?o O/Hoeisg. Chap. VI. 



Firft, as they are better nourimed by Hoeing 9 - 

 they require lefs Moifture, as appears by Dr. IVood- 

 r ward*& Experiment, that thofe Plants which receive 

 the greateft Increafe, having moil terreftrial Nou- 

 rishment, carry off the leaft Water in Proportion to 

 their Augment: So Barley or Oats, being lbwn on a 

 Part of a Ground very well divided by Dung and 

 Tillage, will come up and grow vigoroufly without 

 Rain, when the fame Grains, fown at the fame Time, 

 on the other Part, not thus enriched, will fcarce 

 come up; or, if they do, will not thrive till Rain 

 comes. 



Secondly, The Hoe, I mean the Horfe-hoe (the 

 other goes not deep enough), procures Moifture to the 

 Roots from the Dews, which fall mod in dry Wea- 

 ther ; and thofe Dews (by what Mr. Thomas Hen/haw 

 has obferv'd) feem to be the richeft Prefent the At- 

 mofphere gives to the Earth ; having, when putre- 

 fy'd in a Veffd, a black Sediment like Mud at the 

 Bottom. This feems to caufe the darkifh Colour to 

 the upper Part of the Ground. And the Sulphur, 

 which is found in the Sediment of the Dew, may be 

 the chief Ingredient of the Cement of the Earth ; 

 Sulphur being very glutinous, as Nitre is diflblvent. 

 Dew has both thefe. 



Thefe enter in proportion to the Finenefs and Frefh- 

 nefs of the Soil, and to the Quantity that is fo made 

 fine and frefh by the Hoe. How this comes to 

 pafs, and the Reafon of it, are (hewn in the Chapter 

 of Tillage. 



To demonftrate that Dews moiften the Land when 

 fine, dig a Hole in the hard dry Ground, in the 

 drieil Weather, as deep as the Plough ought to reach : 

 Beat the Earth very fine, and fill the Hole therewith ; 

 and, after a few Nights Dews, you'll find this fine 

 Earth become moid: at the Bottom, and the hard 

 Ground all round will continue dry. 



TiU 



