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Dec 2 1871

Dissolved by underlying chalk But [Horace]
1871 [-] 1842 [=] 29

I put chalk on field near K. garden Nov 1842 & today -dug a trench on the space as far as I cd remember where; & I found several nodules of chalk, looking curiously like pebbles with all their angles dissolved away, at the depth of 7 inches from the surface i.e. 6 1/2 subtracting the turf. I believe this was the chalk that I put on the field, because in another part which was mossy, I distinctly remember having a year or 2 afterwards, having put a layer of cinders, & at some subsequent

["K. garden" is the kitchen garden in the grounds of Down House.]

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[page in Darwin's hand]

Though the fragments of chalk look so like water-worn pebbles, their pitted surfaces with angular fragments of hard shells pointing beyond the surface, shows clearly that they had not been rounded in this manner.—

If we assume 6 1/2 inches of earth thrown up in 29 years we shall 29)6.5.0 (.234 of an in per [illeg] of damp earth [2 words illeg] now exists

Fall of deer, decay of organism [2 words illeg], manner, & dampness & living roots

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time, another layer; I have dug a trench here & found many cinders at the depth of 7 & 5 1/2 in. from surface where the chalk was the thickness of vegetable mould was 9 1/4 in. & beneath this many flints; I feel sure this was all earth thrown up by the worms because close above one of the large flints there was a small pebble of flint. The field had been evidently laid down in grass several yrs before 1842, but it was poor pasture. If we assume that it had been laid down about 30 yrs then the thickness of the earth below the chalk wd agree with what I found in Pokelands

"Pucklands, Great and Little. Two fields to west of Down House, 19½ acres together. Great Pucklands was known as "Stoney field" by the Darwins. ED seemed to enjoy going out to "Stony field", going there 1884-94. 1931 Bought by Sir George Buckston Browne, Royal College of Surgeons research station built on Little Pucklands. Buckston Browne gave £100,000, of which £83,000 was invested after purchase and building." Paul van Helvert and John van Wyhe, Darwin: A Companion, 2021.

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[page in Darwin's hand]

In a 3d part of case [illeg], there was only 6 inches of lime mould for surface above 5 inches of earth in moderately raised into stones, & looking like a ploughed surface, & at the depth of 11 inches from surface was the undisturbed red clay with large flints.—

Jan. 3d Had a trench dug not far from lawn, & found that a pit or large tree had once stood there, for hole  had been filled up by coarse red clay & flush with some chalk and pebbles:

This mus thave bee at least 40 years agao —yet mould from chamber only 4 1/8 to 4 3/8 in thickness —I suppose worms did not like the coarse stuff red clay; though now many castings on the spots.— I presume at least till for grass to grow slowly over or perhaps covered [illeg] the turfs.—