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of ground is covered with loose diluvial drift sand of the same 
quality, and probably identical with the sands of the Warrens 
near Holme on Spalding Moor, Seaton Common, and Aller- 
thorp Common. The clay beds of the Lias are immediately 
under the sand at Houghton, and are now used with great 
effect in marling the surface. From North Cave to the river 
Humber the clay beds again prevail, and are chiefly in grass. 
Opposite Elloughton the lias presents no separate escarp- 
ment, but is upon the same level with the great central plain 
of York : its clays are burnt for brick at Brough Ferry, and 
there is no doubt of its continuity as far as the banks of the 
Humber, 
The Diluvial Beds of this district require a short notice. 
The drift sand of Houghton Common just noticed, and 
which is laid down upon the map, around Huncliffe toll- 
bar is a mass of chalk rubble covering the sandy beds of the 
Kelloways rock : near Everthorp is a similar mass, but of 
smaller extent : between North and South Cave, and to the 
south of Elloughton, the inferior oolite has been broken up, 
and is intermixed with foreign matter ; and generally it may 
be said, that wherever the sandy beds of this stratum are 
visible, they have been disturbed and are intermingled with 
rounded detritus, but which has come no great distance, and 
is principally composed of the subjacent rock. The longer 
axes of all the detritus found, lie in a north and south direc- 
tion, parallel with the direction of the present line of drainage, 
both of which no doubt are due to the action of the retiring 
diluvial waters, which were unable to surmount the terrace 
of the chalk formation of the wolds. 
II. What aid may be derived from chemistry and physio- 
logical botany in the cultivation of these soils ? 
1. Chemical Kature of the Soils It might be supposed 
that a soil reposing upon the great chalk formation would 
be strictly calcareous, and that the predominating ingredient 
c 2 
