:.] TYPICAL SOILS 63 



tructure, whereas as soon as the smaller particles 

 redominate on the heavy lands, then the soil is coarser 

 rained than the subsoil. 



Soil No. 5 comes from the Hastings Sand in Sussex, 

 nd represents a light example of a type of soil which, 

 r ith a certain amount of variation in the relative 

 roportions of fine sand and silt, covers a considerable 

 rea in the high Weald country. 



Generally it forms a sticky, heavy working soil, 

 Dmmonly described as a clay, though the sand and silt 

 actions predominate and no excessive proportion of 

 lay is present. The soil, however, is kept very close by 

 le lack of coarse sand and of any of the still coarser 

 ravel and stones, the absence of carbonate of lime also 

 lakes it stickier and more difficult to work. If a good 

 1th is obtained, as, for instance, a seed bed for roots, and 

 eavy rain follows, these soils are particularly liable to 

 nn together and set on drying to a glazed caked surface, 

 ery inimical to germination. When well supplied with 

 me and organic matter, these soils are fertile and carry 

 magnificent crops ; but they are rather late and expensive 



work, so that they have in great measure been laid 

 own to grass. They carry good grass when well 

 reated, and particularly when dressed with lime and 

 asic slag. 



Soil No. 6 is taken from the Broadbalk Wheat Field 

 t Rothamsted : it is a heavy loam, stubborn and 

 ntractable to work, which would lie very wet were not 

 he land naturally under-drained by the chalk rock at a 

 lepth of ten or twelve feet below. The surface soil also 

 ontains a large number of flint stones, not shown in 

 he analysis, and these help to keep the soil more open 

 md assist the drainage. Heavy as it is, the soil is not 



1 true clay ; it is the silt and fine sand fractions which 

 >redominate, and to these must be attributed the 



