October 3, 1896. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
73 
the other day, and on weighing them found them to 
turn the scale at io stones, or at the rate of 28 tons 
to the acre. A good many of the tubers weighed 
above a pound each. They are of splendid quality 
and very dry and floury when cooked. Another 
variety —" Up to Date ”—turned out well. I planted 
3J lb. at the beginning of May, and on lifting the 
produce found it to weigh 14 stones, or at the rate of 
22 tons to the acre. The largest tuber weighed 
2 lb. 7 oz., and another tuber 2 lb. This Potato, 
which was raised by Mr. Findlay, of Markinch, is 
sure to take a leading place in field culture. I see 
reports from all parts of the great productiveness of 
this variety, and I would advise all growers to plant 
these two kinds largely next season,— T. C. Steel, 
Crookham, Northumberland. 
barges, both northwards and southwards. Mr. 
Arnold has constructed a bridge over the River 
Ouzel, and laid down a light railway, connecting the 
pit with a new wharf on the banks of the canal. 
This cost him over £1,000, but it affords great 
facilities for the loading of the barges on the canal. 
is a gray sand used for mixing with cement ; and the 
fifth is useful for brickwork. Down in the bottom 
is a stratum of very fine argillaceous sand having a 
silky softness, and suitable for moulding purposes. 
This pit is the oldest, and we noted the spot where 
the existence of silver sand was first discovered. In 
LEIGHTON BUZZARD SANDS. 
In horticultural matters we more often deal with 
the finished product, than with the ways and means 
of securing that end. The other week, however, we 
made a j ourney to see the sand pits or quarries of 
Mr. Joseph Arnold, of 32, St. Paul's Road, Camden 
Town, London. The pits are scattered about in the 
neighbourhood of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, 
and thither we journeyed by rail. Arrived upon the 
scene, we were interested in the geological nature of 
the deposit, as well as the economical value of the 
same. We were at once convinced, however, of the 
value of these pits to Mr. Arnold, who is the 
fortunate possessor. 
Grovebury Pit. 
Before leaving the immediate neighbourhood of 
the thriving, but old-fasbioned, market-town of Leigh¬ 
ton Buzzard, we paid a visit to the Grovebury Pit, 
consisting of building sand. This property consists 
of a low hill with a superficial area of twenty acres. 
The sand is solid and clean, varying in depth, but 
averaging about 80 ft. One side of this property 
abuts on the Grovebury (London and North- 
Western) railway station, where an extensive siding 
permits of the loading of about 100 tons a day, and 
numerous carts ply between the pit and the railway 
all day long. From this pit, Mr. Arnold supplies 
building sand to the Manchester, Sheffield, and 
Lincolnshire Railway Company for their extension 
works at St. John’s Wood, London ; also the London 
and provincial local boards; the East London, the 
New River, the Grand Junction, and other water 
Stone Lane Hill Sand Pit, Heath. 
Mile Tree Road Sand Mine 
Returning to Leighton Buzzard, we journeyed in 
a northerly direction, till we came to the Mile Tree 
Road Sand Mine, Shenley Hill (see illustration), 
covering an area of fourteen acres. This pit or 
quarry is connected by means of a light railway with 
a "tip” or "shoot” by the side of the Mile Tree 
Road, thus affording a ready means for carting the 
Mill Tree Road Sand Mine. 
■companies for filtration purposes. In short, this 
sand is used for every variety of purpose for which 
it may be suitable It is of a light red colour, owing 
to its being slightly impregnated with iron. The 
other side of this property abuts on the Grand 
Junction Canal, by which the sand is conveyed in 
sand to the railway stations or elsewhere. Here 
may be seen heaps of sand of four or five different 
qualities. The first is white or silver sand of the 
best quality for horticultural purposes. The second 
quality is semi-white. The third is gray, and used 
for the filtration of water and sewage. The fourth 
its earlier days a Birmingham firm used the sand in 
the manufacture of glass. A considerable area of 
the ground here has been worked out, and the land 
is again under cultivation for farm crops. 
Following the line of rails we soon arrived at the 
present workings, of which we first give a superficial 
view as it appeared to us. The surface consists of 
arable land, in some places quite shallow. Beneath 
this comes a layer of blue clay of variable depth. As 
seen in the illustration, this bed of clay is 6 ft. deep t 
and seems to be getting deeper as the pit is being 
worked into the side of the hill. The overhead line 
of rails, with iron trollies, is utilised for conveying the 
clay to that side of the pit which has been worked 
out. The rails are sloped so that the trollies run 
down with their own weight, and the clay is tipped 
into the played-out woiking. Immediately beneath 
the clay in some places comes a pan or layer of iron- 
sandstone, that often requires blasting to break and 
dislodge it. This is of a dull, dark iron-brown 
colour, and the grit is often as coarse as bird-shot. 
Beneath this comes a loose material, of the nature 
of iron-oxide or ochre, and varying in colour from a 
bright orange to old gold and yellow. This peculiar 
sand is also well seen at places in the cutting 
through which the light railway runs. Beneath this 
comes silver or silicious sand of the varying qualities 
above mentioned, but each in separate places, so that 
it is dug out and kept separate, but requires no other 
preparation or cleaning whatever. Here and there 
amongst the sand are thin layers cr seams of very 
fine quartz pebbles, colourless, white, pink, amber, 
yellow, blue and black all mixed together and very 
interesting. Veins, seams, or isolated patches of 
pale or deep yellow, reddish, or other coloured sands 
occur at various depths, and are generally horizontal, 
or dip at an angle as laid down by water in very 
ancient times They serve to give a parti-coloured 
appearance to the sands where they occur, but may 
be altogether absent, leaving the sand either gray or 
pure white. 
Geologically this formation belongs to the Lower 
Greensand, a marine deposit overlying the Weald 
Clay. The two deposits constitute the Lower 
Cretaceous. The outcrop of this formation com¬ 
mences or terminates at Devizes (whichever way it 
may be looked at) and forms a narrow band running 
diagonally across England in a north-easterly direc¬ 
tion, and interruptedly till it comes to Aylesbury. A 
little to the south of Leighton Buzzard it commences 
