142 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



wealth in his trunck, doth yet complain of want. 

 What though the key be rusty for want, of use? 

 tis easier to get that scoured, then to obtaine such 

 another treasure. And surely I may upon most sure 

 grounds say, .that our Native Countrey, hath in its 

 bowels an (even almost) infinite, and inexhaustible 

 treasure ; much of which hath long laine hid, and 

 is but new begun to be discovered. It may seem a 

 large boast or meer Hyperbole to say, we enjoy not, 

 know not, use not, the one tenth part of that 

 plenty or wealth & happinesse, that our Earth can, 

 and (Ingenuity and Industry well encouraged) will 

 (by Gods blessing) yield."* 



The moisture of the soil. Lands oftener need 

 moisture in the growing season than they need fer- 

 tilizers. The fact is that they generally need both, 

 if the largest and best crops are to be secured. 

 Drought seems to most people to be one of those 

 calamities in which there are no secondary or inci- 

 dental blessings, and it must be confessed that the 

 lesson of the recurring droughts has not yet been 

 learned by the great body of farmers. The one 

 remedy which occurs to most persons is irrigation, 

 and yet there is sufficient rainfall in most parts of 

 the fruit-growing regions of the country to provide 

 all the needs of large crops. The difficulties are 

 that this rainfall comes when it seems not to be 

 wanted, and very "much of it is allowed to escape 

 by evaporation. The truth is that the heavy rainfall 



* Samuel Hartlib, "An Essay for Advancement of Husbandry-Learning," 

 London, 1651, p. 3. 



