THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
53
W. J. Hepburn, by pouring upon it a few drops of hydrochloric acid, which
caused violent effervescence. It seems probable that the line is in the form of
the shells of Foraminifera, which have been deposited from the sea, mingled with
the sea sand.
The poorness of the soil in phosphoric acid led the Essex Education
Committee to sanction an experiment on the value of Basic Phosphate of Lime
(Basic-slag) as a manure on a grass field at East Newlands farm, which Mr.
James Hepburn has carried out. Four different varieties of slag have been tried,
but no effect visible to the members of the Club has been produced by any one of
them. On the other hand Mr. John Hepburn stated that on the tillage crops of
the farm he finds superphosphate of lime to be an invaluable manure. It is to be
concluded that the abundance of lime in the soil prevents solution of the basic
phosphate, and that the soluble superphosphate is the proper form of phosphoric
acid to use on the island.
As before stated, the water in the ditches on Fowlness is always brackish
This is doubtless due to there being circulation of sea water through the sandy
subsoil. There is no drinkable water on the island except such as is obtained
from rainwater cisterns and artisans wells.4
Reaching the sea wall by way of several fields, some of grass land, and some
in which young crops were growing luxuriantly, showing the power a scientific
farmer such as Mr. Hepburn has over the land, the party made their way
to Fisherman's Head, where five large farm waggons awaited to carry them
across the Maplin Sands to Wakering Stairs. Here Mr. John Hepburn's
solicitude for his visitors was again seen, for he had provided a plentiful supply
of sacking and trusses of straw to serve as seats, and those who have had
the experience of riding in farm-carts can readily appreciate how we valued these.
Each wain was drawn by two excellent horses of a strain the pride of the farm,
crosses between a Clydesdale stallion and Shire mares, and possessing the good
points of each—activity and massiveness. We had ample opportunities of
judging their qualities as they splashed the salt water from their hoofs and gaily
bumped the waggons over the creeks and hillocks in the sandy mud. It
was pleasant to hear the pet names called out by the drivers as encouragement to
the teams, and long shall we remember "Diamond," "Daisy," "Blossom,"
and particularly "Darling" with the new shoes, a truly magnificent animal!
The drive across the seven miles of sands proved most exhilarating. The
track, which is known as the Broomway, derives its name from the bunches of
brushwood, a foot or so in height, which run along one side of it, and serve as a
guide to those crossing the sands, which in places off the track are dangerous.
At intervals one comes across a white sign-post with a long, white arm, pointing
to another track, leading shorewards, and bearing the name of some head—gaps
in the sea-wall by which entrance can be obtained to the island. The Broomway
first runs out towards the sea, and then some yards out, turns and runs parallel to
the shore for nearly seven miles, past New England and Havengore Islands and
a portion of the artillery ranges at Shoeburyness, to just outside Wakering
Stairs, where it turns inwards, and brings the traveller again on the mainland.
It is interesting to note that in a map of the locality, dated 1777, in the
possession of Mr. B. G. Cole, the Broomway, instead of ending at Wakering
Stairs, runs right on, almost to the end of the Ness at South Shoebury, the
4 Much information on this and other matters interesting to the Naturalist will be found
in the chapter on Fowlness in Benton"s History of the Rochford Hundred.