###£&@†=«,                                          ,«=†@&£###
&&&@††=«,.                                          .,«=††@&&&
###£&†=«,.                                          .,«=†&£###
###£&@†=,.                                          .,=†@&£###
##£&@†=«,.                                          .,«=†@&£##
£@=«,.....             ................             .....,«=@£
##£&@†=«,.             THE ALVAR FIELDS             .,«=†@&£##
##£&@†=«,.             @@@##########@@@             .,«=†@&£##
##£&@†=«,.                                          .,«=†@&£##
£&@=,..... FROM  NORTH   TO   SOUTH,   THIRTY   ODD .....,=@&£
##£&@†=«,. KILOMETERS.  FROM  WEST  TO  EAST,  FOUR .,«=†@&£##
##£&@†=«,. THOUSAND METERS. FROM TOPSOIL  TO STONE, .,«=†@&£##
##£&@†=«,. A FOOT  OR TWO. NO ROOTS CAN  FESTER, NO .,«=†@&£##
£&@=««....             DUST CAN LINGER.             ....««=@&£
#&@=««....                                          ....««=@&#
#£@===«... HERE  IS  EARTH,  CLAY,  AND  STURDY LOW ...«===@£#
##£&@†=«,. PLANTS.  BUSHES  FRAME  THE  STRIP.  THE .,«=†@&£##
£@††««.... EARTH  IS  BARE IN  PATCHES AS LARGE  AS ....««††@£
&&@@=,....               YOU AND ME.                ....,=@@&&
#&&&@†=«,.                                          .,«=†@&&&#
##£&@†=«,. CROSS  IT  TO GET TO THE OCEAN, OR DON'T .,«=†@&£##
#&†«,.....          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          .....,«†&#
#&†=,.....                                          .....,=†&#
&†«.......                                          .......«†&
#&††«.....                                          .....«††&#
&@@@†=««,.                                          .,««=†@@@&
&†««,.....                                          .....,««†&
##£&@†=«,.                                          .,«=†@&£##