Chap. a. concerning E A R T H^ &c. til 



But to this I can by no means agree, and 

 efteem it no otherwife than a good Ingredient 

 to mix with Earth and other forts of Com- 

 poft, and to be well blended, mix'd, and 

 incorporated with them, which being all 

 confum'd together, makes an excellent Com- 

 poft, fit to receive the beft of Trees, or to 

 repair the worft of Ground 3 and this I have 

 hmted at juft now. 



^s for the other way, of improving worn- 

 out Land by Dung only, (if I dare borrow 

 the Similitude ) 'tis like the feven Years of 

 rank good Corn mentioned in Sacred Writ, 

 which were greedily devoured by the feven 

 thin and blafted, and they poffibly never 

 the fuller nor better fed 5 fo thefe forts of 

 canker'd Earths^ tho* they voracioufly and 

 greedily receive the prolifick Salts of the 

 Dung into their analogous, vitiated, and 

 corrupted Stomach and Conftitution , dd 

 not long retain them, but by a kind df 

 vicious Corrofivenefs foon eat or fpew out 

 the virtual Qualities of the other 5 whereas 

 had it been mix'd aiid incorporated well with 

 uncorrupted Land, that would have been 

 the proper Bed and Couch wherein thofe 

 Salts would have lodged themfelves, 'till 

 the other, by Improvement, fhou'd as it 

 were leave and forget its own vitiated Na- 

 ture, and join in concert with the improved 

 Mafs. As for the Dung itfelf, being almoft 

 all Nitre, it has little or no Retainder to 

 prtvtnt the Exhalation or Evaporation of 

 biiQ thofe 



