Ftrtik Irish Suih 47 



on either side, which support good arable land. Along 

 both flanks of this chain the soils are much modified by 

 the presence of glacial boulder-clay, which has imported 

 limestone blocks into regions otherwise poor in hme. 



In the north-east a broad hummocky Ordovician and 

 Silurian area stretches from the centre of Co. Longford 

 through Co. Do-^vn, and farmers have taken full advantage 

 of its loamy soils. 



On the Atlantic coast, in the extreme west of Co. 



G-alway and Co. Mayo, and through a large 



Oldmeta- ^^^.^ ^^ q^^ Donegal in the north-west, the 



rocks. old quartzitic metamorphic rocks, pierced 



here and there by granite, provide very 

 little soil, and acid peat is a common feature of the 

 impermeable surfaces. AVTiere mica-schist prevails, how- 

 ever, as in eastern Donegal and Co. Londonderry, rich 

 orange loams are formed, which are much more favourable 

 for agriculture. 



Finally the red-b^o^vn soil of Co. Antrim in the north- 

 east is largely derived from basalt, and is 

 ??^* ^ locally modified by glacial drift. The quar- 



ries in the Chalk underlying this basalt 

 easily supply lime where it is required on the arable land. 



THE SOILS OF EXGLAXD AXD TTALES 



The range and variety in the geological sti-ucture, and 

 therefore in the soils, of England and Wales, which form 

 the southern portion of the island of Great Britain, are 

 much greater than in those of Scotland and Ireland. 



" Broadly speaking the northern and western parts of 



England and the greater part of "Wales are 



The PalEBOzoic formed of the older rocks known as primary 



rocks of Palaeozoic. These were considerably 



England ajiu 



Wales. folded and disturbed before the newer rocks 



were laid down. Eesting on their upturned 



