 

 vicinity of the farms ; those were considered oases, discovered 

 ages ago in the desert of heather lands, and there was no 

 incentive to search for and open out new fields. 



The peasant proprietors, owning sometimes extensive areas, 

 were satisfied with the yield of the limited acres under cultiva- 

 tion ; it sufficed for their requirements. The cottager and 

 labourer had no land to exploit. I lived in the Luneburger 

 Heide at the time of the first awakening, nearly 50 years ago, and 

 remember assisting in classifying lands as fit only for inferior 

 sheep grazing, which are now covered with fine cereal crops. 



When Dr Albert first visited the Luneburger Heide these 

 changes were already in an advanced stage, thousands of acres 

 of old heather lands were covered with smiling fields, and it was 

 recognised and of late verified by the geologic-agronomical 

 survey, still in progress, that heavy soils are as often hidden 

 under the cover of heather as light ones, and that often extensive 

 areas of boiia fide loam soil exist. It was only necessary to lift the 

 veil to discover that the better clas.«es of soil formed the rule in 

 these regions, and not rare exceptions as was assumed until 

 recently. 



The heather tracts of North-Western Germany extend to 

 about 14,300,000 acres; of these nearly 200,000 acres are 

 covered with forest, and 10,800,000 acres are used for agricultural 

 purposes, fields and pasture. 



The present waste lands aggregate, therefore, 3,300,000 acres, 



