22 The Hunting Countries of England. 



have so direct a bearing on its foxhunting — though 

 the statement sounds neither amusing nor credible — 

 that they must be briefly set down before proceeding 

 further. In fewest words^ then — All up the east 

 coast runs the " Marsh" — a wide strip of rich deep 

 land reclaimed from the sea_, and whereon grow alike 

 turnips big as pumpkins and sheep that might have 

 been imported from Brobdingnag. Nearest the sea 

 thousands of acres are devoted to development of the 

 latter form of food supply; but the fine turf will 

 never spring to the hunter^ s hoof — for, like other fen 

 country it is crossed, traversed and cut up by wide 

 open drains which no horse could successfully combat. 

 More inland, where it obtains the name of Middle 

 Marsh, it is chiefly arable (except just above Grimsby), 

 carries a good scent, is in every respect quite rideable,. 

 and is much in favour with both Brocklesby and 

 South Wold. Next to the Marsh, and also running 

 north and south, are the Lincolnshire Wolds — high 

 land stretching (approximately speaking) from Brock- 

 lesby to Spilsby, and varying from ten to fifteen, 

 miles across. A general idea of the extent of the 

 Wolds may be obtained by taking the line of the 

 Great Northern Railway, from Boston to Grimsby, 

 as the eastern boundary, and by then running the 

 eye still along the railway, from Grimsby round by 

 Brocklesby to Market Rasen. For this distance — 

 quite three parts of the whole — the railway will be 

 founded depicted as running immediately beneath the 

 outline of the Wolds. 



The soil of the Wolds is strong loam on a sub- 

 stratum of chalk, limestone, or marl. Most of their 



