402 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



from Bristol on both sides of the Severn into the Vale of Gloucester, along 

 the base of the Malvern Hills, north of Worcester, expanding into a gently 

 undulating plain nearly eighty miles broad, including Warwick, Stafford, 

 and most of Leicester, and then branching westwards over Cheshire to 

 West Flint and South-west Lancashire, appearing again in Cumberland in 

 the Vale of the Eden around Carlisle, covered by peat on the Solway Firth 

 and the South-west of Lancashire. The eastern branch includes part of 

 Derbyshire, with gypsum near Trent and Nottingham, through the centre 

 of Yorkshire and the south of Devon to the sea. The Severn, the Trent, 

 and the Mersey all rise in this formation, and their water is " soft " com- 

 pared with the "hard" water of the Thames. The soils of the old red 

 sandstone and those of the new red sandstone are very similar. In Devon 

 and Somerset the red marly soil is of first quality, whilst in Nottingham 

 (Sherwood Forest) and Yorkshire it forms large sandy tracts, producing 

 scarcely anything but heath, furze, whortleberry, birch, and Scots pine ; 

 however, this is a small area compared with the great extent of rich pro- 

 ductive soil on this formation, the meadows of which are rich and the 

 arable land productive. 



Grass-land in Devon and Somerset often lets at 50s. to 60s. the acre. 

 In Devonshire some of the best-managed orchard districts are on this 

 formation, such as those in the neighbourhood of Ottery St. Mary, Newton 

 St. Cyres, and Crediton. In Somerset there are numerous orchards between 

 Wellington, Taunton, and Watchet on the sandstone and marls of this 

 formation. Arable land in the Vale of Taunton often lets at 45s. to 50s. 

 per acre. Here the Lias and red sandstone adjoin the former, covered by 

 good old grass ; on the latter the arable land produces some of the most 

 luxuriant crops in the kingdom. Lime is the manure chiefly required. 

 At Axbridge and Cheddar rich loamy land sloping south used to be let 

 at £4 to £8 per acre for early potato growing. Strawberries are grown 

 for market near the Cheddar cliffs and caves. At Easton, near Bristol, 

 there is a fine sandy loam let at £6 to £8 per acre for market gardening. 

 This formation occupies a large part of Worcestershire, where the soil 

 exhibits all gradations of texture — stiff clay, marl, strong loam, sandy 

 loam, and blowing sand. The orchards are numerous on this formation 

 in Gloucester and Worcester, as well as Devon and Somerset ; in Stafford- 

 shire there are old-established orchards of apples and damsons* in the 

 neighbourhood of Rocester, on the River Dove, and at Eccleshall, in 

 the west of the county. Around Lichfield, on the borders of the Trent, 

 market gardening is largely carried on. Shropshire does not produce 

 much fruit besides damsons. Cheshire is noted for its rich meadows ; 

 it was on these pastures that crushed bones were first extensively used 

 with great advantage to the grass. Near the River Dee a considerable 

 acreage of strawberries is grown, and these are ready to pick a week or 

 so later than those of Kent. Near Redditch, in Worcestershire, consider- 

 able quantities of apples, pears, and hops are grown. In Leicestershire, 

 in the neighbourhood of Syston, on the marls of this formation, a most 

 excellent cooking plum, 1 Syston Native,' does well. As is the case with 

 the 1 Pershore 1 plum, it grows on its own roots without budding or 

 grafting. The ' Lord Suflield ' apple, also, thrives here without canker- 

 ing. The principal fruit-growing districts in the county are comprised 



