e.hap.VIIL OFMANURES. 45 



all into the earth, as deep as they can go, and yet not damage 

 them, either by blunting, bending, or breaking. 



One horfe will very well draw this roller, with which you murt: 

 go over the ground you intend to burn, the contrary or crois way 

 to that which you dehgn to take with your plough, before defcribed^ 

 which will by this means turn up the turf in pieces of two feet 

 long, and one broad, the exadl iize they ought to be to form the 



little hills above named. 1 have nothing to add upon this head, 



but, that thofe who pradlife it- had need be careful how they over- 

 burn the turf, which would, in that cafe, be robb'd of much of its 

 fertility. A gentle fire, not flaming out, but mouldering inward, 

 is the fureft means of hitting the perfection of this work. 



In like manner Mr. Worlidge cautions us againfl: over-burning 

 the turf; and the reafon is, that, in the burning of any vegetable, 

 a gentle, eafy, and fmothering fire, does not waile the volatile 

 nitrous fpirit fo much as a quick fire would do, and caufes more 

 of it to fix and remain behind. 



Mofly grounds are peculiarly benefited by being burnt. Where 

 much long mofs grows thick, fays Mr. Lifle, tho' the ground be 

 never fo fandy in its nature, yet the ground underneath muft be of 

 a moil cold and four nature, by being kept from the fun, and the 

 wet more fogging in it than if it had been folid earth upon it ; for 

 nothing retains moifture longer than fuch a fpungy body, nor breaks 

 the rays of the fun more from penetrating. Therefore fuch ground 

 ought to be burn-beak'd ; or the mofs harrow'd up before feeding, 

 and burnt in heaps ; but rather burn-beak'd, to dertroy the feeds of 



weeds. If any do appear afterwards, the firft year, it can be 



only fome few that lay deeper in the earth than the fire went. 



We fliall conclude this article with M. Duhamel's account of 

 burn-beaking in France. 



With refped: to lands which are plov/ed up but once in ei2;ht 

 or ten years, it is the cuftom to burn them, in order that the fire 

 may divide the particles of the earth, and that it may be fertilifed 

 by the afhes of the roots and leaves. • This operation is performed 

 thus. 



They raife the furface with a hoe, or crooked pick-ax, the iron 

 of which is very broad and thin, cutting each turf as regular as 

 pofilble, about eight or ten inches fquare, and two or three inches 

 thick. 



As 



