PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



GEOLOGICAL & POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY 



AT AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING, HEIiD IN THE MANSION 

 HOUSE, DONCASTER, AUGUST IsT, 1843. 



An Extraordinary Meeting of the Society was held in the 

 Mansion House, Doncaster, on the 1st of August, 1843, 

 in connexion with the Annual Meeting of the Yorkshire 

 Agricultural Society. The Right Hon. Earl Fitzwilliam, 

 the President of the Society, in the chair. 



The following gentlemen were elected Members of the 



Society, viz : — 



Charles Wood, Esq., M.P. 

 William Aldam, Esq., Warmsworth. 



The Rev. Wm. Thorp then read the following Paper : — 



ON THE INDICATIONS WHICH ARE GUIDES IN JUDGING OF 



THE FERTILITY OR BARRENNESS OF THE SOIL BY 



THE REV. W. THORP, OF WOMERSLEY VICARAGE. 



Few observing people travel through a country without 

 forming some opinion respecting its productiveness or barren- 

 ness, while to the landlord and tenant these indications are 

 of the first importance ; for not only does the former let, 

 but the latter takes, his land upon an assumed value, whether 

 correct or incorrect ; and, therefore, if there are any fixed 

 principles respecting the value of soils, which can be relied 

 upon as criteria, it will be useful and not unworthy of the 

 Geological and Polytechnic Society to endeavour to discover 



