Our allotment has no piped water, but plenty of water running in ditches on
the sloping site.
These never run dry as we are on a natural wetland with a clay subsoil.
However the sunken baths used to store water regularly silt up with a fine
almost black substance.
This is removed from the baths and piles at the sides.
After drying out it forms a fine (almost powder) soil.

Does anyone know what it might be.
Thanks
--
zincnews at tiscali.co.uk
To reply to address don't click.
Cut and paste, change at to @ symbol
then delete spaces.
------------------------------------

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Zinc Potterman" . (delete 123's to
reply) contains these words:

Our allotment has no piped water, but plenty of water running in ditches
on
the sloping site.
These never run dry as we are on a natural wetland with a clay subsoil.
However the sunken baths used to store water regularly silt up with a
fine
almost black substance.
This is removed from the baths and piles at the sides.
After drying out it forms a fine (almost powder) soil.

Does anyone know what it might be.

Does your wetland include peat?

Out here on the edge of the fens, that small particulate stuff dries and
gets deposited all over the windowsills (and washing) every time we get a
Fen Blow.
--
Brian
"Fight like the Devil, die like a gentleman."

I'm on the northern half of the Isle of Wight on clay , so there are no deep
peat deposits that we normally associate with peat.
However I guess peat is forming all the time.
Thanks
--
zincnews at tiscali.co.uk
To reply to address don't click.
Cut and paste, change at to @ symbol
then delete spaces.
------------------------------------

"Zinc Potterman" . (delete 123's to reply) wrote
in message ...
Our allotment has no piped water, but plenty of water running in ditches
on the sloping site.
These never run dry as we are on a natural wetland with a clay subsoil.
However the sunken baths used to store water regularly silt up with a fine
almost black substance.
This is removed from the baths and piles at the sides.
After drying out it forms a fine (almost powder) soil.

Does anyone know what it might be.
Thanks
--
zincnews at tiscali.co.uk
To reply to address don't click.
Cut and paste, change at to @ symbol
then delete spaces.
------------------------------------