

Ch. XVII. -Old and New Husbandry. 273 



on one Plant, we find, that there is not One Plant in 

 in Xen that lives till Harveft, even when there has 

 not been Froft in the Winter fufEcient tolcill any of 

 them ; or if we count the Number of Plants that come 

 up on a certain Meafure of Ground, and count them 

 again in the Spring, and likcwife at Harveft, we (hall 

 be fatisfied, that moft or all of the Plants that are 

 miMing, could die by no other Accident than want of 

 Nourilnment. 



They are obliged to fow this great Quantity of Seed, 

 to the end that the Wheat, by the great Number of 

 Plants, may be the better able to contend with the 

 Weeds ; and yet, too often, at Harveft, we fee a 

 great Crop of Weeds, and very little Wheat among 

 them. Therefore this Failure, being infufficient to 

 maintain the prefent Crop, without ftarving the great- 

 eft Part of its Plants, is likely to be leisabie to main-, 

 tain a fubfequent Crop, than that Pafture which is noc 

 io much exhaufted. 



When their Crop of Wheat is much lefs than ours, 

 their Vacancies, if computed all together, may be 

 greater than thofe of our Partitions and Intervals ; 

 theirs, by being irregular, ferve chiefly for the Pro- 

 tection of Weeds *, for they cannot be plow'd out, 

 without deftroying the Corn, any more than Cannons 

 firing at a Breach, whereon both Sides are contending, 

 can kill Enemies, and not Friends. 



Their Plants ftand on the Ground in a confufed 

 manner, like a Rabble; ours like a difciplin'd Army : 

 We make the moft of our Ground ; for we can, if 

 we pleafe, cleanfe the Partitions with a Hand-hoe (£); 

 and for the reft, if the Soil be deep enough to be 

 cirill'd on the Level (V), in treble Rows, the Par- 



(b) Of all annual Weeds. 



(c) This is only put as a Suppofition ; for I have for thefe 

 Jeveral Years left off drilling on the Level, and do advife again ft 

 \t; becaufe altho 1 Mould fhould not be wanting for the Partitions 

 jn deep rich Land, yet it is much more difficult to toe on the 

 Level, than on Ridges. 



T tttfani 



