Farming of Devonshire. 
459 
this highly-favoured county. Proceeding towards CoUumpton, 
we enter the luxuriant vale of the Exe, which occupies an area of 
about 200 square miles, and extends by a north-western course to 
Tiverton, and south-west by Exeter to Topshain. The principal 
part is in pasture-land and supports a large number of dairy 
cows, but where it is converted into arable land it yields abundant 
crops. From Tiverton to the borders of Somerset the land is 
more clayey (argillaceous) and tenacious, it is also less fertile. 
Near this part are the Black Down hills, which are covered 
with a barren sand or gravel, occasionally improved by the inter- 
mixture of a calcareous soil. 
The Vale of Honiton and Exeter constitutes our principal 
dairy district. The soil is a rich loam, of a dark hazel colour 
and considerable depth ; the subsoil is gravelly from Exeter to 
Bishop's Clist, beyond which it is chiefly a strong clay. Much 
is in permanent pasture, and, from its productive character, this 
vale with that of the Exe may be considered as two of the richest 
in the kingdom. Towards the borders of Dorset, in the neigh- 
bourhood of Lyme Regis, the soil is of less fertility, being the 
blue lias clay. It is principally kept in pasturage, and probably 
cannot be more profitably employed in its present condition. 
Draining is very necessary, and great advantage would be derived 
from practising it even whilst in grass, as an increased quantity 
of more nourishing herbage would be obtained. Before we reach 
Sidraouth we re-enter the red sandstone district, from which town 
to Topsham the same soil is observed wilh much constancy. A 
deep red loam is its prevailing character, which very rarely re- 
quires draining, there being naturally a free passage for the water 
into the absorbent rock beneath. The crops are always very 
forward where this soil is found, and their early maturity is due 
to the dryness and consequent warmth of the land. It is how- 
ever liable to be scorched up in the summer months, but the 
moisture of the atmosphere and the heavy dews which fall here 
materially diminish the injury which would otherwise arise. 
The barren waste known as Woodbury Common is found in 
this portion of the county ; its soil is a very poor sand, with a 
mixture of peaty matter. It produces a short grass, which is fed 
off during the summer by a few cattle, but the pasturage is of 
little value. Near Exminster is a rich loam, and the same 
extends towards Kenn ; Kenton and Mamhead occasionally be- 
coming rather gravelly, which proportionately decreases its value. 
In the neighbourhood of Newton Bushell a calcareous soil 
abounds ; this town is situated in that portion of the county 
called the South Hams, a district of triangular shape, included 
within a boundary passing from Plymouth through Chud- 
leigh to Torbay, thence by the sea-coast to the former town. It 
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