In article , Janet Baraclough.. writes:
| The message
| from "Cumberpach" contains these words:
|
| For 2 seasons now, an area of the allotment : 2 x 1 metres, refuses to
| produce anything - not even weeds. I transplanted some brasica seedlings in
| Spring. Outside the dead area, these grew to full size. Within this area,
| they withered and died (took about 4 months and they didn't grow
| higher than
| 4 inches).
| Prior to my taking the allotment over - it had been overgrown for
| about 7 or
| so years. Any ideas would be appreciated.
|
| Tis the last resting place of the previous owner's first wife, who
| disappeared so sudden-like all those years ago....

And whose body could be exhumed intact, because that quantity of
arsenic is a most powerful preservative ....

The normal reason for small patches not growing anything is a
near-total lack of water or a near-total lack of drainage. Since
both sound implausible, I quite agree that getting a sample of
the soil analysed is a good idea. There aren't many things so
nasty that they will prevent all plant growth for several seasons,
in soil exposed to the rain.

However, I am assuming that it had been dug over to a spade's
depth, so that the common problems are implausible.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.