4 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



branch of the Wey ; and, meeting the Black-down stream 

 at Hedleigh, and the Alton and Farnham stream at Tilford- 

 bridge, swells into a considerable river, navigable at Godal- 

 ming; from whence it passes to Guildford, and so into the 

 Thames at IVey bridge ; and thus at the Nore into the 

 German Ocean. 



Our wells, at an average, run to about sixty-three feet, 

 and when sunk to that depth seldom fail ; but produce a 

 fine limpid water, soft to the taste, and much commended 

 by those who drink the pure element, but which does not 

 lather well with soap. 



To the north-west, north and east of the village, is a 

 range of fair enclosures, consisting of what is called white 

 tna/nt, a sort of rotten or rubble stone, which, when turned 

 up to the frost and rain, moulders to pieces, and becomes 

 manure to itself. 1 



Still on to the north-east, and a step lower, is a kind 

 of white land, neither chalk nor clay, neither fit for pasture 

 nor for the plough, yet kindly for hops, which root deep 

 in the freestone, and have their poles and wood for char- 

 coal growing just at hand. The white soil produces the 

 brightest hops. 



As the parish still inclines down towards IVolmer- 

 forest, at the juncture of the clays and sand the soil 

 becomes a wet, sandy loam, remarkable for timber, and 

 infamous for roads. The oaks of Temple and Blackmoor 

 stand high in the estimation of purveyors, and have 

 furnished much naval timber ; while the trees on the free- 

 stone grow large, but are what workmen call shakey, and 

 so brittle as often to fall to pieces in sawing. Beyond 

 the sandy loam the soil becomes a hungry lean sand, till 

 it mingles with the forest ; and will produce little without 

 the assistance of lime and turnips. 2 



1 This soil produces good wheat and clover. [G. W.] 



1 Mr. William Curtis of Alton supplied Professor Bell with a chapter on the 

 geology of the district (see Bell's ed. ii., pp. 374-377). I am indebted to my 

 Wend and colleague Mr. C. W. Andrews, of the Geological Department of the 

 British Museum, for some notes on the subject, which will be found in the 

 ' Appendix ' to the present work. [R. B. S.J 



