254 TRAVELS THROUGH 



inclofed a trad: of near 50 acres near my 

 own houfe. It was a low wet piece of 

 land : I drained it at a coniidefable expence, 

 ploughed it well, fowed it with oats and 

 hay feeds, mixing much Flanders clover 

 with them. Nothing could exceed my 

 fuccefs : I had a vaft crop of oats, and, in 

 the preceding year, my new meadow made 

 a very handfome appearance. The profpe- 

 rous event of this experiment animated me 

 to yet greater works j I inclofed a frefh piece 

 of the fame land, larger than the former, 

 and with equal fuccefs -, I alfo inclofed a 

 piece of fixty acres, of higher and dryer 

 wafte, the foil a thin loam, of a light puffy 

 black foil on a bed of reddim loam, fo poor 

 that no fpontaneous plants grew in it, This 

 I ploughed very well ; and having, in Mar- 

 tinique, feen the vaft advantage made by 

 potatoes and yams, I ventured, at a great 

 expence, to plant this whole piece with po- 

 tatoes. My fuccefs aflonimed me ; the crop 

 was very great in every part of the field, 

 and I had fuch amazing quantities, that y 

 after perfectly fatting my whole flock of 

 cattle of every fort, and feeding the whole 

 village gratis, I had many hundred bufhels, 



which 



