INDICATIONS OF BARRENNESS AND FERTILITY. 319 



Art. LXXVI.— natural INDICATIONS OF BARRENNESS 

 AND FERTILITY. 



As the day is now (August) rapidly approaeliing- when tlie 

 young- farmer commonly enters upon his farm, it will be useful 

 to remind him of the scientific indications aftbrded by soils of 

 their deg-ree of productiveness ; since, after all the cautions 

 which skill and practice can sug-g'est, mistakes, especially by 

 the stranger, are not always very readily escaped. It was 

 thus that the celebrated Arthur Young- was, much to his 

 cost, deceived in hiring- (althoug-h assisted by his Suftblk 

 bailiff) a farm in Ilertibrdshire. " I know not," he said, in 

 his usual emphatic manner, " what epithet to g-ive this soil. 

 Sterility falls short of the idea: a hung-ry vitriolic g'ravel. 

 I occupied for nine years the jaws of a wolf In a recent 

 prize essay, Jlr. J. Bravenden, and also Mr. J. Arkell, have 

 skilfully examined this important question. ^ Amidst many 

 other natural indications, the colow of a strang-e soil should 

 be carefidly recorded ; barren soils are g-enerally of a lig-htish 

 brown, foxy, fawn, pale red, and whitish-yellow colour — a 

 deep yellow is a certain sig-n of barrenness. Mr. Bravenden 

 thinks all soils should be called barren that do not produce on 

 an avei'ag'e 20 bushels of v/heat, or 30 bushels of beans, oats, 

 or barley, per acre. The spontaneous growth, in considcr- 

 dhh' proporfloiis, of the following- 2)Jant-'<, is an indication of 

 a barren soil : — 



The agrimony dry sandy soils. 



Rough dandelion dry barren pastures. 



Woody betony ; . ■ in woods. 



Canterbury bells high chalk pastiu-es. 



Heath-bell flower 0:1 heaths. 



Flea rush in wet places. 



Star knapweed barren meadows. 



Corn marygold on sandy soils. 



Common cudweed barren meadows. 



Smooth catsear sandy and gravels. 



Silver weed lands subject to floods. 



Sheep sorrel sandy meadows. 



Wild thyme barren elevations. 



Of the natural grasses which tenant barren soils are — ■ 



Common bent ^ dry heaths, limit of elevation above 



White-rooted bent S the sea 2000 feet. 



' Jmir. R. A. S., vol. v. p. 429-559. 



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