SOME POINTS IN PRACTICE 



land. Subsequently, the same land grew 

 excellent crops of potatoes. It is always 

 well to look carefully at the roots of 

 native grasses ; to follow their depth and 

 then to find out by simple feeding tests, 

 chemical analysis, or inquiry, the nutri- 

 tive value of each grass. Some grasses 

 are so full of flinty matter that cattle will 

 not thrive on them; others again, grow- 

 ing on very dry lands, often make very 

 good fodder. Furthermore, animals 

 usually prefer the grass growing on hilly 

 lands to the green vegetation on low or 

 bottom lands, which is apt to be more or 

 less salty, especially in arid regions. 



Finally, in case of doubt as to the real 

 nature of the land, you can go to the 

 nearest bluff and look at the geological 

 formation of the country. A gentle slope 

 is the best land for dry-farming, as hilly 

 land is likely to be more or less irregular, 

 with very uncertain soil strata. 

 45 



