IOO THE PRACTICE OF THE 



" I will make it appear by an example from 

 * my own practice. 



" In the year 1743, I had two fields of 

 " twenty acres each in wheat ; one of which 

 " yielded me at harveft, at the rate of four 

 " quarters an acre throughout ; the other 

 " yielded me only twenty bufhels, one acre 

 " with another : yet I got more by the laft 

 " than the firft. The cafe was thus : falling 

 " fhort of dung, I was obliged to buy ; but 

 " it was fo dear, that I only bought enough 

 " for the firft field, giving the other two 

 " ploughings extraordinary, inftead of ma- 

 " nuring it ; and thefe ploughings I reckon 

 " at a mere trifle, as my hories would other- 

 " wife have flood v ftill." 



The importance of manures in the com- 

 mon practice of farming is known, and gene- 

 rally acknowledged : but of late, fome writers 

 on Agriculture have contended forfuch an uni- 

 verfal ufe of them, as feems to refolve this 

 art to the (ingle point of collecting and apply- 

 ing immenfe quantities of dung to their arable 

 land. They endeavour to perfuade their rea- 

 ders in the ftile of the above Eflex farmer's 

 father, " that the man who can command 

 " dung, is always fure of large crops." A 

 very fallacious rule, if adhered to literally ; 

 though of great ufe, when applied with judge- 

 ment : as appears by the different fuccefs of 

 thofe two farmers on the fame land. A dii- 

 tin&ion ought to be made in the culture of 



plants 



