none of the comtnon nourishment from It, viil not tliey, Observations 

 in a state of decomposition, be a valuabTe addition to Tespeciing the 

 nourishment, or a^ least prove a powerfu! stimulus to more improvement 

 Taluable plants, which Ave may afterwards wish to cultivate^ ^^^^ 

 upon the same land. 



It is not the chief end of the existence of plants, to bring 

 dead earthy matter into a state of life? We know, that 

 when there is a due mixture of the earths, any plant w# 

 wish to cultivate will thrive and produce this effect '^ arid 

 that, if we add a sufficient stimulus, or manure, then such 

 plants will yield the largest increase ; or even where there 

 is not ft due mixture, provided we can supply a large afad 

 repeated quantity of the stimulus that even there, they may 

 for a season, be induced to make vigorous shoots and even 

 perfect themselves. But in the case of barren soils, where 

 this due mixture is not present, and where (as the question 

 implies) the stimulus is not to be had, it is the object of 

 our (enquiries to find out a plant that will grow, and either 

 yield an immediate profit, or, by improving the soil, 

 enable others more valuable to succeed in future. Now, 

 as the soil immediately referred to is confessedly clay, arid 

 as thistles will grow on it, and leave behind them such a 

 quantity of refuse as will enable other plants to succeed, 

 ought we not to recommend the cultivation of them on poor 

 land, with the expectation that they will add more to the 

 joil than they take from it, and so kecome improvers. 



It 



know of, except dandelion, which is of the same nature, and is 

 now sold in Covent garden market, to the breeders of tame rab- 

 bits. A man of my acquaintance, who was allowed better skill 

 with stallions, than the generality of mankind, used to search for 

 sow-thistles to give to his horse. We have a well-known and 

 decisive proof of the nutricious properties of sow-thistles, in the 

 f.rt wether sheep, fed to an amazing size by Mr. Trimnel, of 

 Bicker Fen, near Boston, Lincolnshire, upon the fen land. This 

 Sheep was bred by Mr. Hutchinson, in Hail fen, from a ram bred 

 by Mr. Robinson, of Kirby, near Sleaford. He never ate any corn, 

 oil cakes, &c. but fed wholly upon grass and herbage ; being 

 turned with many other sheep into a field of clover, this sheep 

 -.vas at first observed to search for sow-thistles, and would eat no 

 fther food whilst any of them could be found in the part of 'the 



field 



