( 67 } 



ftrong heavy clay upon a tile earth ; but thence nortli, and 

 binding upon Southminfler, a more temperate and tradtabie 

 foil upon a fandy loam. At ALTHORNE, the foil in 

 general is formed of a ftrong heavy compadl clay, thinly 

 ftapled upon a tough retentive tile earth. Hollow draining 

 has been lately introduced, and is now practiced with very 

 good efFeS, upon the wet heavy lands in this parifli ; the 

 drains are from eight to twelve feet apart, and coft (labour 

 and materials included) from 3I. to 3I. 12s. per acre. The 

 foil of NORTH FAMBBRIDGE is a deep tender loam, 

 upon a. brown clay ; which, with a confiderable part of the 

 embanked marfhes that are under the plough, has been much 

 improved by the application of from feven to eight waggon 

 loads of chalk per acre; this is obtained with great con- 

 veniency by means of the river Crouch, which affords an 

 opportunity of its being landed (together with any other 

 foreign manure) upon all the different farms through the 

 parifh. 



Whilfl the marfhes remain in pafture, their herbage is 

 very indifferent, and incapable of fattening a beaft of more 

 than twenty-four fcore ; and even not that, in a dry fum- 

 mer. Small WeKh runts, and Norfolk ewes, are the fiock 

 ufually grazed; but the latter muft be kept upon the clovers 

 during the early part of the fummer, or the lambs will not 

 thrive. The Southdown breed are now trying upon the 

 marlhes, but as the experiment is quite new, no report can 

 be made thereon. 



As the country rifes northerly towards COLD NORTON, 

 STOW MARYS, and WOODHAM FERRERS, it 

 breaks into hills, which are covered with a wet heavy foil, 

 upon a brick and a tile earth. South from Woodham Fer- 

 rers and towards Hockley, the foil becomes of a more gentle 



I 2 nature, 



