A Treatise on Vegetation, ^c iii 



]"arth acting thereupon. As to the different vefTels of 

 plants, proper to receive, and prepare the juices for 

 their nouriftinnent, it being foreign to my purpofe, I (hall 

 not enter into a difculTion thereof at this time, but re- 

 turn to what I firll: propofed, viz. to conilder the com- 

 ports of ground, whereby ^'^egetation is promoted, and 

 the proper nourifliing juices more eafdy conveyed into 

 the velTels of the Vegetables that are planted therein. 



Comports are made up of feveral forts of foils, or 

 earthy matter, mixt together, to make a manure for 

 aiTifting the natural Earths in the work of vegetation, by 

 way of amendment or improvement. 



Comports are various ; and ought to be different, ac- 

 cording to the different qualities oi the foils they are de- 

 fjgned to meliorate. As a loofe fand requires a Comport: 

 of a heavy nature ; fo on the other hand, a foil that is 

 heavy, clayey, or cloddy, requires a Comport of a more 

 fprightly and fiery nature, apt to divide thofe clods and 

 clay; to animate and give frefh vigour to that lumpifh 

 and coherent mafs, which would otherwife obrtruft the 

 a£b of vegetation ; and to give life and full play to all the 

 fibres of the roots of fuch plants as grow therein. The 

 ufe of Comports is to invigorate the difterent fpecies of 

 nature, whether for our pleafure or ufe, and is no other 

 than adapting of foils to thefe plants, &c. in which each 

 have been found bert to agree with, for their utmoft per- 

 fection, and which, from experience we have found they 

 moft delight in. To the making up of thefe I fhall at pre- 

 fent confine myfelf, as, in the progrefs of this work, I 

 fhall have many occafions to inform my readers of the dif- 

 ferent comports proper to be ufed as well for large gar- 

 dens, as the different plants that are there ufiially railed. 



DireciioJis for preparing the Compoji for tbe Frimros'E^ 

 fee their Culture, p. 251. 



As I intend to treat of the proper Comports for all the 

 different genera of flowers, i rtiall begin with thofe which 

 make their appearance firrt in the Ipring ; and fhall iri- 

 fert the rert in their due order. The firrt confiderable 

 flower that makes its appearance in the fpring, is the 

 Primrofe or Privuilu Vens. Thefe are tlirtinguifiied into 



two 



