Chap. XII. Of St. Foin. i 9 z 



Corn : But that I think is difprov^d in the Chapter of 

 Change of Species, where 'tis fhevvn, that all Plants in 

 the fame Soil mud take the fame Food. 



Mr. Kirkham thinks St. Foin has no collateral or 

 horizontal Roots in the upper Part of the Ground 

 where the Plough tills for Corn •, and therefore has 

 no Nourifhment from that Part of the Soil which 

 feeds the Corn. This would be a very good Account 

 for it, were it not utterly contrary to Matter of Fact, 

 as every one may fee. 



But fo far it is right, that large {a) St. Foin draws 

 the greateft Part of its Nourifhment from below the 

 Reach of the Plough; and what Part it does receive 

 from the Staple is overbalanced by the Second Crop, 

 or Afcer-leafe, being fpent by Cattle on the Ground % 

 different from Corn, which is very near wholly main- 

 tained by the plow'd Part of the Earth, and is all 

 carry'd off. 



For tho' the under Stratum of Earth be much 

 poorer than the upper ; yet that, never having been 

 drain'd by any fort of Vegetables, mud afford con- 

 siderable Nourimment to the Firft that comes there. 



And befides, in fuch Land whofe Poverty proceeds 



from the Rain's carrying its Riches too quickly down 



through the upper Stratum, the under Stratum mud 



be the richer (b) for receiving what the upper Stratum 



-lets pafs un arretted. 



(a) For large St. Foin, being fmgle, has large Roots, and very 

 long, which probably defcend Twenty Feet deep ; Now, if we 

 allow Four or Five Inches the Depth of the Staple, to afford a 

 Supply equal to Two Feet below it, taking the lower Nineteen 

 Feet Seven Inches together, upon this Computation, the Part be- 

 low the Staple gives the St. Foin about Nine Parts in Ten of its 

 Sultenance. 



( b) In light poor Land the Water carrying fome impregnated 

 Earth along with it down iowe<- than it does in ftrong Land, that 

 is more tenacious oi fuch impregnated Particles, the under Strata 

 of ftrong Lard are likely to be poorer than thofe of light 

 Land. 



'Tis 



