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[ 147 ] 



of young turnips, but a variety of other plants* 1 

 whipt the ground with them, and ftrewed the leaves, 

 tops, and tender fhoots over the beds; and finding 

 all this totally ineffectual, at length I made a very 

 ftrong decoction in boiling water, and, when it was 

 cold, watered the plants with it feveral times. All 

 this had juft as much effect, and no more, as walk- 

 ing round the beds in the fuperftitious garb of a ma- 

 gician, and chaunting Abracadabra at every turn. 



I am quite of opinion that nothing has yet been 

 difcovered which is at all adequate to the purpole, 

 further than it may invigorate and promote the 

 growth of the plants. To this end allies, foot, or 

 a rich compoft of lime and dung, if ufed in fufficient 

 quantities, may be deemed fpecifick $ but the bed 

 means of ufing them is, either to fow them with 

 the feed, or rather by themfelves immediately be- 

 fore, and to well harrow them in, that they may be 

 completely incorporated with the foil. This for 

 the mod part would fo much invigorate and encou- 

 rage the growth of the plants, as to be an over- 

 match for the mod vigorous attack of the fly. 



If I might be indulged in a wifh, I would make 

 it a mod earned one, that no writer in future would 

 advance any thing for a fact, which he himfelf hath 



Vol. IV. L not 



