1047 



so thoroughly accounted for that it is unnessary to do it here; 

 I shall only add that in uncultivated piaces the so ur peaty soil 

 is generally that which is predominant and which gives the vege- 

 tation its own stamp, but here the same peculiarity may be noticed 

 as in the enclosed fieids (tun^) in Iceland, that good drainage 

 and ample manure convert the naturally sour, peaty soil into 

 really good mould, which is able to yield very satisfactory crops 

 of our common species of grass; of these, however, Dactylis and 

 Loliiim oceur more rarely, while, as mentioned above Agrostis is very 

 common and Poa pratensis, Holcus lanatiis, H. mollis, Anthoxanthiim, 

 and Festuca species are of frequent occurrence, as also Trifolium 

 repens. 



Freshly sown pastures generally consist of species of grass, 

 amongst which Agrostis is the most conspicuous ; and not until the 

 surface of the soil in the course of time has become somewhat 

 hardened does a greater variety of species occur, and where the 

 existing conditions — a somewhat ample supply of inorganic 

 nutritive substances — permit, the main vegetation, as is the 

 case in the marshes, consists of Trifolium repens. While the natu- 

 rally formed pastures are very valuable, the cultivated land, 

 owing to the lonely situation of the Færoes, their decidedly rocky 

 character, and their scanty inhabitants, is not of much importance 

 and consists of only three per cent. of the entire area of the is- 

 lands, as against 27 per cent. in Shetland. A noteworthy peculiarity 

 is, that from the time at which both the groups of Islands belonged 

 to the Danish crown, the division into »Marks« has been 

 retained as a basis for the assessment of taxes: these being in 

 the Shetland Islands 14000 »Marks«, in the Færoes 2400 »Marks< 

 or only about one sixth part, which doubtless corresponds witli 

 their different value, occasioned by the more southern position of 

 the Shetland Islands, their more uniform surface, and their closer 

 proximity to the mainland. 



The description we have of the latter Islands from 1839 ^ shows 

 that the Shetlands of that time agree, in many points, with the 

 Færoes of to-day: no roads; only a relatively rare connection with 

 the surrounding world; meagre instruction for the young, etc. 



^ »Tun« in Iceland is tiie enclosed fieids which has been manured, as > Boen 

 in the Færoes. 



^ Reminiscences of a voyage to Shetland, Orkney and Scotland 

 by Christian Ployen. Monson Lerwick, 1898. 



