82 THE PRINCIPLES OF 



cheese-making and dairying districts of that county. In 

 Lancashire the new red sandstone also gives some tracts of 

 excellent land. 



We see then that wherever the new red sandstone form- 

 ation extends we have land of good or promising character, 

 and it is worthy of notice that its soils are of much higher 

 quality than those of the numerous coal-fields which lie 

 scattered at intervals over the Midland counties. 



There is an extension of the lower red sandstone of the 

 Permian further north in Cumberland, where it forms a 

 very excellent district round Carlisle and Penrith, extending 

 northwards to the shores of the Sol way Firth. 



The formation which is next in order is that of the 

 magnesian limestone, which terminates at the city of 

 Nottingham. It follows in close juxtaposition the Yorkshire 

 coal-field. The magnesian limestone occupies an area which 

 may be described as extending from the city of Nottingham 

 right through Yorkshire, and finally developing into a wider 

 area in the county of Durham. It runs from the city of 

 Nottingham almost due north through Yorkshire, and its 

 greatest development is to be found in the county of 

 Durham. 



The whole of the coast-line between Hartlepool and Shields 

 is composed of magnesian limestone, and extending inland it 

 forms a considerable portion of the county Palatine. There 

 is no other portion of the country that lies upon magnesian 

 limestone. These rocks usually rise into low hills, carrying 

 a thin soil of poor character. Magnesian limestone or 

 dolomite is yellow or cream-coloured, and is very different 

 in appearance and properties to the mountain limestone, a 

 formation which we shall have to consider presently. In the 

 county of Durham the same drift which masks the new red 

 sandstone covers up and masks the magnesian limestone, so 

 that the soils of the magnesian limestone of South Durham 



