ABSTRACT
The surface of the earth is almost entirely covered by soil which derives from the underlying bedrock, be it sand, gravel, chalk, granite, clay or any other rock, hard or soft. The nature of the soil cover is determined, therefore, by the rock on which it lies, and this, combined with the drainage of the subsoil, will in turn determine the fertility of the soil, which, in its turn will influence the patterns of vegetation, of farming and of settlement.
