Se&. I. Agriculture And Vegetation. 159 



root. That part feems to be the great caufe 

 of fecundity; for it not only nouriihes the 

 plant, but fends up many moots and plants 

 itfelf. A fmall piece of the root of many 

 different plants will breed a plant. Many 

 ftalks arife from the roots of all the different 

 grains, long after the grain itfelf is corrupted. 

 Hence, the more roots the more chance of 

 plants : but the quantity of roots feems to 

 depend, in a great meafnre, on the opennefs 

 of the foil. 



THE foil may indeed be too loofe; for 

 it muft have a certain confiftency and cc- 

 hefion to fupport plants. The gravelly 

 foil is the worfe of being often ploughed. 

 It is obferved, that a light foil, when much 

 dunged, produces a worfe crop of peafe 

 than when not dunged. But too great 

 loofenefs is a rare fault, and is fooner re- 

 medied. Too great ftiffnefs of the foil is 

 what the farmer has moft frequently to 



ftruggle with. 



LET 



