88 THE PRACTICE OF THE 



Hufbandry; as the acquifitions from the at- 

 mofphere \vere unknown to them, or very 

 imperfectly underftood, till Mr. Tull explain- 

 ed, and proved it ; and therefore this author 

 was not likely to find it proved in their works; 

 but, as he quotes Mr. Tull, he cannot be cx- 

 cufed in advancing this, fo oppofite to the 

 principles of -the New Hufbandry, fully ex- 

 plained and proved by him, as well as by fe- 

 veral foreign authors, vvhofe works have been 

 published many years ago. But, fays he, 

 " the benefit of fallowing is no clear proof, 

 *' becaufe it is never experienced exclufively, of 

 " killing weeds ; and unlefs fuch effects were 

 " known diJllnSily, one cannot with any pre- 

 " cifion attribute a certain Sesree to each." 



J o 



And becaufe we cannot know thefe effects 

 diftinRly and with precijion, the author would 

 perfuade us, that therefore the atmofphere has 

 no effect at all, in enriching land ; but that 

 the benefit of fallowing, is wholly owing to 

 killing the weeds But, in a courfe of tillage, 

 the injury done by weeds is, at an average, 

 nearly the fame one year as another ; and if, 

 as farmers in general allow, fallowing is bene- 

 ficial to land, that muft arife in part from 

 the atmofphere, and is certainly fo in the New 

 Hufbandry, for there no weeds are fufFered to 

 grow, or nearly the fame one year as another ; 

 and yet is the fertility fo much encreafed by 

 Jioeing and expofure, as to nourifti a crop of 

 wheat eyerv year, equally as wjth manure: 



" But 



