274 
Farming of Bucliinghamshirc.\ 
addition to the variety of soilr. formed by the undulations of the 
ground, and the difference of the superficial deposits, the soil on 
the top of the hills, where the ground is quite flat, often A'aries 
greatly. Every one, on looking at a chalk-pit, and passing a 
railway cutting, must have seen the deep indentations on its sur- 
face, which are mostly filled with gravel. These are sections of 
long furrows, and of cavities occasioned by the powerful action of 
water prior to the deposition of the superior stratum. It often 
happens that a field, which looks all of the same quality to the 
eye, has the chalk in some parts within a few inches of the 
surface, and in another spot close by the calcareous subsoil is 
covered with several feet of flinty clay. In some parts of the 
Chiltern hills, especially about West Wycombe, ar-e isolated 
masses of reddish-yellow sandstone. These stones are evidently 
formed by the sand of the plastic clay being fused or cemented 
by some powerful agency. The real chalk is a white chalky 
limestone, more or less pure carbonate of lime, the constituent 
parts being lime and carbonic acid in nearly equal proportions. 
It is not naturally a fertile soil, but, with good farming, will pro- 
duce almost every crop, and will pay for high farming as well as 
any soil, as corn does not often lodge on it. This formation is 
very unlevel, being a succession of hill and dale. The chalk 
escarpment towards the north presents a series of bold and pic- 
turesque hills, known as the Chiltern range. Some of these 
attain a considerable elevation, as the hills of Wendover and 
Ivinghoe are both above 900 feet high. As the formation is com- 
posed of homogeneous beds of chalk, all with open partings, the 
water freely percolates through it, and there are no springs. This 
produces a scarcity of water on the high lands of the Chiltern 
district, and the supply is principally derived from ponds and 
tanks. In the majority of seasons these are capacious enough ; 
but last year the continued drought exhausted them, to the serious 
inconvenience of many homesteads. At the foot of the hills, 
where the descent of the water is arrested by the lower chalk, or 
other more retentive strata, springs burst out, and towards the 
south form some considerable rivulets. Two branches of the 
Colne rise at Messenden and Chesham, and join the Thames 
west of Staines ; while the Wycombe stream rises a little above 
that town, and flows from tlience to Woburn. These little rivers 
are turned to the best account, their waters being used for pro- 
pelling a great number of mills, which are mostly employed in 
the manufacture of paper. The upper chalk is distinguished 
from the lower series by the presence of bands of nodular flints, 
and is mostly in arable cultivation. Some parts are so precipi- 
tous as to preclude the use of the plough, and those banks are 
