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considerable extent and thickness, each of which completely 

 changes the agricultural character of the original strata. 



The formation itgelf scarcely makes its appearance in the 

 West- Riding. It consists of variegated marls in the upper 

 portion — the only place where they can be seen is at Holme, 

 on Spalding Moor — and of variegated sand or sandstones in 

 the lower, which are covered up from Hodsock Park, near 

 Blyth, to Green Hammerton, twelve miles north of York. 



Among the overlying beds are, first, the Alluvial of the rivers 

 Don, Went, Aire. Those of the Don, as at Bentley, Arksey, 

 Kirk Bramwith, Thorne, are exceedingly fertile, producing, 

 with little manure, large crops of grain and excellent feeding 

 pastures. It would be a most useful thing to really determine 

 why these alluvial soils, with only once liming and manuring 

 in the four years, produce great crops, while upon the Mag- 

 nesian Limestone, and many other soils, manure has to be 

 applied to each crop. 



There are also the Gravel or Diluvial Soils, which have an 

 extensive range from Doncaster southwards into Nottingham- 

 shire. There are also those extending from Snaith to Ferry- 

 bridge ; and those of Selby, Hambleton, Hough, &c. ; among 

 which are some very superior lands, as Doncaster Field, 

 Snaith Field, Birkin, &c. 



The stronger soils extend eastward from Owstone, Askern, 

 and Womersley, to Goole. Draining is now being adopted 

 upon this portion, so that there are many instances of farms 

 formerly let at 5s. to 7s. per acre, now let for 20s.; and there- 

 fore, these may be said to be progressively increasing in value, 

 while, on the other hand, small farms are general, and have 

 upon them, as a consequence, men of limited capital ; few 

 turnips are grown, no stock kept, little manure made, of 

 which, frequently from the badness of the homesteads, one- 

 half evaporates or runs out of the yard. 



Upon this great tract of country there is every variety of 



