Farming of Herefordshire. 



435 



particles of oxide of iron, alumina, and other substances, ^vhich, 

 if allowed to accumulate, would form a rich soil, are at once and 

 as rapidly as they become sufficiently disintegrated, carried into 

 the rallies at every recurring heavy rainfall. 



"Were many of our richest vales submitted to as powerful a 

 degrading influence as prevails on the silicious uplands just 

 noticed their rapid deterioration would speedily be seen. In 

 place of which, under existing circumstances, the vales receive 

 annual additions from the comparatively contemned uplands, 

 which enable the former to maintain that perennial fertility 

 which is so much desiderated and admired. It will thus be 

 seen that physical position exercises an influence on the cha- 

 racter of a soil formed from any given rock equal to that of its 

 mere geological character, a fact sometimes lost sight of by 

 parties who treat on agricultural geology, the importance of 

 which, however, must be apparent when pointed out to any 

 reflecting mind. Ovving to a neglect of the consideration just 

 noticed has arisen the difference of opinions, as to whether soils 

 are similarly composed with the rocks which they overlie. 

 Generally th t soils in Herefordshire are similar in composition, 

 to the underlying rocks, and this rule perhaps holds more truly 

 of the soils of Herefordshire, than of those of any district in 

 England, of equal extent. But this is not wholly true : the most 

 striking example to be adduced is that of the gravelly soil around 

 the city of Hereford, whilst all the most fertile flats will be- 

 found on examination to contain substances transported from 

 places other than those in their immediate neighbourhood ; even 

 amongst soils which to all superficial appearances resemble the 

 underlying and prevailing red sandstone rock. 



With exceptions about to be noticed in connexion with the 

 protrusion of rocks connected w^th the silurian series, the general 

 characteristics of the soils of Herefordshire may be classified as 

 shallow argillaceous loam.s, deep argillaceous loams, and sandy 

 loams, the whole partaking of one generic colour, namely, that 

 of a deep red. Occasional diversities are, however, to be found, 

 in consequence of the existence of local coverings of drift and 

 silt, principally composed of coarse gravel (the debris of silurian 

 and trap rocks) which have been transported from the west and 

 north-west. In some cases the oravel is of a somewhat com- 

 minuted character, in which instances the soil is moderately 

 fertile. The areas most altered in this respect are those in the 

 vicinity of the cities of Hereford and Bromyard, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of which latter place the prevailing red colour of the 

 soil is obliterated in many parts, owing to the amount of the 

 drift just alluded to. 



The usual distribution of the old red sandstone rocks in 

 VOL. xiv. 2 G 



