192 
Farming of Oxfordshire. 
Stokenchurch and Goring, the chalk, which is the substratum of 
this district, is partly covered with that portion of the tertiary 
series, known as the plastic clay formation. The best marked 
developments of this clay, with its subjacent sand, are confined to 
the highest ridges, sucli as Nettlebed, 820 feet above the level of 
the sea. Here the plastic clay, which is extensively used in 
making pottery, is from 10 to 30 feet deep, and the vein of white 
sand, which underlies it, varies from 10 to 20 feet. Wherever the 
plastic clay occurs in this locality there exist great facilities for 
the manufacture of bricks. The clay is near the surface, and the 
sand close at hand, while after digging through the clay chalk is 
found, which is burned into lime. The extensive commons, 
woods, and waste lands on the top of the hills afford cheap fuel 
for the kilns. The clay of this formation is composed of clay 
and silex, with iron as a colouring matter. The sand is made up 
of minute particles of siliceous substances, and both sand and 
clay contain little or no calcareous matter. The amalgamation 
of the clay and sand at the out-crop of these beds forms a friable 
soil of superior quality, differing in its character from the more 
tenacious clay on the summit of the ridge. Nothing improves 
this clay land so much as chalking. This is frequently done by 
sinking shafts or wells through the subsoil into the chalk, which 
is filled into a basket and drawn up by a wheel. If the chalk is 
near the surface it is dug from a pit at the end of the field. 
Much good has also resulted from applying the clay to the chalky 
soils, but this is l)y no means extensively practised. 
Most of the chalk range is covered with an argillaceous and 
sandy gravel, consisting, as it seems, of the washing of the 
plastic clay and broken chalk flints. Where this superficial 
deposit is about a yard thick on the chalk there is some useful 
strong land which will carry sheep, and grow wheat, beans, and 
oats. This soil is generally under arable cultivation, or covered 
with beech woods, which are the characteristic natural produc- 
tions of this portion of the country. The chalk escarpment 
forms a bold range of hills, which, though abrupt, ai'e smooth 
and rounded. In some parts the hills are so steep as to forbid 
arable cultivation, yet in most places the natural down or sheep- 
walk has yielded to the plough. The true soil of the upper 
chalk is composed of angular fragments of chalk, mixed with 
vegetable sandy mould, and is all more or less covered with 
flints. This is the soil on the sides of the hills which have been 
sheep-walks for ages, while at tlie liottom is found a deep dry 
chalky loam, called " white land." The depth of soil is usually 
greater on the north side of the hills ; and wherever the light 
hazel loam abounds, there chalking does much good : its calcareous 
properties stir the inert vegetable matter into activity. The 
