C 45 ] 



cafes and fituations, it is the cheapen 1 and mod 

 profitable of all manures whatever; but if, as the 



fuppofition dates, the earth, during the growth of 

 the prefent, con : .v difordcr that may prove 



inimical to the liicecrding crop, the practice could 

 not produce the expected benefit, but mud prove 

 univerfally detrimental, which is contrary to all 

 experience. 



The plain truth then feems to be this: — All fer- 

 tile foils contain panicles nccetfary to the growth 

 of vegetables. — All vegetables in their growth 

 necelTarily take from the earth as many of thofe 

 particles as are ufeful to their growth and fupport; 

 by which means the mod: fertile foil will in time 

 become poor, that is to fay, when it is exhaufted, 

 or nearly exhaufted, of fuch ncceffary particles. 

 But thefe neceilary particles may be fupplied, and 

 fertility refiored, by the growth of more vegeta- 

 bles, provided the crop be not taken off from the 

 land it grew on, but fuffered to remain upon it, 

 or rather at a proper ftage of its growth ploughed 

 into it. This clearly proves then, that the earth 

 docs not attract any thing inimical to vegetation 

 during the growth of plants, but that it is truly 

 enriched and improved by their growth, if they 

 are fuffered to remain there. After all, an inqui- 

 sitive mind may find fomething very furpriling in 



an 



