FRANCE. 275 



h'ty much improved. The effeft of this me- 

 thod in the culture of fugar-cane in Mar- 

 tinique is very great, infomuch that many 

 planters keep great flocks of cattle at a con- 

 fiderable expence, merely with a view of 

 making dung, which I do not hear is ever 

 the cafe in France. The fame method 

 with the earth is ufed for the fwine and 

 fheep-penns, only it is fpread about the 

 penn, and not moved till the end of the 

 feafon; by which means there is found a 

 very rich compoft. Thefe heaps of manure, 

 after the Winter, are turned up and mixed 

 well together, and are ready for ufe by the 

 Michaelmas following ; and I have found, 

 fhat, on whatever foil they are laid, and for 

 whatever crop, that the benefit occafioned 

 is prodigiouily great, infomuch that I be- 

 lieve it would anfwer to keep cattle for no 

 other purpofe but to make dung, if it could 

 be gained on no other terms. But plenty 

 of dung may any where be made, if the 

 land is planted with fuch crops as will en- 

 able the farmer to keep great herds of fwine, 

 which, both in the Weft Indies and at 

 Auvergne, are, of all others, the animal 

 bell iuitcd to making dung with profit. It 

 T 2 ought 



