Soil-Carriers oy 



constructed, causing them to overflow and form shallow 

 lakes. 



But local floods were only the first result of its work; 

 for the streams brought down with them the usual sedi- 

 ment, which was spread over the inundated surface, 

 gradually raising its level, until the lake became a marsh 

 covered with marsh-plants. Then, as the sediment still 

 accumulated, the marsh-plants by degrees found the situ- 

 ation too dry for them, and died off; their places were 

 then taken by grasses, and the lakes were thus converted 

 into meadow-land, fertile, as river-formed soils usually 

 are, and enriched by the decay of the marsh plants. 



Rivers, then, must be reckoned among the most impor- 

 tant makers and carriers of soil. But the wind, too, does 

 much good service, though also occasional damage, from 

 man's point of view, as nature's laborers are apt to do, in 

 these disorganized days. 



On the Lincolnshire Wolds, for instance, and on the 

 coast of Norfolk, where the soils are light and sandy, the 

 whole of the finer portion, as well as the seed sown, is 

 sometimes altogether blown away by the equinoctial gales. 

 One field near Cromer was sown three times in the course 

 of a single spring, and was finally left to itself, all the 

 upper portion of the soil being banked, hke a snow-drift, 

 against the hedge. 



But for the hedges the wind would no doubt have 

 spread the soil fairly over the neighboring fields. Its 

 efforts on this occasion were, however, certainly mis- 

 directed. 



As to the enormous distances which fine dust is often 

 carried, we have positive proof in the brick-red or cinna- 

 mon-colored sirocco dust which falls thickly upon vessels 



