Ch> XVII. Old WNew Husbandry. 275 



left, by every Crop, in a much better Condition than 

 theirs is left, in by any one of their fovvn Crops, 

 altho' our Crops of Corn at Harveft be better than 

 theirs (g). 



They objecT: againft us, laying, That fometimes 

 the Hoeing makes Wheat too iirong and grofs, 

 whereby it becomes the more liable to the Blacks (or 

 Blight of Infecls) : But this is the Fault of the Hoer i 

 for he may choofe whether he will make it too ftrong^ 

 becaufe he may apply his Hoeings at proper times 

 only, and apportion the Mourifhment to the Number 

 and Bulk of his Plants. However, by this Objection 

 they allow, that the Floe can give Nourilhment 

 enough, and therefore they cannot maintain, that there 

 is a Neceflky of Dung (h) in the Hoeing-Hufbandry ; 



and 



(g) On an undung'd low Six feet Ridge, we have Three Rows, 

 Eight Inches afunder, all which being equal, during the Winter, 

 out each of the Two outfide Rows at Harveft producing Ten 

 times as much Wheat as the middle Row doth, all Three together 

 produce a Quantity equal to One-and-twenty of this middle 

 Row. Now, fuppohng the Roots of this Row not to reach through 

 the outfide Rows, fo as to receive any Benefit from the ho'd Inter- 

 vals, then this Row might only be equal to one of Nine Rows, 

 which mould have been drilled Eight Inches afunder on this 

 Ridge, and then our Three would only be equal to Twenty-one 

 of fuch Nine Rows. But fince it can be demonitrated, that the 

 Roots of our middle Row do pafs through both the outfide Rows 

 far into the ho'd Intervals, we may well fuppofe it to be at leaft 

 double to what it would have been, if it had no Benefit from the 

 Hoeing, and then our Three will be equal to Forty-two of fuch 

 Nine unho'd Rows. Thus our Crop is Thirty-three in Forty- 

 two (oralmofl Four Parts in Five) increafed by the Hoeing; for 

 though many Fields of Wheat have been drilled all over in Rows 

 Eight Inches afunder, it never has been judged, in Twenty Years 

 Experience, that a Crop fo planted, though not ho'd, was, by its 

 Evennefs and Regularity, lefs, ceteris paribus, than a Crop fown 

 a random. 



[b) As for the Quantity of vegetable Matter of Dung, when 

 reduced to Earth by Putrefaction, it is very inconftderable, and # 

 of many forrs of Manure, next to nothing. 



The aim -ft only Ufe of all Manure is the fame as of Tillage j 



viz. the Pulveration it makes by Fermentation, as Tillage doth 



T 2 ' by 



