THE RURAL SOCRATES. &y 



effential it is, frequently to vary the feed upon the 

 fame ground. Thus he is indefatigable in the aearch of 

 new ; and is Co thoroughly convinced of the utility > 

 of this rule, that he affirms that there is ar. advantage- 

 ous difference in the produce, if he buys iced at a vil- 

 lage only four leagues diflant from his own. This remark 

 is worthy the attention of fomc curious natidralifl. 



Our induflrious laborer beflows on his arable lands 

 a kind of manure, whofe effeiSts appeared fingularly 

 aflonifhing to me, when he took me into one of his in-'' 

 clofures a little before harvefl. A third part of this 

 ' field, from a deficiency of hands and leisure that year, 

 had been without this manure. 1 Inftantly perceived, 

 though little accuflomed to thde minute obfervations, a 

 very lerfible difference betv,een that part of tiie field 

 which had been manured, and the other. Kliyogg com- 

 puted this difference to be one thiid lols in the crop. — 

 The manure he made ufe of, v/as a fmall gravel of a 

 blueifh hue, and bordering upon marie ; the foil en 

 which it was fpread being a greafy, reddifli fand. Kli- 

 yogg difcovered veins of this gravel running along the 

 lides of fome barren uncultivated hills, in the neigh- 

 borhood ; commonly on the fuperficies, or a very few 

 feet below it. — In loading his carts, he throws afide the 

 larger flones, flrewing only th« fineparton light landso 

 T^his is one of his occupations on winter days ; which 

 the generality of Jiufbandmen devote to indolence, or 

 at lead to domeflic engagements of fmall advantagCc 

 The deep fnow that covers the ground during great 

 part of the winter feafon, greatly facilitates his woric by 

 the ufe of fledges, and confiderably lelFens the fatigue of 

 the oxen. I faw him lafl v/inter in high delight at the 

 appearance of a fettled frofl:, which gave him hopes of a 

 good road for fledges for fome weeks. — There feems 

 a great analogy between the operation of this gravel and 

 that afcribed to marie, if it is not indeed the produftion 

 iDfr.he marie itfelf which is difcovcrable among the fmall 



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