454 
Geology of Norfolk. 
and proposing the formation of a geological map for agricultural 
purposes, in the following words : — 
" A geological map of England, shaded somewhat agreeably to the 
8l<etch I have given of Yorkshire, showing, not only its mountain up- 
land and vale districts, but giving an adequate idea of their elevation 
and casts of surface, would, on the instant, be a valuable acquisition to 
science; and whenever the Government of the country shall turn their 
attention to the country itself, such a map, or maps, pointing out at 
sight the elevations, the casts of surface, the waters, the soils, and the 
substrata, as they relate to agriculture, will be found to be an acquire- 
ment of considerable value." 
In the same work on the ' Southern Counties ' he gives a very 
correct description of the physical features of the Weald of Kent 
and Sussex dependent on geological structure, noticing the steep 
escarpments of the chalk opposed to each other, the " declination" 
of the surface of the North and South Downs in opposite direc- 
tions, and the escape of the waters of the Weald through lateral 
gorges in the chalk. In treating of the vale of Maidstone, be de- 
scribes, under their local names, the agricultural characters of 
the different members of the greensand which occur there, in 
such manner, however, as to render it evident that he was not 
aware of their subterposition to the chalk, nor of the laws of 
stratification in general, which, by this time. Smith had worked 
out. His analysis, too, of the marl and chalk of Norfolk, how- 
ever rude and imperfect, is an early instance of an attempt to 
bring chemistry to the aid of agriculture. He appears, how- 
ever, to have considered the efficacy of these manures to be almost 
entirely due to the calcareous matter contained in them, and to 
have overlooked their mechanical effects in imparting adhesive- 
ness to the soil. 
In my examination of the geology of Norfolk with reference to 
its agriculture, I determined to confine myself to the superficial 
deposits, adopting from previous observers, unless when any ob- 
vious error should appear, the boundaries of the regular strata, 
which had been investigated by them with more minuteness than 
I could hope to be able to bestow upon them. To the superficial 
deposits belong the best and the worst land in the county. The 
deep rich loams of the Happing and Flegg hundreds, spoken of 
in such glowing terms by Marshall, Kent, and Young, which 
lately produced eleven quarters of wheat to the acre, and which 
not unfrequently yield seven or eight quarters, as well as the thin 
soils, which, at the time those authors wrote, were employed as 
any authority being cited. The term appears, therefore, 1o have been 
revived after havmg fallen into disuse. It is clearly older than the Wer- 
nerian controversy, Werner having been appointed Professor of Mineralogy 
at Freyberg in 1775. 
