370 
SOILS AND AGRICULTURE OF NORFOLK. 
hard lumps found in the subsoil. The lower strata of the 
greensand give rise to the barren commons on the western 
side of the outcrop. They are a series of dry, bare sandy 
wastes, such as may be seen by the road from Lynn to 
Hunstanton, with little growing but bracken, gorse, conifers, 
and heath. 
The soils of the greensand are what is known as hungry, 
that is, they need much bulky organic manure, as much as 
30 tons to the acre of farmyard dung being applied. The 
presence of this humus, in addition to its chemical value, 
assists mechanically by keepiug the soil particles together 
and retaining water. 
Analysis of greensand soils shows a high percentage of 
phosphorus and a fairly good proportion of potash, so that 
with suitable treatment a fertile soil can be produced, as in 
Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, where much of the 
market-garden district is on the same formation. 
Barley is perhaps the best crop, but oats yield well. 
Table VII. 
Chemical analysis of some Chalk Soils : — 
Constituent. 
Drayton. 
Morston. 
Stiffkey. 
Sedgeford. 
Moisture 
1-35 
1-08 
1-63 
1-45 
Organic & loss on ignition 
7-25 
453 
11-80 
590 
Nitrogen 
•148 
•141 
•21 
•152 
Potash 
•174 
•232 
232 
•204 
Phosphorus pentoxide . . 
•165 
•139 
•274 
•164 
Calcium and magnesium 
carbonate 
14-28 
2-58 
39 60 
9-70 
Insoluble residue 
74-20 
87-43 
47-57 
78-15 
Very little land in Norfolk is derived entirely from the 
chalk. Most of the rivers have cut down to and exposed the 
