II.] TYPICAL SOILS 59 



and bring it into tilth again ; it also yields very fair 

 permanent pasture. 



Soil No. 7 is situated on the Kimeridge Clay forma- 

 tion in Cambridgeshire ; it is heavy land, difficult to 

 cultivate, and when under the plough requires a bare 

 fallow from time to time to restore the tilth. This 

 represents one of the heaviest soils which respond to 

 arable cultivation, which indeed is only practicable 

 because the soil, though containing so high a proportion 

 of clay, also contains a good deal of coarse sand, which 

 keeps it open and helps to render it friable. 



Soil No. 8 is a heavy, undrained London Clay, which 

 will carry nothing but poor pasture. At one time it 

 would carry in favourable seasons heavy crops of 

 wheat and beans, but the expense of cultivation and 

 the danger of missing a season have rendered it quite 

 unprofitable to farm under the plough. It will be 

 noticed that the soil consists almost wholly of the 

 finer fractions, nearly one-half being " clay " ; nor 

 is there any difference between soil and subsoil, 

 except in the humus, which improves the texture 

 of the surface. 



