754 
VEGETATION SURVEY OF NORFOLK. 
Bracken and furze are found on slightly elevated parts of the 
common. Tests showed that the soil on a hillock with Ulex, 
Calluna, and Erica tetralix was distinctly acid, and that the 
sandy humus of a hillock with a vigorous growth of bracken 
was slightly less so. A poor growth of Calluna occurs just 
above the borders of the shallow pools. Ulex Gallii is present, 
and the grass community includes Monti a font ana, Genista 
anglica, Trifolium fragiferum, Saxifraga granulata, Galium 
saxatile, Myosotis versicolor, Pedicularis sylvatica, and 
Grchis Morio. A reversion from woodland, or an approxima- 
tion to similar conditions, is shown by the growth of very large 
dense thickets of blackthorn, and the presence of Anemone 
nemorosa, Prunella vulgaris, Scilla non-scripta, Athyrium 
Filix-fcemina, and Lastrea Filix-inas. 
The main Calluna-Erica area extends from Upgate Common, 
Swannington, to Newton St. Faith’s Common. The former and 
adjoining enclosures on the east and south furnish typical 
examples. Scots pine and birch reproduce themselves freely, 
and the pools and general carpet have species found 
growing luxuriantly in Norfolk only on this type of habitat. 
The common has several distinct plant communities— good 
grass pasture near the cottages on the west, further eastwards 
thickets of gorse, blackthorn, bramble, briar, and bracken, and 
on the eastern portion a “ dole ” covered with Scots pine, with 
much broom and gorse on the plateau, small-leaved heath on 
the slopes, and cross-leaved heath in hollows. Land of this 
latter type that has been cultivated and allowed to revert occurs 
near Botany Bay Farm, Horsford (No. 127a, approximately 
thirty acres in extent). It was steam ploughed about 1850. 
In 1910 gorse and heather were so tall as to impede sport and 
necessitate cutting. Pine seedlings were invading it from the 
south-west and birch from the north-east, steadily pushing 
out from the parent trees towards a central meeting-place. 
On the north-east of an adjoining enclosure several hundred 
bilberry and cowberry plants {V accinium Myrtillus and V. 
Vitis-Idcea), each with a ball of earth, were introduced in 
1908. 
