Oil the lUicor/j of Vcijelailoii. IS 





all blended with the earth ; whereas when suffered to 

 piitrify upon the surface of the ground, they dry up, and 

 their fertilizing substances are aojain mixed with the atmos- 



lere. This remark, if true, exposes the absurdity of 

 the practice of feeding cattle during winter, in the open 

 feeld. In Rhode-Island the flirmers have few barns; the 

 hay being stacked and their cattle fed upon the mowing 

 feekls. But the manure tliey leave upon the kind is much 

 less than the same cattle would make in a stable, or at least 

 is less useful, from the manner in which it is cast upon the 

 land. Besides vast quantities of hay are wasted, and being 

 thrown upon the ground in a scattered manner, it produces 

 no fermentation and little benefit to the soil. In addition 

 to this, cattle exposed to the severe cold of winter, eat more 

 hay, and do not grow to the same size, as cattle kept in a 

 warm stable. 



I have one remark more to make, wdiich derives its force 

 and propriety from the doctrine, that vegetables receive 

 much of their nutriment from the atmosphere. It is, that 

 in severe drouths the leaves of garden plants should be water- 

 ed as well as the roots. We often hecr gardeners say, that 

 certain plants will die in a drouth, altho watered every 

 day. Indeed it cannot be otherwise, when the largest part 

 of the plant is almost destitute of nurrishment. The roots 



F 



of many plants will bear to be robbed of nurrishment much 

 better than the leaves ; thus a cucumber will live longer by 

 watering the leaves than the roots. Copious dews will par- 

 tially supply this pabulum for the leaves, and this perhaps 



is the meening of that passage of scripture which says, "a 



mist 



