30 THE PRACTICE OF THE 



perfection. And whoever can cultivate a crop 

 of wheat well, in this Hufbandry, will 

 not find much difficulty in railing other 

 crops. 



The old Hufbandry not being ufually con- 

 ducted upon Icientific principles, and the 

 New being founded upon them, has been 

 made an objection to it ; becaufe the objectors 

 ilippole, that common farmers cannot under- 

 fland the nature of the food of plants, and in 

 what manner they are nou rimed by it : but 

 thoie who make fuch objections do not fcem 

 to understand the New Hufbandry, wherein it 

 is not neceflary for farmers to be acquainted 

 with thefe philolophical points. The curious, 

 it is true, have endeavoured to determine 

 them; but the operations of nature* are not 

 the objects of our fenfes, and are too abftrufe 

 to be difcovered by the mod acute philo- 

 ibphers, who differ in opinion concerning the 

 vegetable food or aliment, and in what man- 

 ner plants are nourifhed by it : but the prin- 

 cipal points neceffary to be known are, whence 

 that food is derived, and by what means it 

 may be obtained. Thefe are intelligible to 

 farmers; they may know, that the air or at- 

 mofphere has an influence upon the furface 

 ' of land that is expofed to it; that the air, 

 fun, rain, dews, and froft, enrich land; 

 that the more earth is broken, opened, and 

 expofed, to receive thefe, the richer it will 

 be; and that the roots of plants will receive 



the 



