Chap. V. Of Tillage. 43 



This artificial Duft (£), he fays, will entertain Plants 

 which refufe Dung, and other violent Applications ; 

 and that it has a more nutritive Power than any arti- 

 ficial Dungs or Compoft whatfoever : And further, 

 that by this Toil of pulverizing, " 'tis found, that 

 " Soil may be fo drangely alter'd from its former 

 cc Nature, as to render the harm and mod uncivil 

 " Clay (/') obfequious to the Hufbandmen, and to 

 " bring forth Roots and Plants, which otherwife re- 

 " quire the lighted and hollowed Mould (£)." 



'Tis to be fuppos'd, that the Indian Plants had 

 their due Degrees of Heat and Moidure given them ; 

 and I mould not chufe to bedow this Toil upon the 

 poored of Earth in a Field or Garden, tho' that be 

 the moit fure wherein to make the Experiment {I). 



I never myfeJf try'd this way of pounding or grind- 

 ing, becaufe impracticable in the Fields. 



But I have had the Experience of a Multitude of 

 Indances, which confirm it fo far, that I am in no 



(b) Tho it may be impofllble for the Plough to reduce the 

 whole Staple into fo fine Powder, yet the more internal Super- 

 ficies it makes, the more Dull will be made by the Atmofphere in 

 Proportion ; and great Clods perhaps are of no Ufe to Plants, 

 but by that Dull they let fall, being thence extricated by thein- 

 fenfible Ferment of the nitrous Airj and the Surfaces of this ar- 

 tificial Dud mull receive fuch Operations from the Air, before 

 the utmoit. Fertility be obtain'd. 



(i) But I take harm uncivil Clay to be the leaft profitable of 

 any to keep in Tillage. 



(k) To this Dull, Namque hoc imitamur arando ought to be 

 apply'd, and not to Putre Solum, which itfelf needs Tillage, as 

 well as ftrong Land : Put it feems the Antients did notobferve the 

 Difference between natural Pores (or Hollownefs) and artificial 

 ones, tho 1 it is very great; as is {hewn in Chap, of Pnfiure of 

 Plants; Tis eafier indeed to imitate this artificial Dull in hollow 

 than in firong Land. 



(I) This is the moil proper Trial of the Effect of Pulveration 

 by pounding and grinding ; but Land may be fo barren, that Plough 

 or Spade may not be fufRcient to pulverize it to that Degree, 

 which is neceffary to give it the fame Fertility, that Pounding in 

 a Mortar, or grinding betwixt Marbles (as Colours are ground), 

 can. 



Doubt, 



