year 1827 thickly over a field of good pasture-land, which had not since
been ploughed. Some square holes were dug in this field in the beginning
of October 1837; and the sections showed a layer of turf, formed by the
matted roots of the grasses, 1 2 inch in thickness, beneath which, at a
depth of 21 2 inches (or 3 inches from the surface), a layer of the lime in
powder or in small lumps could be distinctly seen running all round the
vertical sides of the holes. The soil beneath the layer of lime was
either gravelly or of a coarse sandy nature, and differed considerably in
appearance from the overlying dark-coloured fine mould. Coal-cinders had
been spread over a part of this same field either in the year 1833 or
1834; and when the above holes were dug, that is after an interval of 3
or 4 years, the cinders formed a line of black spots round the holes, at
a depth of 1 inch beneath the surface, parallel to and above the white
layer of lime. Over another part of this field cinders had been strewed,
only about half-a-year before, and these either still lay on the surface
or were entangled among the roots of the grasses; and I here saw the
commencement of the burying process, for worm-castings had been heaped on
several of the smaller fragments. After an interval of 43 4 years this
field was re-examined, and now the two layers of lime and cinders were
found almost everywhere at a greater depth than before by nearly 1 inch,
we will say by 3 4 of an inch. Therefore mould to an average thickness of
0.22 of an inch had been annually brought up by the worms, and had been
spread over the surface of this field.
Coal-cinders had been strewed over another field, at a date which could
not be positively ascertained, so thickly that they formed (October,
1837) a layer, 1 inch in thickness at a depth of about 3 inches from the
surface. The layer was so continuous that the over-lying dark vegetable
mould was connected with the sub-soil of red clay only by the roots of
the grasses; and when these were broken, the mould and the red clay fell
apart. In a third field, on which coal-cinders and burnt marl had been
strewed several times at unknown dates, holes were dug in 1842; and a
layer of cinders could be traced at a depth of 31 2 inches, beneath which
at a depth of 91 2 inches from the surface there was a line of cinders
together with burnt marl. On the sides of one hole there were two layers
of cinders, at 2 and 31 2 inches beneath the surface; and below them at a
depth in parts of 91 2, and in other parts of 101 2 inches there were
fragments of burnt marl. In a fourth field two layers of lime, one above
the other, could be distinctly traced, and beneath them a layer of
cinders and burnt marl at a depth of from 10 to 12 inches below the
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