282 THE HIGH TIDE OF NOVEMBER 29, 1897.
the North Sea. The waters were consequently blown in two
directions and heaped up together, and when forced up the
estuaries, accomplished the devastations we have recorded.
The above will serve as a record of this remarkable flood,
and of the extent and nature of the damage. Very many details
are omitted to avoid undue prolixity. Large gangs of men were
speedily employed in repairing the sea-walls in some places—
but in others it will not pay the owners to do so, and in the
absence of Government assistance a very considerable quantity
of land will be allowed to revert permanently to the sea. At the
time of writing we understand that the owners of New England
Island, by Fowlness, have decided not to proceed with the work
of repairing the sea-wall. The damage done here is noticed at
page 280 above. Since the great tide the owners have spent
nearly a thousand pounds in renewing the wall, but time after
time the new work has been washed away. As a probable
result of the stoppage of the work, the island will become a
large "salting," even if eventually it does not altogether
disappear under the ceaseless action of the waves.
Very serious considerations, from the point of view of the
farmer, are the effects that the sea-water may have on the
fertility of the flooded lands. Our member, Mr. T. S. Dymond,
F.I.C, Staff-Chemist to the County Council, has published a
valuable report on this aspect of the case.1 He says that upon
some of the farms " the water drained off in about six hours ;
upon others it remained for 24 hours, others again were flooded
for six or eight days. In another district the water remained
for eight weeks, while in some the land has been flooded con-
tinuously ever since." Mr. Dymond states that the water of
the North Sea contains 27 per cent, of sodium chloride and
about .5 per cent, of other chlorides and sulphates. Of these
common salt is the constituent likely to be injurious to crops,
and its quantity is sufficient to produce plasmolysis of the
root-hairs (i.e. shrinkage of the contents of the cells), and there-
fore serious damage to plants. Peas and tares suffered severely
even where the land was only flooded for a few hours ; wheat
was damaged to a smaller extent, but permanent pasture
appeared to sustain no very appreciable injury.
With reference to the probable effect on future crops,
1 Report upon the damage on Agricultural Lond caused by the Salt-water Flood of
November 29th. 1897, with suggestions for future cultivation. By T. S.. Dymond.
The Essex Technical Instruction Committee, Feb., 1898.