occurting in Lancashire. S77 



-tnoss land, which hes principally to the west of Garstang, 

 a part of which is annually reclainiec), and converted iiilo 

 gronnd which produces good crops of corn*. 



Besides tb.e common niannrcs, a great part of this district 

 has also ihe advantage of both marl and lime, and is hence 

 capabi.- of being put into the highest state of cultivation. 

 The parts of the country bordering upon the Bay of More- 

 combe iiave also two other kinds of local iTunures, viz. 

 muscles and sand. The muscles aie found in immense 

 beds, which are accessible during the tide of ebb, and they 

 are then carted a^'ay in groat quantities for this purpose. 

 They arc, however, said to be a manure whose good effects 

 are not more durable than a single year. The sand pro- 

 cured upon this coast (from the nature of its component 

 parts) has not only been found advantageous to the stiffer 

 clay lands, but also to those of a lighter ttxture. Besides 

 the flinty particles usually fotmd in sand, a great pro- 

 portion of what is got here consists of particles of shells 

 niinulcly divided, and is hence of a calcareous nature : a 

 portion of clay is also mixed with it, which with some sea- 

 salt f, and the remains of decayed animal and vegetable 

 matters, form altogether a substance very different from 

 conunon sand. 



Some iron-stone is found in the shale. This district, 

 however, is not productive of any ores which have been 

 wrought J. The stone which occurs here is however ex- 

 tremely valuable for a variety of purposes. That which is 

 gotten in the neighbourhood of Lancaster, and in Whittle 

 Hills, is of the most valuable kind of freestone ; and blocks 

 of almost any size may be procured. From the great quan- 

 tity of quartz or flintv particles which enter into its com- 

 position, the durability will probably be nearly equal to that 

 of granite. Millstones of an excellent quality are gotten 

 in Whittle Hills, and from Kellet Moor; and a fine kind of 



• By means of marl, which Is generally found lieneath the moss, and by 

 paring and bxr/iiiig, wliich, although disapproved by lord Diindouald, is here 

 the source of aliuiidaiu fertility; there being no fear of exhausting the ve- 

 getalile matter by this ;vroccss. A particular kind of cloths, called vins<i pat- 

 tens, are affixed to the hinder feet of the horses employed in ploughing, 

 which prevents them from sinking into the ground, which is frequently so 

 soft as not to be accessible without such assistance. 



f When the tide retires, it leaves many miles of these sands dry; and in 

 the tunnner season the evaporation being considerable, a white crust or pel- 

 licle of salt is formed on the surtace, from which culinary salt was formerly 

 obtained, by collecting the sand containing this pellicle, and,af(er di5>olving 

 the fcaline particles in sea water, evaporating the brine, thus made, in pans. 



\ 'I'here is some lead ore in Anglezark, belonging to tir Jr. Standish ; and 

 caiboiiate ut barytes. 



S3 dags 



