2oo Of L us erne. Chap. XIIL 



from thence. The Hoe prevents the Turf, which 

 would otherwife by its Blades or Roots intercept, ancj 

 return back the Dews into the Atmofphere, with the 

 A'fTi (lance of a moderate Heat. So that this Hufbandry 

 fecures Luferne from the Injury of a wet Summer, 

 and alio caufes the Rain-water to fink down more 

 fpeedily, and difperie its Riches all the Way of its 

 pafTage •, otherwile the Water would be more apt to 

 {land on the Surface, chill the Earth, and keep off 

 the Sun and Air from drying it: For, when the Sur- 

 face is dry and open, Luferne will bear a very great' 

 Degree of Heat, or grow with a mean one. I have 

 leen this hoed Luferne, in a fheltry PJace of my 

 Garden, fo much grown in a mild Winter, as to be 

 meafured Fourteen Inches and an half high at Ckrift- 

 mas; and a very large fingle Plant of it, which had 

 not been hoed for Two Years before, was laid bare 

 by digging out the Earth all around it a Foot deep, 

 to obferve the Manner ol its Tap-root ♦, and then the 

 Earth was thrown in again, and the Hole filled up. 

 This was on the Twenty-feventh or September. Upon 

 this mellowing of the Soil about it, it lent out more 

 Stalks in Qtlcber, than it had done in the whole ! um- 

 mer before; they grew very vigoroufly, until a great 

 Snow fell in December^ which alio preierved the Ver- 

 dure of them, till that was melted away, and a black 

 Froft came after it, and killed thofe Stalks. It is 

 probable this Plant fent out immediately new fibrous 

 horizontal Roots, which did grow apace to extract the 

 Nourifhment from this new-made Paicure, in pro- 

 portion to the quick Growth of the Stalks, which in 

 Summer have been meafured, and found to grow in 

 Height Three Inches and an half in a Night and a 

 Day •, this being almoft One Inch in Six Hours. 



And it has been my Obfervation, that this Plant, 

 m hot and cold Countries, thrives both with a much 

 greater, or lefs Degree of Heat and Moifture, when 

 it is hoed:, for if it has Plenty of Nourifhment, which 



Hoeing 



