Indications of Fertility or Barrenness of Soils. 569 
the kind, description, and character of the natural grasses subser- 
vient to our purposes, and adopting them as guides to our judg- 
ment, we at once secure assistance of a more definite kind, and 
our decisions, whatever they m.ay be, partaking of the source from 
whence they are derived, cannot fail not only to be more satisfac- 
tory, but more rational and scientific. 
It is a common practice, when land is inspected for the pur- 
poses of a valuation, to make remarks respecting the herbage for 
future guidance, such as the following : — 
The herbage is of a bad quality. The bottom is mossy. The 
herbage is short, but sweet, and thick at the bottom. This piece 
will produce very tough fodder ; it is coarse and benty. This 
piece will produce a rough, peaty, sour grass. This is covered 
with poor, benty herbage. And, where the land is good, similar 
remarks of an opposite character and meaning are made use of. 
Without meaning to dictate to any one, I propose that, in addi- 
tion to these and all similar kinds of remarks in all circumstances, 
the quality and description of the prevailing grasses should be 
particularly noticed, for it is on those that ihe quantity of produce 
depends, and which are sure evidences of the barrenness or fer- 
tility of the soil that produces them. 
I should be sorry hastily to condemn established practices, or 
complain of such not being capable of supplying that kind of 
information which is expected of them. It is believed that the 
usual way of noticing the herbage of grass lands, and of allowing 
the judgment to be made up or guided by such observations as 
we have just enumerated, must lead to uncertainty. It is true 
such observations, when made by reason of such appearances be- 
ing very plainly exhibited, are indications of poverty or barren- 
ness, and so far ought to be made use of; but, certainly in. all 
matters of importance, there should be a test applied if one is 
known to exist. In matters of this kind one of easy application 
may be introduced, namely, that of ascertaining the prevailing 
kinds of natural grasses which are found to have usurped the 
greater portion of the surface of the soil. Here we shall find 
that we possess a test which is not only as certain as the nature 
of such things will admit of, but which is definite and universal 
in its application. 
To ascertain the prevailing kinds of herbage we must get at 
the names of the several grasses which we know, from repeated 
observation, to grow upon and occupy, almost to the exclusion of 
any others, the lands that are barren ; and, having made a list of 
them, let some land be visited, and if certain grasses and herbage 
which are conspicuous in the list are found to occupy the greater 
portion of the surface, such land may safely be pronounced to be 
barren. An inquiry here suggests itself — Why is it barren? 
