Agriculture of Berkshire. 
7 
White Horse to the western border (entering Wiltshire beyond 
Shrivcnham) and joins the Kennet and Avon Canal at Seaming- 
ton, near Melksham, being 52 miles long. Tlie Kennet and 
Avon Canal starts from the Kennet above Newbury, and enters 
Wiltshire a little below Hungerford. 
Geological Features and Agricultural Description. 
Berkshire is a purely agricultural county, having no mineral 
productions. Its geological features embrace the Bagshot sand, 
London and Plastic Clay, the Chalk, the Greensand and the 
Gault ; the Kimmeridge Clay, tho Coral-rag and Oxford Clay, 
included within the Cainozoic or i i tiary, and the Mesozoic or 
Secondary S3'stems, as classified by i;or:]ogists. Although there 
are many varieties of soil, yet, for the present purpose, it is not 
necessary to make more than three agricultural divisions. 
\st Division. — The Bagshot Sand, and strong loamy soils of 
the London and Plastic Clay formation, as shown on the accom- 
panying map. 
2wc? Division. — The Chalk, numbered 3. 
3rrf Division. — The Vale, numbered 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. 
The \st Division, commencing at the extreme east of the 
county, includes the whole of Windsor Park ; it forms a very 
irregular junction with the Chalk, first taking a direction towards 
Twyford, thence to the south of Reading, and occupying a 
narrow strip on the whole south side of the county. In rising 
the Runnymead, between Staines and Windsor, we meet with 
the Bagshot Sand, which occupies the upper surface ; it includes 
a portion of Windsor Park on the south, and extends to Ascot 
Heath and nearly to Wokingham, and thence to Swallowfield on 
the south side of the county : this sand, however, is shown prin- 
cipally on the other side of the Blackwater River in the adjoin- 
ing county of Hants. Extensive heaths and plantations of fir- 
trees form the principal feature of this surface, but the valleys, 
where admixed with vegetable matter, afford a light tillage, 
whilst a slight deposit of gravel is found in some places on the 
sand, as seen on the Norfolk Farm in Windsor Great Park. 
The subjoined account of what has been done by R. Gibson, 
Esq., of Sandhurst Lodge, shows the extent to which this heath- 
land is capable of being improved ; so that a soil which formerly 
only produced firewood is now worth to rent at least 1/. per acre. 
The land was first well trenched, to the depth of from 2 to 3 
feet, so as to break through the iron rust which generally prevails 
in that locality ; about 3 waggon-loads of chalk were then applied 
to the acre, and, where the land was light, a coating of clay or 
loam. In some places draining was required to the depth of 
3 feet. The first crop taken was rape or turnips, with the appli- 
