i8o3» A Latv rccommct:ded for Regulating Drainage. 419 



for giving any animal all the energy it is capable of. A man, for 

 inftancc, may live on vegetables alone. He might even live, but 

 he could not thrive, on grais and other vegetables that would fatten 

 a cow. So, for inflance, it is probable, a plant of barley may live 

 on what would be prejudicial to wheat. The one may llourilh oil 

 oils, the other on fahs. 



Hence it would doubtlefs be defirable to know what is the food 

 of plants. It would amend in a thouland particulars the practice 

 of agriculture ; and one of tJie firit advantages that might be ex-. 

 peeled to reiult from it, would be the faving of the one half of 

 the feed now profufely thrown into the ground. 



The neweli theory relative to the food of plants is, that it is 

 the gafes or airs, dirFerent kinds of v.^hich may be extricated in 

 more or lefs quantities from p.irticular fubllances, and applied to 

 their nouriihment : altliough, iromfomc trials, I am not inclined 

 ta adopt that theory. Novice Junior. 



NOTE BY THE CONDUCTOR. 



We are happy- to give all pralfe to the ingenuity of our worthy 

 Corrcfpondent, but do not think he has faid any thing which can 

 alTccl: the opinion given by our Reviewer, as. we are itill left com- 

 pletely in the dark rcfpe^ting the food of plants. In the courfe 

 of an extenfive practice, upon almoft every kind of foil, we have 

 never difcovered any kind of manure which benefited one kind of 

 grain, and proved prejudicial to another. We fubftltute manure 

 for the food of plants ; being decidedly of opinion, that he who can 

 accumulate the greateft quantity thereof, will, under a parity of 

 circumllances, always raife the largeil crops. On the food of 

 plants, fpeeulative inquirers may amufe themfelves, by ingenious 

 difquifitlons : but the true practical agriculturifl;, who has term 

 time in vipw, will narow his invelfigations ; and reft fatisfied, that 

 good tillage, liberal manuring, and fufHcient drainage, will in every 

 cafe enfure fuccefs, unlefs phyfical circumftances obftru6t the 

 operation of thefe neceflary agents. N. 



TO THE CONDUCTOR OF THE FARMER S MAGAZINE. 



A Laiv recommended for Regulating Drainage. 

 Sir, 



While palTmg fom.e days in a highly cultivated county late- 

 ly, I was forry to fee ccnfiderable trails of good land loft to the 

 proprietors and the public, for want of draining, v.diich might be 

 efFedted at a fmali cxpence. 



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