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[Nov 15/71/]

Pokelands harrowed & laid in grass 1 year before our arrival — a layer of flints small & large. Now Nov 15. 1871 I have dug long narrow furrow with perpendicular sides & measured in several places thickness of earth with many stones above layer full of stones; the 2 easily separating, & the thickness is 2 7/8 inches to surface, living grass long been pulled up. 3/8 quite enough as very poor pasture, for layer composed of roots — to allow 2.5 from earth. Very few castings in this field — It slopes steeply on one side — this was strewn thickly covered with great flints, while clustered under one's feet. I remember chunks more wd be covered — how how cd [2 words illeg]

[Great Pucklands, a field to the west of Down House. The Darwins moved to Down in 1842.]

5v

without least reason — remained much longer uneven. Now nearly equally covered perhaps about 2 1/2 inches. — so worms have been worked rather quicker, & I can plainly see by castings, owing perhaps to better drainage, are more numerous.