Indications of Fertility or Barrenness of Soils. 579 
indication ; and a north-eastern, north, or north-western, unfavour- 
able. Pasture-lands having a northern aspect are more subject 
to be overrun with moss than those of the same quality of soil 
having a southern aspect. 
To what extent the several aspects become favourable or un- 
favourable indications must depend on the judgment of the party, 
but the degree of inclination, or slope, must not be great, not 
greater than about fifteen degrees, to be considered an indication of 
fertility. Soils of more elevated angle than this are always found 
to be thin and near the rock or subsoil, and, independent of aspect, 
are barren from causes of a more apparent character. 
v.— ELEVATION ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE SEA. 
All lands, as far as my observation has extended, that are much 
elevated above the level of the sea, are to be denominated barren. 
There are very few, if any, naturally fertile fields at an elevation 
of upwards of 1,500 feet above the sea. Very few of the native 
grasses, that constitute the herbage of fertile lands, will grow above 
that altitude. Some few may grow, or rather linger, but I scarcely 
know of one that flourishes so as to be of value to the agriculturist. 
And one grass alone, of superior kind and quality, mixed with 
those of an inferior description, is not sufficient to constitute a 
fertile pasture or meadow. When old sward-land is mown in 
such elevated situations the hay-crop is late and light, and a late 
crop, where spring-feeding is not practised, is always an indica^ 
tion of the barrenness of the soil. 
Arable land, at a considerable elevation, and consequently much 
exposed, is never so fertile as land on a lower level. It requires 
very little discernment to discover that bleak and elevated coun- 
tries are universally barren. 1 have for years observed that crops 
of any kind do not grow so luxuriantly and arrive at maturity at 
great elevations, where the soil is of a similar quality and texture 
as that of a much lower level. Wheat seldom ripens properly at 
an elevation of more than 1000 or 1200 feet above the level of the 
sea, with the common resources and management of the farmer ; 
and, in seasons when it does ripen, the sample is never so good as 
that grown on a level of not more than 500 or 600 feet above the 
sea. 
The application of artificial manure, bones, town-dung, soil, 
&c., the practice of what is called "high farming," is known in 
some degree to remove this inconvenience, affording a striking 
proof that management and art combined will secure what un- 
assisted nature denies us. This high farming, embracing the 
best modes of cultivation, is found to ameliorate the severity of 
VOL. V. 2 Q 
