14 THK RURAL SOCRATES. 



biat thinks them all deferving of attention^ and teilifie* 

 liis gratitude to the communicator. — He apprehends, in 

 general, that all mixture of earths^ "where their nature U 

 Sffirent, contributes to fertility ; nay, even where the 

 diitin^ion lies only in color ; and he has no doubt of 

 improving a field if, at a moderate expence, he can con- 

 trive to carry f refli mould to it of a different quality. 

 Thus a light foil, according to him, is improved by a 

 heavy one ; a f sndy foil by a clayey one \ a blue clay 

 Jby a red clay, <S:c. 



It is in tiiefe different modes of procuring manure^ 

 and in the continual pains to obtain it,, that in the opin^ 

 ion of our judicious cultivator, the fundamental bafis 

 of agriculture confiils. In truth, lands are more im- 

 proved, and with lefs trouble, by proper manure, than 

 * by frequent ploughing or digging ; notwithlianding 

 Tuil, an Jinglifti writer, attempts to prove the fufficien- 

 ey of the latter alone. — Let it be granted to Tull^ that 

 manure has no other effed than to heat and render the 

 earth more porous, from a fermentation excited : Is not 

 this effed more likely to be produced from the facility 

 with which it penetrates according to its nature, tlic 

 fmalled particles of earth when in contact with them ; 

 than from afimple divifionof thefe particles by an ope- 

 ration merely mech:^nical ? It may likewifc be added, 

 that the oily and faline parts contained in manure are 

 extremely conducive to the nouri(hment of plants : Nor 

 js it lefs certain that an union of tliefe two methods of 

 improvement, is the uUimate perfection of hulbandry. 

 It would be for the advantage of every farmer, if he 



had 



• Thofe parts of rural economlca which have iVivided the opinion df 

 *hc fuperior clafa of cultivators, will by them be very feldom determined i 

 Their ingenuity Is (oo great to admit of eniifc conviiJJon . The unpre- 

 jodiccd part of th« world ftioiild, in fuch cafes, be deterrnin^id by opinioni 

 totally unbinffed by />/^r/»j. Kliyugg's teftimony In this aCair coincide* 

 vjih that of the beft hufbandmeo from the beginning of the world to thi^ 

 ^ay J and I have found it true from ihe proof of foms hendredi of parti- 

 |M^ar «xptrijncnts on bsth grarelly ar;d clayry bani». "^ - 



