Chap. XIII. O/'Luserne. 203 



has been obferved in all other Places where Luferne 

 has been plowed (a). 



And in Will/hire feveral Grounds of it flood Tome 

 Years without ever coming to a Subftance to be of 

 any Value, tho' the Land was whitiih, and fcarce any 

 Grafs appeared amongft the Luferne ; and therefore 

 its Poornefs was thought to proceed from the Soil's 

 being improper •, but when it had been broken up, 

 and fown feveral Years with Corn, and afterwards 

 lain down with St. Foin, all the Luferne-plants which 

 remained (and they were many) grew large and ftrong, 

 mooting up a Yard in Height foon after the St. Foin 

 was cut; and if there had been a competent Number 

 of them undeftroyed by the Plough, they would have 

 yielded Crops of an extraordinary Value, where be- 

 fore Plowing it grew but few Inches above the 

 Ground. 



It feems that in this fort of Land the Earth grows 

 flale, ere the Luferne arrives at a Tenth Part of its 

 Stature : But this is mod remarkable, that Tillage 

 transforms thofe Luferne-plants from Dwarfs to Gi- 

 ants; and then they are able to contend with, if not 

 conquer, fo itrong Plants as St. Foin is, tho' before 

 Plowing they were unable to refill the Depredations 

 of a few hairy Spires of Grafs. 



Since Tillage can thus recover Luferne, after it has 

 long languifhed in the lowefl Ebb of Life, and reflore 

 it to Health, Youth, and Vigour, and augment its 

 Stature even after it has palled the Age of its full 

 Growth ; to what Bulk would it arrive, regularly 

 planted, and hoed from its Infancy to Maturity with- 

 out any Check to flint it ! 



We can never know how poor a Soil will bear this 

 Plant, unlefs it be tried by the Hoeing Culture. 



For 'tis woncrous how fo great a Man as Dr. 

 F/codward mould imagine, that Difference of Soil 



(a) This Plowing is a Hoeing to the Luferne. 



fhould 



