[ 360 ] 
is incumbered with a fhert blinking heath; but this 
production of heath is much oftener the effect of 
its not having been “ hard enough ftocked with 
*‘ fheep,” than of any particular poverty in the 
land. It being a well-known fact, that many downs 
that were “ {weet and good” within the memory 
of man, are now, in confequence of this kind of 
neglect, entirely covered with heath. Great quan- 
tities of both the’ kinds of land have been broken 
up within the memory of man, and almoft all 
brought into cultivation by the fame means, viz. 
“ Burnbeaking,” and the immediate effects have 
been nearly the fame, viz. that of preducing feveral 
fucceflive crops, without any other kind of manure; 
but the duration of thefe effects has been very dif- 
ferent. The red land, with proper after-management, 
being capable of being kept in tillage, and thereby 
confiderably improved in value; and the black 
having been reduced, (after the heat of the fire has 
been exhaufted) by two or three crops, toa mere 
bed of duft, without tenacity or cobefion, and en- 
tirely unfit for the vegetation of corn or grafs for 
a long feries of years; the fire having apparently 
the fame effect upon it, as fpirituous liquors on the 
human body ; viz.—that of creating falfe, unnatu- 
ral, and forced exertions, which the frame cannot 
long {upport, and eventually ruining the conftitution. 
It feems therefore fair to fay, under thefe cir- 
cumftances, that the black land ought by no means 
to 
