Penjyhania, Germantcwn. 145 



of his ground, which he treats in the fame man- 

 ner. Thus he goes on till he has changed a great 

 part of his poffeffions into corn-fields, and by 

 that means deprives the ground of its fertility. 

 He then returns to the fir ft field, which now is 

 pretty well recovered; this he again tills as long 

 as it will afford him a good crop, but when its 

 fertility is exhaufted, he leaves it fallow again, 

 and proceeds to the reft as before. 



IT being cuftomary here, to let the cattle go 

 about the fields and in the woods both day and 

 night, the people cannot colledt much dung for 

 manure. But by leaving the land fallow for feveral 

 years together, a great quantity of weeds fpring 

 up in it, and get fuch ftrength, that it requires a 

 confiderable time to extirpate them. From hence 

 it likewife comes, that the corn is always fo much 

 mixed with weeds. The great richnefs of the 

 foil, which the firft European colonifts found 

 here, and which had never been ploughed before, 

 has given rife to this neglect of agriculture, which 

 is ftill obferved by many of the inhabitants. But 

 they do not confider, that when the earth is quite 

 exhaufted, a great fpace of time, and an infinite 

 deal of labour, is neceflary to bring it again into 

 good order; efpecially in thefe countries which 

 are almoft every furnmer fo fcorched up by the 

 excefiive heat and drought. The foil of the 

 corn-fields confifted of a thin mould, greatly 

 mixed with a brick-coloured clay, and a quantity 

 of fmall particles of glimmer. This latter came 

 from the ftones which are here almoft every 

 where to be met v/ith at the depth of a foot or 



L there- 



