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CHAPTER V. 



DIRECTIONS FOR ASCERTAINING THE QUALITY OF 

 WASTE LAND FROM THE NATURE OF THE WILD 

 PLANTS THAT GROW ON IT, 



In the foregoing chapter I have endeavoured to 

 describe the qualities of soil best adapted for the va- 

 rious kinds of forest trees. The most obvious way 

 of ascertaining these qualities, is to inspect the 

 ground with the spade or mattock, by which means 

 the depth of the vegetable mould and the nature of 

 the subsoil may be known. This, however, is a la- 

 borious task, as, in any considerable extent of land, 

 there would be occasion for a multitude of trials, and, 

 after all, those who had not previously formed some 

 acquaintance with the nature of soils, would be liable 

 to form very wrong conclusions. An easier rule for 

 ascertaining the quality of waste land, and one 

 which is much less apt to lead into error, may be 



deduced from the character of the wild plants which 



I 



