Chap. VI. Of Hoei n g. 53 



ble; but in hoeing a Plant the additional Nouri fo- 

 ment thereby given, enables it to fend out innumerable 

 additional Fibres and Roots, as in one of the GlaiTes 

 with a Mint in it, is feen ; which fully demonftrates', 

 that a Piant increafeth its Mouths, in (ome Propor- 

 tion to the Increafe of Food given to it: So that 

 Hoeing, by the new Pafture it raifes, furnifoes both 

 Food and Mouths to Plants ; and 'tis for Want of 

 Hoeing, that fo few are brought to their Growth and 

 Perfection (a) 



In what Manner the Sarrition of the Antients was 

 performed in their Corn, is not very clear: This 

 ieems to have been their Method ; viz. When the 

 Plants were fome time come up, they harrowed the 

 Ground, and pull'd out the Weeds by Hand. The 

 Procefs of this appears in Columella^ where he directs 

 the Planting of Medico, co be but a Sort of Harrow- 

 ing or Raking amongft the young Plants, that the 

 Weeds might come out the more eafily: Ligneis 

 Raftris fiatim jacla Semina obruantur. Poft Sationem 

 Ligneis Raftris Jarriendus, & identidem runcandus eft 

 Ager, ne alterius generis Herba invalidam Medicam 

 perimat. 



(a) A Ground was driird with Ray-grafs and Barley, in R.ows 

 at Five Inches Diftance from each other ; it produced a pretty 

 good Crop of Ray-grafs the fecond Year as is ufual; there was 

 adjoining to it a Ground of Turneps, that were in Rows, with 

 wide Intervals Horfe-ho'd ; they flood for Seed ; and amongft 

 them there was, in Room of a Turnep, a fingle Plant of Ray-grafs, 

 which, being hoed as the Turneps were, had (in every one's Opi- 

 nion that faw it) acquired a Bulk at leaft equal to a Thoufand 

 Pi ants of the fame Species in the other Ground ; tho"' that vaft 

 Plant had no other Advantage above the other, exceptits Single- 

 nefs, and the deep Hoeing. 



I have feen a Chickweed, by the fame means, as much increasM 

 beyond its common Size; and a Plant of Muitard-feed, whofe 

 collateral Branches were much bigger than ever I faw a whole 

 Plant of that Sort ; it was higher than I could reach its Top, and 

 indeed more like a Tree than an Herb ; many other forts of Plants 

 have 1 feen thus increas'd beyond what I had ever obferv'd before, 

 t>ut none fo much as thofe. 



E 3 They 



