Chap. XII. Of St. Fo in. 187 



I believe the greatefl Part of the St. Foin that is 

 fown, is fpoil'd by being indifcreetly fed by Sheep 

 (b) -, which Damage is occafion'd merely by fuffering 

 them to continue feeding it too long at a Time, efpe- 

 cially in the Spring •, for then the Sap moves quick, 

 and muft be depurated by the Leaves ; and as the 

 Sun's nearer Approach accelerates the Motion or Fer^ 

 ment of the Juices, more Pabulum is receiv'd by the 

 Roots 5 but for want of Leaves to difcharge the Re- 

 crements, and enliven the Sap with nitro-aereous Par- 

 ticles (the Sheep devouring the Buds continually as 

 fad as they appear), the St. Foin's vital Flame (if I 

 may fo call it) is extinguinYd ; the Circulation 

 ceafing, the Sap ftagnates, and then it ends in Cor- 

 ruption (c). But let the Sheep eat it never fo low, 

 in a fhort time, without continuing thereon, or crop- 

 ping the next Buds which fucceed thofe they have 

 eaten, the Plants will recover and grow again as 

 vigoroufly as ever, and if with a Spade, in the Win- 

 ter you cut off the St. Foin Heads an Handful deep, 

 and take them away, together with their upper Earth, 

 the Wound in the remaining Root will heal, and fend 

 out more Heads as good as thofe cut off, if thofe 

 fecond Heads be preferv'd from Cattle, until they 

 attain to a Bignefs competent to bear Leaves fuffi- 



(b) I never fuffer Sheep to come upon St. Foin, except be- 

 twixt Mowing-time and All-Saints. And there is fo much Dan- 

 ger of fpoiling St. Foin by the Fraud of Shepherds, that I knew 

 a Gentleman that bound his Tenant never to fuffer any Sheep to 

 come thereon ; and by this means his St. Foin continued in Per- 

 fection much longer than is ufual, where St. Foin is fuffer'd to be 

 fed by Sheep. 



(c) Natural Grafs is not kili'd by conftant feeding, becanfeno 

 fort of Cattk can bite it fo low as to deprive it of all its Leaves; 

 and 'tis, like Eels, more tenacious of Life than the reft of its 

 Genius, and will fend out Leaves from the very Roots when rever- 

 fed, as is too often fcen where turffy Land is plow'd up in large 

 Furrows. 



cient 



