^02 On thi Nature and ^lalitles of Soils Aug". 



heath, though this is not always nn infallible rule to judge by, as 

 fuch grafs, being well Ibeltered from the cankering troll winds, 

 vrill b? finer and thicker than wh'?n more openly expofed ; and, 

 in lomc cafes, the hcnh is fo thick and clofe, that no grafs will 

 be found at all. The following method for afcertaining the qua- 

 lity of the foil, though flow in operation, is fure in effedl: : — Bum 

 a fmall quintity of the heath, and in two years you will find 

 what fpecies of grafs the foil produces. If it be thick, and of 

 ^ nutritive quality, it will undoubtedly be proper gradually to ex- 

 r.guiib a certain quantity of the heath; but it is to be obferv- 

 ed, that where there are many hillocks, or fmall knows, and 

 the heath growing on thefe only, it will be better not to burn 

 it, as fuch knows rarely produce any thing but the yellow fog 

 Jibove mentioned, whilil they ferve for fhelter to fheep in the 

 night-time. 



I come next to fpeak of the propagation of heath, a point of 

 no fmall importance in feveral parts of the country. From its 

 appearance in July and Augull, I am inclined to think that it 

 may be raifed from {tci\ ; but as this can only be done upon 

 land previoufly prepared by ullage, and on which it would be 

 more advifeable to fow fuch of the gralTes, introduced by an en- 

 lightened fyftem of agriculture, as m,iy be thought beft adapted 

 to the fo.l, I [hall take no further notice of it, but only endea- 

 vour to point out fome method of reinvigorating heath, when 

 not totally decayed. Depalluring it with hogs only, which is a 

 lighter ftock than old ibeep, has been found, from experience, 

 to be the befl; reftornti.e ; as the ground defigned for them is 

 generally ha'imd during the moiuhs of July and Auguft, and the 

 heath thereby allowed to blofibm fully, after which it is not apt 

 to be dtflroyed that feafon, for, in this cafe, the fheep eat only 

 the green fhoots which do not blofibm. Hence appears the pro- 

 priety of keeping old ilieep, daring the blofifoming months, from 

 all paftures where an increafe of this plant is wilhcd, 



I fnall now etfcra few remarks on the means ufed for render- 

 ing heath proper for food, when too old, or cankered by frofl 

 vinds, Sec. which can he effcdled by burning only. 



Mofs-heath requires to be frequently burned ; perhaps burn- 

 ng every fourth year is not oftener than necefiary, to render it 

 palatable and nouriiliing : but this rotation of burning is not ap- 

 plicable to all heatli, nor to the fame fpecies in every fituation. 

 To burn lea-heath, where it is fcarce, and on a ground pallured 

 with old tlieep, is to annihilate it altogether ; as this kind fprings 

 but flowly, and, being more delicate and palatable than mofs- 

 heath, futFers not only from tlie fheep eating it with greater avi- 

 djty, .but alfo from the cankering fcverity of frofl winds. 



Mof^ 



