i62 Thoughts an the Jji^licaiiofi of Diwg, l\hf 



Some previous remarks, connp(!:led with the right management 

 of dung in all foils, and in every Htuniion, are however necef- 

 fjry, fo as rtpctiticn may be aftt^rwards avoided : thefe are, that 

 no greater quantity ought to b-r given at one timej than is fuffi- 

 cient to frudify tlie ground ; in ether vj^ords, to render it capa»- 

 ble of producing good erops, before "the time arrives when » 

 frefh dofe will be adminiilcred. In a rotation oi fcuy, one 

 dunging is fuppcftd to be neccffary, it being undcrftood that 

 two culn-.ifeT<ms crops are only tnken •, btu in rotations o^ fixes and 

 eightSy the ccmrnon ones followed by good farmers, ori heavy or 

 wet foils, two dungings are nccefl'.iry ; otherwife, the crops 

 raifed will prove prnpcrtionally defc6live, before the expiration 

 of i.he courff-s. It is evident that, under the common refcurces 

 of arable land, fuch repetitions are impra6ticabie, unlefs the 

 utmoft fruir<ility is (ludied in the diflribution ; but where this is- 

 negle6led_, a regular fyllem can feldom be adhered to. The er- 

 ror of former times confided in giving too great a quantity at 

 once, thereby depriving the ground of its regular nourishment ; 

 in other words, the foil rioted in the midll of plenty for two or 

 three years, and fafied and ilarved for feveral fucceeding ones. 

 Hence, the generality of fields were either too rich, or too 

 poor ; either faturated with the juice of manure, or completely 

 barren from the want of it •, wherer.s, had fupplies been furnifh- 

 ed in an G^conomical manner ; had the quantity of manure in 

 hand been diftributed with judgement, a more uniform produce 

 would have been the confequence. The newfyftem of applying 

 manure, corrcci:s all thefe errors, in fo far as local circumftances 

 will permit. Accordingly, a fmall quantity is now beftowed at 

 once, and the dofe frequently repeated. The ground is regu- 

 larly fed ; but never furfeited with a profufion of viduais. 

 Hence, the crops conftituting a regular rotation are more uni- 

 formly good, and a greater proportion of tlie valuable grains aie 

 raifed, than could be accomplilhed in former times. 



Though land can rarely be rendered too rich for carrying 

 green crops, yet it is well known, that the fame obfervation will 

 not hold good, when applied to wheat, barley, and oats ; but 

 that fuch may be, and often have heen, materially injured, in 

 confequence of heavy manuring. Look at the fite of a dung- 

 hill, and you will rarely find that a crop of good grain Is pro- 

 duced upon it. You have a great flufh of ftraw, often of bad 

 quality, and a fmall quantity of inferior grain, little better than 

 if the labours of nature had ended in an abortion. The like 

 confequences, though certainly in a lefs degree, generally took 

 place with the firft crops of for^-^er times, after fummer-fallow 

 and dung, efpeciaHy if the weather prove4 wet wben the grain 



wa» 



