Geological and Agricultural Divisions. 
281 
two clays. Either in its purity would produce a wretchedly 
stubborn and barren soil ; to the admixture of something less 
retentive and more fertile, we must look for the cause of in- 
creased productiveness. The real Vale of Aylesbury, the pastoral 
garden of the county, is not more than four or five miles wide. 
It may be said to include all that district, the exterior of which 
could be formed by the dotted line on the map, and runs through 
Aylesbury, Hartwell, Stone, Winchenden, Waddesden, Pitchcott, 
Dunton, Wing, Aston Abbotts, Bierton, and Broughton. 1 here 
are numerous soils, of course, inclosed in this boundary ; they 
vary much in a field, still more on a farm, and further still in 
a parish. The ground east of the turnpike-road at Weedon does 
not appear very excellent, while the ploughed land about Bierton 
does not present the idea that it is at all a nice soil to cultivate. 
The grass lands, too, vary much, some from having a depth of 2 
feet of fine loam, to others which have hardly as many inches 
above the clay. The best of the land is devoted to grazing, 
while the middling and inferior qualities are used for dairying. 
Tliere are other parishes besides those included exactly within 
the Vale, w'hich have patches of very excellent land. Some first- 
rate grazing grounds are to be found at Chersley, Chilton, Dorton, 
and Brill. Still the far greater portion of these, and the similar 
good lands of Quainton on the west and Hoggeston on the north, 
are stocked with cows. There are general features about rich 
grazing lands which strike the eye of a stranger. They have a 
luxuriant and deep-coloured herbage, and mostly a gentle un- 
dulation, are raised rather above tlie level meadows, and wherever 
they are found there is a foot or two of rich earth incumbent on 
the clay subsoil. In some places this rich deposit is evidently 
the washings from the Portland oolite which occupies the higher 
ground ; in some samples the small granulated pebbles of the 
lower greensand have been discovered, but more generally there 
is nothing for the geologist to show from what formations this 
valuable deposit is derived. When thus in doubt the sister 
science of chemistry may lend a helping hand, and in some mea- 
sure account for the well-known fertility of the Vale of Aylesbury. 
For this purpose the following interesting and elaborate analysis 
was made by the Society's chemist. The soil was taken just be- 
low the turf from " the Park," a field of well-known fertility at 
Putlowes. 
One hundred parts of the soil when dry contained — 
Organic matter 1G*10 
Soluble in acids 26"79 
Insoluble in acids 5T'll 
100-00 
