142 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
wealth in his trunck, doth yet complain of want. 
What though the key be rusty for want of use? 
tis easier to get that scoured, then to obtaine such 
another treasure. And surely I may upon most sure 
grounds say, that our Native Countrey, hath in its 
bowels an (even almost) infinite, and inexhaustible 
treasure; much of which hath long laine hid, and 
is but new begun to be discovered. It may seem a 
large boast or meer Hyperbole to say, we enjoy not, 
know not, use not, the one tenth part of that 
plenty or wealth & happinesse, that our Earth can, 
and (Ingenuity and Industry well encouraged) will 
(by Gods blessing) yield.” * 
The moisture of the soil.—Lands oftener need 
moisture in the growing season than they need fer- 
tilizers. The fact is that they generally need both, 
if the largest and best crops are to be secured. 
Drought seems to most people to be one of those 
calamities in which there are no secondary or inci- 
dental blessings, and it must be confessed that the 
lesson of the recurring droughts has not yet been 
learned by the great body of farmers. The one 
remedy which occurs to most persons is irrigation, 
and yet there is sufficient rainfall in most parts of 
the fruit-growing regions of the country to provide 
all the needs of large crops. The difficulties are 
that this rainfall comes when it seems not to be 
wanted, and very much of it is allowed to escape 
by evaporation. The truth is that the heavy rainfall 
*Samuel Hartlib, “An Essay for Advancement of Husbandry-Learning,” 
London, 1651, p. 3. 
