Oji Grass Lays^ Manures^ ^c. 327 



adhesion to light blowing sands, for growing luxuriant 

 grain crops ; and red clover, with the aid of gypsum, 

 will in this highly favoured country, enrich a thin soil 

 to an almost incredible extent, in a very few years ; 

 and will plentifully replenish the farmer's mows with 

 excellent hay, if a proper system of management is pur- 

 sued. If this grass is mown instead of pastured, it will 

 soon render the effects of wild garlic perfectly harm- 

 less, either in the dairy or grain fields, as I know from 

 what was effected on the farm lately occupied by me, 

 which was overrun with this pest, 



Man, in all his pursuits, is too fond of complication, 

 or we might have been long since taught the proper 

 application of manure ; for a smoking dunghill, with 

 the aid of our eyes, nose, and reflection, should have 

 instructed us, that farm yard manure loses at least a full 

 half of its most valuable properties, if kept over spring 

 and summer. Some gentlemen imagine that fer- 

 mentation and decomposition produce combinations 

 and properties highly beneficial ; but this appears to 

 rest on conjecture ; for they differ widely in what those 

 properties consist. Observation and practice have 

 taught others, that when the manure is turned under 

 the soil, previous to fermentation, nature performs 

 those chymical operations within the soil, spreading 

 the riches of the manure through it, with the least pos- 

 sible loss, provided she is not counteracted by an inju- 

 dicious cultivation, and that immense, and very inju- 

 rious labour is saved in extra hauling, and mixing the 

 manure with other substances, which arc much readi- 

 er, and (very generally) fur better applied, before or 

 after the manure. 



