136 



FER 



FER 



body be fluid ; or that the body be 

 moist. Bodies perfectly dry Can 

 have no degree of fermentation in 

 them. 



Fermentation does much towards 

 the production and growth of 

 plants. It is therefore a thing of 

 much consequence to the fanner 5 

 and he ought to know by what 

 means he may increase it in his 

 ground. 



The pasture of plants is increas- 

 ed by fermentation, as it loosens 

 the soils, so that their roots do 

 more easily lind their food. All 

 rich soils contain the principles of 

 the food of plants in abundance : 

 And a fermentation is produced 

 among them by any thing that al- 

 ters the arrangement of their par- 

 ticles. A fermentation is produ- 

 ced by heat from the sun, and by 

 rain : But when the soil is too 

 much fiMcd with water, the fer- 

 mentation is abated, or destroyed. 

 Ploughing, and otherwise stirring 

 the ground, is a principal cause of 

 fermentation in the soil. The 

 plough not only increases the pas- 

 ture of plant by pulverizing the 

 soil, but by mixing the salts and 

 oils contained in it, so as to bring 

 on a degree of fermentation, if the 

 soil have neither too much, nor too 

 little water in it at the time of 

 ploughing. 



I suspect that our severe frosts in 

 winter may have a tendency to ex- 

 cite a degree of fermentation, which 

 takes place after the ground is 

 thawed. For the heaving and set- 

 tling of the soil will make some al- 

 teration in the disposition of its 

 particles, and conduces to its im- 

 bibing more freely, snow water and 



rains, which contain food of plants* 

 But dung, and other strong ma- 

 nures, are perhaps the chief causes 

 of the fermentation of soils. Dung 

 is no sooner mixed with the soil, 

 when there is a proper degree of 

 warmth in the earth, than it strong- 

 ly ferments in itself, and brings on 

 a new fermentation in the earth 

 which is in contact with it, which 

 is communicated to remoter earth : 

 By all which the cohesion of the 

 parts of the soil is broken, the soil 

 highly pulverized, and the pasture 

 of plants proportionably increased, 

 so that their roots can freely ex- 

 tend themselves in quest of their 

 food. 



By the same fermentation, the 

 food or nourishment of plants is in- 

 creased ; because the dung itself 

 is dissolved, its salts and oils mix- 

 ed, its fine earthy particles set at 

 liberty, the vegetable substances, 

 such as roots, weeds, &c. corrupt- 

 ed and dissolved : All which con- 

 spire to increase the food of plants, 

 and prepare it to enter the minute 

 pores of their roots. 



That plants may flourish, it is 

 thought to be needful that a fer- 

 mentation of the soil be continued 

 during their growth. Otherwise a 

 sufficient quantity of steam will not 

 arise to their roots ; a probable 

 consequence is, that they will be 

 stinted in their growth. It may be 

 for this reason that tillage, during 

 the growing of plants, is found to 

 be so very advantageous to them ; 

 especially when they are hoed to a 

 good depth, by which the fermen- 

 tation of the soil among the roots is 

 increased. 



FERN, OR BRAKES, Polt^po- 



