Forest Fanning. 
451 
^ieposits. When drift is thickly spread over a limestone or a 
marl, the case is altered ; for the character of the soil is different 
from what it would be if the native rock lay close below. 
Instead of the wet clay soil natural to the marls, one would meet 
•with gravelly and sandy land. 
The curious water-bearing property of these 
alternating porous and impervious rocks is de- 
scribed by my colleague, Mr. Dixon, in the '"^ 
following paragraph : — ^ 
'•■ Edingley, which lies about midway between 4 
Hexgrave and Southwell, is the property of Mr. « 
Richard Milward, but is retained by him in his -3 
own hand. This farm consists of some 200 acres, 
and belonged originally to 14 or 15 holdings. 
It cost on the average about 40/. an acre, and 30/. .» 
more in improvements during 10 years. It sorely ^ 
needed them, as it barely grew 12 bushels once, 
where it now grows 5 quarters. The soil is of ^ 
all sorts — white cla}', black sand, red gravel, and | 
red sand, with boulder stones in every field. At | 
one time there was no riding over its marsh-land, 1^ 
and the pedestrian had to jump from hassock to 
hassock. Every field has streams through it, 
and summer and winter the drains keep up a 2 
constant discharge, which finds its way into the ~ 
bed of the Greet. When they drain they find S 
sand with water boiling up, and if they go down 
20 to 30 feet to reach the springs, the water flows | 
up almost like a geyser. One of these ' boils ' 
is speciallv kept and covered over as a curiosity.'' 
— H. M. J. 
^3 
II. Forest Farming. By H. M. Jenkins. 
The site of the ancient forest of Sherwood fur- 
nishes some of the best examples in England of 
successful farming under circumstances of great 
natural difficulty. The subsoil consists of a sandy 
conglomerate, and is covered by a very light '\ 
sandy loam of poor and hungry character. Little 
is yielded by.it alone; and the farmer looks upon it more as a 
vehicle whereby he can convey fertilizing materials to his crops, 
than as a producer of their natural food. The Forest farms 
are therefore notably characterized by the extensive use on them 
of cake, bones, and other artificial manures ; and they mostly 
agree in possessing a very small quantity of permanent grass 
land. 
