Ridge-Ponds. at 
The general deficiency of moisture characteristic 
of these chalk hills is such that it is said agriculture 
flourishes best upon them in what is called a ‘drop- 
ping’ summer, when there is a shower every two or 
three days, the soil absorbing it so quickly. For the 
grass and hay crops down below in the vale, and for 
the arable fields there with a stiff heavy soil, on the 
other hand, a certain amount of dry weather is desir- 
able, else the plough cannot work in its seasons nor 
the crops ripen or the harvest be garnered in. So 
that the old saying was that in a drought the vale had 
to feed the hill, and in a wet year the hill had to feed 
the vale: which remains true to a considerable extent, 
so far at least as the cattle are concerned, and was 
probably true of men and their food also before the 
importation of corn in such immense quantities placed 
both alike free from anxiety on that account. This 
deficiency of moisture being borne in mind, it is a 
little curious to find ponds of water on the very 
summit of the down. 
Scarcely a quarter of a mile from the earthwork, 
and on a level with it—close to the clump of firs and 
beech alluded to previously—there may be seen on 
this warm summer day a broad, circular, pan-like 
depression partially filled with water. Being on the 
very top of the ridge, and only so far sunk as to hold 
a sufficient quantity, there is little or no watershed to 
drain into the pond; neither is there a spring or any 
other apparent source of supply. It would naturally 
