28 



ON THE RECLAMATION 



III! 



vegetable growth up to high water 

 of spring- tides, where the vegetation 

 attains a continuity and the land a 

 firmness from the roots of decay- 

 ing plants, such as to entitle it to be 

 termed " marsh-land," and when the 

 surface is not covered with reeds and 

 rushes it is fit for grazing. Below the 

 neap tide level, again, the surface is 

 what is called " slob/' consisting of sand 

 covered with mud, with no vegetation 

 whatever, and lower down there will be 

 found sand more or less pure accord- 

 ing to the situation. The disposi- 

 tion of those different limits will be 

 seen from the accompanying section, 

 fig 7. The upper or " marsh " portion 

 of the section corresponds to what 

 in England are locally termed " salt- 

 marshes" and "outmarshes," and in Scot- 

 land simply marshes. The aquatic plants 

 growing on these marshes are found 

 to vary according to their position. 

 If near the sea the plants predominat- 

 ing are those which flourish in saline 

 soils, such as marsh samphire, sea-pink, 

 &c. If the situation be more estuarial, 

 and more within the influence of fresh 

 or brackish waters, reeds, sedges, flags, 



