[ 44 ] 



advantage. Thus vegetables arc the immediate 

 food of thofe animals which entirely fubiift upon 

 them, and mediately of the carnivorous race by 

 the fupport of thofe they live uporu 



But though the vegetable kingdom is in a great 

 meafure fuftained by the animal, I mean thofe 

 raifed on lands in high cultivation, yet for the 

 molt part they might be fuftained by feeding on 

 their own itock; for vegetables, thoroughly re- 

 duced by putrifaction and difTblution, become the 

 proper pabulum and fupport of a new generation 

 of vegetables, but this is by no means the cafe in 

 refpedt to animals. 



Analogy here then Teems to afford no founda- 

 tion for the opinion, that the earth may attract 

 fomething from the prefent growth of vegetables 

 inimical to the growth of. thofe which may fuc- 

 ceed them. Indeed the fuppofition involves a 

 contradiction j for it is within the compafs of every 

 one's knowledge, that land is frequently planted 

 with fome kinds of vegetables, to be ploughed in 

 by way of manure to promote the growth and fe- 

 cure a profitable crop of others. Thus buck- 

 wheat, rye, clover, and fometimes the green of 

 turnips, &c. are ploughed in to manure and pre- 

 pare the land for wheat, and perhaps, in many 



cafes 



