THE EARTHS CLOTHING. II 



home ? Is it level like a prairie for many miles in all 

 directions ? Is it a valley between hills ? Is it directly 

 among the hills or mountains, or are there many low 

 hills with small valleys? Walk or ride about in dif- 

 ferent directions, and get at the facts in your case ; 

 and put it all down in your note-book, with the date 

 and place of the observation. 



Another indication may be found in the plants. Is 

 the country about your home covered with forests, or 

 are there cultivated fields and grassy pastures, with 

 occasional groves of trees? Are there bare places 

 where no plants grow ? Do the wild plants and grasses 

 grow rapidly in the summer, or are the wild plants 

 small and stunted, and of feeble growth? Examine 

 the plants and trees, both in fields and gardens, and 

 put down in your note-book every thing you observe. 



If there are streams near by, look at the water. Is 

 it clear or muddy, and what is its usual color ? If you 

 live near the sea or the great lakes, note this also. 

 Observe the ploughed fields and gardens. Is the land 

 wet and sticky after a rain, or does all the water quickly 

 disappear from the surface as soon as the storm has 

 passed ? What is the color of the ground about your 

 home? All these things are surface indications, and 

 should be noted, and the records kept for future refer- 

 ence. By their aid we shall be able, in due time, to 

 decide upon the value of any soil we may see, with a 

 certain degree of confidence. If we understand the 

 surface indications of the soil, we shall be able to tell 

 pretty closely whether any field or farm is valuable or 



