28 TRACTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, &c. 



SECTION IV. 



Experiments iUmtrating the beneficial Ejfect of frequently stirriny the 



Soil. 



A4r. Curwen's discoveries and improvements, in the culture of 

 vegetables, are curious and interesting ; and are deserving the 

 attention of all who are engaged in this species of husbandry. 

 They seem to me peculiarly applicable to the circumstances of 

 this island ; they point out modes of rendering lands more pro- 

 ductive, without any risk of being exhausted, even by c(»ntinual 

 cropping for a series of years. I conceive, therefore, that the 

 whole of Mr. Curwen's valuable communication, on those impor- 

 tant subjects, must be highly gratifying and acceptable to many 

 of your readers.* 



It is my intention to follow Mr. Curwen in some of his expe- 

 riments. T feel a confidence of success, even from the present 

 state of a small comparative experiment, which I have now in 

 process. — It was begun about four months ago, with a view of 

 ascertaining the effect of frequently stirring the soil, and exposing 

 it to the influence of the rains and atmosphere. I selected, for 

 this purpose, a very unpromising spot of land, the soil a pale 

 brown friable clay, which, in some parts, was bare, and in others 

 producing nothing but the coarsest sort of tufted grass. The 

 space for the experiments (measuring two rods in length and one 

 in breadth) was divided into two equal parts. Number 1, was 

 broken up on the 11th of December last, by trenching with the 



* Mr. Curwen's communication to the Society of Arts, dated ;)th June, 1808, was 

 printed in the St. Helena Register, for the infonnation of the landliolders. 



