5G0 Indications of Fertility or Barrenness of Soils. 
unassisted by others, such an arduous business as an examination 
into the character and produce of the soil of Great Britain. 
Surface appearances seemed to fall short of what I expected 
would be made use of to direct the judgment in such an import- 
ant business. I felt disappointed at not finding in use some- 
thing of a more scientific and definite character, having, from 
early pursuits, been insensibly led to set rather too high a value 
on science, deeming it then of quite as much importance as ex- 
perience. On farther consideration I appeared to have tacitly 
objected to what I had not the power to remedy, nor could a 
substitute be easily found of a more satisfactory nature. Every- 
thing that suggested itself appeared to be surrounded by insuper- 
able difficulties. However, I determined to ascertain what could 
be devised to meet the objections which, in these circumstances, 
presented themselves, and finally was obliged to admit that I should 
not accomplish the object in view, except by a long and tedious 
course of experiment and observation, which then did not appear 
practicable for me to undertake. Circumstances happened which 
soon afterwards caused me to move straight across the principal 
geological strata of the kingdom, and 1 saw and minutely exa- 
mined them all, with the exception of the granitic or plutonic 
rocks, and one or two formations allied to them. But, what was 
of infinitely more importance to my project, I had the opportu- 
nity of inspecting whole districts, field by field, with the value of 
each in my hand, which had been fixed by gentlemen of great 
experience and of the nicest judgment, whose opinions, founded 
on those alone, have been for many years acknowledged to be as 
accurate as the nature of the subject admitted. 
The due consideration of the fertility or barrenness of soils 
will require us to introduce other subjects than those named in 
the advertisement of the Royal Agricultural Society. I propose 
to arrange them under the following heads: — Colour; Consis- 
tency; Vegetation; Aspect, and Elevation above the l^vel of the 
Sea; Geological Position and Character; and General Indica- 
tions. 
I.— COLOUR. 
Indications of Barrenness. 
The colour of the herbage of pasture-land varies so much, 
l)oth with the season, the period of the year when observed, and 
from other circumstances, that it cannot be relied on as an in- 
dication either of barrenness or fertility, except in some very 
obvious cases. The herbage of barren pasture-land generally 
appears brown, or reddish brown ; it scarcely ever appears green, 
