104 A TREATISE ON THE CONNECTION OF 



abundant crops, from every part of a farm, every oppor- 

 •, tunity should be embraced by the skilful and intelligent 

 farmer to procure a further supply of stable, and other 

 dung, from large towns, as well as to provide himself 

 with other ub stances, which, as manures, he may apply 

 to improve, and bring into cultivation, his inferior lands. 

 As the dung which is naturally produced on every farm 

 must be limited, recourse should be had to other articles 

 of manure, for the purpose of promoting the highest 

 possible fertility of the soil, and thereby acquiring a 

 greater return to the dung heap for the succeeding 

 crops. Such adventitious aids or helps to a farm, are of 

 a nature that answers a much better purpose as top-dres- 

 sings to grass lands, than for lands which are constantly 

 kept under the plough. The appUcation of top-dressings 

 has, perhaps, been too little attended to, in consequence 

 of farmers being unacquainted with the resulting ad- 

 vantages to ground, when converted from pasture to 

 arable, by previously promoting the most luxuriant 

 growth of perennial grasses. By assisting the vegetation, 

 -and increasing the vigour of perennial plants, their roots 

 are made to strike deeper down, and improve the staplq 

 of the soil; with annual plants the same benefif is not to 



be 



