Chap. VI. O/Hoeing. 5^ 



txcefto tamen Lupino> cujus Semini contraria eft Sarritio •, 

 quoniam unam Radicem ha bet, qua five Ferro Juccifa 

 feu vulnerata eft, lotus Frutex emoritur. 



If they had ho'd it only betwixt Rows, there had 

 been no Danger of killiog the Lupine, which is a 

 Plant moft proper for Hoeing. What he fays of the 

 Lupine's having no need ot Sarrition, becaufe it is 

 able of itfelf to kill Weeds, fhews the Antients were 

 ignorant of the chief Ufe of Hoeing ; viz. to raife 

 new Nourifhment by dividing the Earth, and making 

 a new Internal Superficies in it. 



Sarrition fcratched and broke fo fmall a Part of the 

 Earth's Surface, arnongft the Corn and Weeds, with- 

 out Diftinction, or favouring one any more than the 

 other, that it was a Difpute, whether the Good it did 

 in facilitating the Runcation (or Hand-weeding) was 

 greater, than the Injury it did by bruifing and tearing 

 the Corn : And many of the i\ntients chofe rather 

 to content themfelves with the Ufe of Runcation only, 

 and totally to omit all Sarrition of their Corn. 



But Hoeing is an Action very different from that 

 of Sarrition, and is every Way beneficial, no-way in- 

 jurious to Corn, tho* deftru&ive to Weeds. There- 

 fore fome modern Authors (hew a profound Igno- 

 rance, in tranfUting Sarritio, Hoeing: They give 

 an Idea very different from the true one : For the 

 Antients truly hoed their Vineyards, but not their 

 Corn 5 neither did they plant their Corn in Rows, 

 without which they could not give it the Vineyard- 

 hoeing : Their Sarculation was ufed but amongft 

 fmall Quantities of fown Corn, and is yet in Ufe for 

 Flax •, for I have feen the Sarculum (which is a Sort 

 of a very nai row Hoe) ufed arnongft the Plants of 

 Flax Handing irregularly : But this Operation is too 

 tedious and too chargeable, to be apply'd to great 

 Quantities of irregular Corn. 



If they ho'd their Crops fown at Random, one 

 would think they fhould have made mad Work of 



E 4 it; 



