Chap. XII. Of St. Foin. 163 



I have alfo often obferv'd in Lands of St. Foin, 

 lying difperfed in a common Field (but where there 

 was not Common for Sheep), and where the Ends of 

 other Lands kept in Tillage, pointed againft the 

 Pieces of St. Foin, and the Horfes and Ploughs turn- 

 ing out upon the St. Foin (g) did plow and lcratch 

 out a Multitude of its Plants j fo that it was thought 

 to be fpoil'd, and Law-fuits were intended for Re- 

 compenceofthe Damage; that afterwards this fcratch'd 

 Part, fuppofed to be lpoii'd, became twice as good 

 as the reft of the fame Pieces, where the Ploughs did 

 not come to tear up any Plants. 



The Reafon why the fingle St. Foin Plants make 

 the greatefl Crops, is, that the Quantity of the Crop 

 is always in Proportion to the Quantity of Nourifh- 

 ment it receives from the Earth •, and thofe Plants 

 which run deeped will receive moft; and fuch as 

 are fingle will run deeper than thofe which are not 

 fingle. 



Alfo the fingle do fend out all round them ho- 

 rizontal Roots, proportionably ftronger and larger, 

 whereby they are better able to penetrate, and 

 extract more Nourifhment from the Staple, or upper 

 Stratum, than the other can do, if there be a compe- 

 tent Number ; which is, when ho'd, fewer than any- 



that were drilPd with but Four Gallons of Seed to an Acre ; and 

 yet the Rows being Seven Inches afuhder, the Roois are fo thick 

 in them, that the Ground is cover'd with the St. Foin Plants, 

 which feem to be as thick (in Appearance; as moft Town St. Foin, 

 whereon Seven or Eight Bufhels are fown on an Acre. And I 

 have other Fields that were drilPd with about Two Gallons of 

 Seed to an Acre (which is Five Sdeds to each fquare Foot), the 

 Rows Sixteen Inches afunder, that produce better Crops, -tho* the 

 G10 iid be poorer. The drilFd St. Foin, being regular, is more 

 fingle, tho' as thick as the fown; and for that Reafon always 

 mar.es a better Crop, and lafts longer than the fown that is of 

 the lame Thicknefs, but irregular. 



(g) This Plowing and Scratching was a fort of Hoeing, which 

 helped the St. Foin by a fmall Degree of Pulverauon, as well as 

 by making the Plants thinner. 



M 2 body 



