§^~.......                                          .......~^§
#@%%^~^...                                          ...^~^%%@#
§§^^^†^...                                          ...^†^^^§§
##@§%^†~^.                                          .^~†^%§@##
§%%^~.....                                          .....~^%%§
###§%^†~^.             ................             .^~†^%§###
###@§^†~^.             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.          .^~†^%§@##
##@§%^†~^.                                          .^~†^%§@##
##@§%^†~^.                                          .^~†^%§@##
§%†^^.....                                          .....^^†%§
@@%††~....                                          ....~††%@@
#§^^†^^...                                          ...^^†^^§#
##@§%^†~^.                                          .^~†^%§@##