8 THE RURAL SOCRATES. 



onl}^ for Utter, of which he is fo liberal in his liallS; 

 that the beads are baried ia it up to the knees.* 



He is attentive alio to gather all the dried leaves, 

 mofs^ and rnfhes from his ground, tliat can ferve foj- 

 litter. The finall dead boughs and pointed leaves of 

 fir trees in particular, afford plentiful materials for this 

 purpofe ; and he employs in this occupation the greater 

 part of the tia:ie he can ipare from his other work. — A 

 compoil: dunghill appears to him an objrvft of fo great 

 importance to the imprcvement of laiid, that, of all 

 branches of labor, he regrets the want of allidants in 

 this the mod ; and waits as a fmgular bleding, the time 

 when his children d^all be capable of contributing tiieir 

 ihare : So thoroughly is he jjerfuaded that he wants on- 

 ly laboring hands, to procure fifty loads more of ma- 

 rnre, v^ithout increafing the number of his cattle* 



2n profecution of this defign, in autumn, during thp 

 rncoTi's increafe, Kiiyogg goes into his wood wM*i:h a 

 liCuge bill to prune the fupernuracrary branches of fa* 

 jiud j>ine trees ; even of thofe which he thinks it ufeful 

 to leave ; boldly venturing to cut the lower dioots of 

 young trees clofe to the trunk. Thefc he binds into 

 faggots and carries home ; placing them under a died 

 till a proper feafon for piofccuting his work. — At Icifure 

 hours, and efpecially in long winter evenings, he pre- 

 pares thefe faggots for the purJDofes intended : an em- 

 ployment fo little difagreeable or fatiguing, that it 

 ferves him for recreation. He begins wiih cutting the 

 imail boughs away from the larger ones ; laying them, 

 with the pointed leaves of thefe trees, in little heaps, tcj 

 be ufed for litter ; while the Inrger and tougher boughs 

 arc rcfervqd for fuel. By this method he amadcs many 

 proper materials for good manure, that are commonly 

 iuffsred to rot ufelefsly in the woods, which is fo much 



real 



•'■ A moil excellent praiPore tliat r?nnot he too much aihnireJ. It is^ 

 sirriBzing I'lft qoantity of manufc th''(«T>aybe raifed by fjch p'sfikcs^-v 

 »ht» a a^^'^ can coar> oani a phnty of liucr» Y, 



