BOTANICAL SURVEY OF A PASTURE. 



R. C. GAUT, 

 Garforth. 



The following^ investigations were carried out during the summer 

 of 1903 in one of the fields (No. 122) of the Manor Farm, 

 Garforth, situate about eight miles east of Leeds, and in the 

 occupation of the Yorkshire Council for Agricultural Education. 



The field, which is a natural pasture of about eight acres in 

 extent, off'ered such excellent facilities for a detailed survey of 

 its herbage that an attempt has been made to reproduce the 

 principal features on a plan and to offer some explanation as to 

 the causes which have tended towards this distribution. The 

 work, it must be remarked, was suggested from the results 

 obtained in recent botanical surveys''- which have aimed at a 

 primary analysis of the vegetation of large areas, the impor- 

 tance of indicator plants as showing variation in soil being* 

 clearly demonstrated. It therefore seems advisable that a series 

 of smaller studies should be undertaken in order to ascertain as 

 far as possible the exact conditions indicated by social grasses. 



Before dealing with the field itself it is essential that some- 

 thing should be said with regard to its surroundings and the 

 district in which it is situated. 



Physiography. — The surrounding country, which varies in 

 height from 170 to 300 feet, forms the south-western limit of the 

 Wharfe watershed ; it has an average annual rainfall of about 

 30 inches. The streams have an east to west course, and all 

 unite to form a confluent, ' the Cock Beck,' which empties into 

 the Wharfe near Aberford ; they are small and of low velocity, 

 erosion being consequently reduced to a minimum. 



Geological Features. — The main geological features of 

 this district, which constitutes the northern edge of the York- 

 shire coalfield, are due in the south to the extensive outcrop of 

 the Middle Coal Measures, consisting mainly of sandstones. 

 These on the higher ground give rise by weathering to charac- 

 teristic sandstone soils, but in areas of low elevation they are 

 entirely covered by clays or soils of a peaty nature. On the 

 north the Lower Coal Measures have but small exposure. They 

 consist of extremely hard shales, dipping in a southerly direction 

 under the sandstones ; clays overlie them at the surface, which 

 result in the production of soils of close tenacious character. 



W. G. Smith, Ph.D., ' Geograpliical Distribution of Vegetation in 

 Yorkshire.' 



1904 April I. 



