A TtsEATise on Vegetation, ^r. Ix 



paring it: before you lift it, pare off its fur'ace, which 

 is greenifh bv the growth of the plint properly called 

 Mo//; but obferve, that the place from whence you 

 take this ground be not immerfed in water, or where 

 water ftands in the fummer-time; thefe grounds are 

 four, barren, and can never be mended by any culture 

 whatever ; but let the place, from whence you take your 

 earth, be open, free, airy, and of a middling drynefs, 

 rich and buttery to the touch, but by no means clayilh 

 or ftonv; dig about twelve inches deep, and no further, 

 and when you have got a fufficient quantity of it, bring 

 it to your Compoft-yard, fpread it out, let it en- 

 joy the fun and air in fummer, and the trofts for one 

 winter, toffing it up at every thavv ; by this means it 

 will be meliorated and divided ; and after lying twelve 

 months in this manner, it will then be fit to incorporate 

 with the reft of your materials. 



Of all dungs whatever, none is fo proper for culti- 

 vating flowers as cow dung ; becaufe a great deal of 

 fand, {one third at leaft,) is neceflary in moft comports 

 for flowers of the bulbous kind ; and fand being hot, it 

 muft have a manure to cool and fatten it ; for which the 

 dung of cows, oxen, or hogs, is the moft proper. The 

 method I ufe to make this dung fine and fit for the pur- 

 pofe is this : In July, Auguft and September, while the 

 cows are at grafs, and are fed with grafs in byres in the 

 night time, take out the dung and lay it in your Com- 

 poft-yard in fmall heaps, where it will probably heat ; 

 but this is not to be minded. In November and December^ 

 when the frofts are coming on, lay your dung over the 

 pavement, to the depth of fix inches, and no more, to 

 receive the benefit of the froft ; for one month's froft 

 will rot vour dung more, and make it fitter for \\(e than 

 three months at any other time. When the frofts are 

 in'tirely gone, lay your dung again up in heaps or ridges 

 two or three feet thick ; there to lie till the middle of 

 May, when the hot weather begins to fet in, then fpread 

 it thin, and beat it with a plaiftercr's lime-bearer, and 

 riddle it very fine. The grofTer particles howev-r ought 

 not to be flung away as they may be ufed in the Kitchen 

 Garden to very good purpole. 



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