276 
Farming of Bucldnghamshire. 
said, it stretches in a thin belt across the county, begins at 
Bledlow on the west, and runs by the Risboroughs to Aston Clinton 
and Drayton. It continues its course across tliat curious pro- 
jection of the county, being found below the chalk hills of 
Ivinghoe. The soil of this formation is more tenacious and fer- 
tile than the upper chalk, and may be easily distinguished from 
it by tlie total absence of flints. But even on this narrow stratum 
the soil varies considerably. That at the base of the hills, which 
is sometimes called white land, is by no means a good soil, while 
that which lies below the Icknield-way is much better, and 
capable of bearing excellent crops of wheat, beans, and oats. It 
is not over-well adapted for the growth of roots, and sheep 
trampling on it in Avet weather do much damage and make the 
soil very difficult to work. Sheep are kept on almost all farms, 
but the attention bestowed on this description of stock appears 
quite subordinate to the growth of corn. The rock of the lower 
chalk, in some parts, assumes such a degree of hardness, that it 
is successfully quarried for architectural purposes. Thus the 
Tottenhoe stone is very useful and beautiful in the interior deco- 
ration of churches, but for exterior work it is liable to be affected 
by the weather. Being so hard, it is not useful for agricultural 
purposes, though its composition is very much like that of the 
upper chalk, which is extensively used as a mineral manure. In 
order to show how similar are the constituents, the following 
simple analyses of two pieces of chalk are given. Number 1 is a 
fragment of upper chalk taken from Hambleden, and which 
slakes like lime on exposure to the air ; the other is from a pit 
near Bledlow, where it is used principally in the formation of 
bye-roads : — 
No. 1. 
Carbonic acid 42 
Lime 5G 
Oxide of iron, saud, and clay 2 
100 
No. 2. 
Carbonic acid 42 
Lime 55 
Clay and sand 3 
100 
Here a general analysis does not do much to account for the 
different degrees of hardness, but perhaps it shows that the lower 
chalk, if burned into lime, would make a very excellent manure. 
Now, although this formation is highly calcareous, some of its 
cultivated soils contain very little lime. But neither chalking it 
nor liming it is much attended to in Bucks ; though the Hamp- 
shire men, who have a similar soil, and who are celebrated for 
growing excellent white wheat and fine straw, lime extensively. 
Indeed the malmy soils of this county show by analysis that they 
