A()ricultural Capabilities of the New Forest. 247 
special care being taken that by the conditions of the sale the 
adoption of the wisest measures for bringin<j it into cultiva- 
tion should be secured, and each purchaser be debarred from 
injuring his neighbour or occasioning any public nuisance. If 
an average of lU/. or 12/. per acre could be obtained, it would 
probably be the wisest system for bringing it into cultivation. 
The marl pits might be turned to much greater pecuniary 
advantage than is the case at present, but the royalty should be 
reduced from 6d. to 3d. ; and as the supply is comparatively 
boundless, a considerable quantity existing alongside the rail 
might be transported beyond the Forest to improve the poor 
Bagshot sands on the west of the Avon and on each side of the 
railway, a district that the traveller looks at with surprise, particu- 
larly when he finds that the land belongs to private proprietors. 
These poor sands are sterile because they will not retain mois- 
ture sufficiently, and because they are deficient in certain im- 
portant constituents, such as the oxides of iron and alumina, as 
well as carbonate of lime. It has been found elsewhere that 
under sewage such soils become extremely fertile ; and if that 
cannot be expected in the Forest, the other constituents above 
mentioned may be all supplied by the marl — the oxide of iron 
and alumina to the extent of 10 per cent., and carbonate of lime 
to that of 25. Nothing, therefore, can be more desirable than 
that these natural privileges should be freely applied to the poor 
sands within a reasonable distance. It is fortunately the case that 
there are some thousands of acres within an easy distance of the 
marl pits. In some instances and on other soils, where it may be 
surmised that the application of too much marl may render the 
land too adhesive, and yet lime is very much required, a remedy 
is easily found in the use of chalk, instead of, or in company with 
marl ; or otherwise experiments may be made in burning the 
marl, and thus destroying the cohesive properties of its clay and 
rendering its lime of still more value. This latter plan is thrown 
out as a hint, for although theoretically correct, it may not succeed 
unless the mechanical state of the burnt marl is favourable and 
corresponds to the burnt clay, which in many heavy clay districts 
has been used with much success. Numerous instances are 
recorded in the ' Journal ' where the system of burning clay on 
strong soils has been attended with great success. 
When marl is used it should be applied as much as possible 
during the summer months, for not only is it then of lighter 
carriage, but it crumbles more readily, and mixes with the soil, 
whereas in winter it is apt to run together and injure the grass 
if placed thereon. There is no doubt a considerable difference 
in the various marls found in the Forest, as regards the quantity 
of lime which they contain ; and we are inclined to think that 
