Chap. VIII. O F M A N U R E S. 23 



or earth alone, receives no growth or increment at all, but is either 

 ftarved or fuffocated : but mix the two, and the mafs becomes fer- 

 tile. In effect, by means of fand, the earth is rendered, in fome 

 manner, organical ; pores and interllices being hereby maintained, 

 fomething analogous to veffels, by which the juices may be con- 

 veyed, prepared, digelled, circulated, and at length excerned, and 

 thrown off into the roots of plants." 



" Sea-fand," continues Mr. Miller, " is accounted a very good 

 " compoff for iliff ground, for it effedls the two things following, 

 " riz. It makes way for the tree or feed to root in fliff ground, 

 '* and makes a fume to feed it." 



Chalk, lime, rubbidi of old houfes, or, in ihort, v/hatever loofens 

 the body of the clay, are good manures. 



Shell-Marie, or any marie, v/hich, dropt into vinegar, makes a 

 flrong effcrvefcence, is a peculiarly good manure for clay : for, dif- 

 folving eafily in water, it gives a freer paffage to it, whereby the 

 clay is kept dry even in winter; and if the clay is of a cold acid 

 nature, the abforbent quality of the marie deilroys that acidity, and 

 keeps the clay warm. Many late experiments prove the truth of this, 

 its effects being much beyond what could have been expedted. 



In very cold moid land, fays Mr. Miller, I have frequently {&tn 

 new horfe-dung buried as it came from the flable, and always ob- 

 ferved that the crops have fucceeded better, than where the ground 

 was dreffed with very rotten dung. 



Sheeps dung and deers dung are nearly of the fame quality, and 

 are efteemed by fome the belt of dungs for cold clays. Some re- 

 comniend beating them into powder, and fpreading th^m very thin 

 over autumn or fpring crops, about four or five loads t6 an acre, in 

 the fame manner that allies, malt-dult, (^c. are ffrewed. Eut thefe 

 light dreffmgs do not lalt long. 



In Flanders, and other parts, they houfe their llieep at nights in 

 places fpread with clean fand, laid about five or fix inches thick ; 

 which, being laid on frefli every night, is clear'd out once a week. 

 This mixture of fand and dung, makes an excellent drefiing for 

 itrong land ; for the dung and urine of the Iheep is a very rich 

 manure. Mr. Quinteney thinks it the greateft promoter of fruit- 

 fulnefs in all forts of ground. Others recommend hogs dung, as 

 the fatteft and moff beneficial of any. 



The dung of pigeons and poultry is efpecially good for cold, wet, 

 clayey lands : but it ought to be dried before it be ftrewed, becaufe 



it 



