Century VI. 
| heating the Ground too much. The next is Sed-faid, which (ho doubt) 
| obtained a {pecial vertue by the Sales fot Salristhe fir rudimenic ‘of lite. 
} Chalk over-ineateth the Ground a little; and therefore ‘is belt upon’ cold 
| Clay Grounds, or moift Grounds : But Iheard a great Husband lay, thavic was 
acommonerror to think that Chalk helpeth Airable Grounds; but‘helpeth 
| not Grazing Grounds, whereas (indeed) it helpetly Grafs as'well#¥‘Gorn: 
| But chat which breedeth the error is,’ becaufe after the chalkiiip ‘of the 
Ground, they wear it out with many Crops, without refts and then (indeed) 
| afterwardsit will bear little Grafs, becaufethe Groundis tired our. Stwere | 
| good to try the laying of Chalk upon Airable Grounds, ‘a little whilebefore: | 
Ploughing, and to Plough it in, as they ‘do the Dung’; but thenicmattbe 
Friable firft, by Rain or Lying: As for Earsh it compaffeth ic felfi; for 1 
knew agreat Garden, that had a Field (in. a manner) poured upon ‘it, !andir 
did bear Fruit excellently the fitft year of the Planting }*for the Surface of | 
‘|the Earthis ever the fruitfulleft: And Zarsh fo prepared hath a double Sur- } 
face. Butitistrue, as I conceive, that fuch Earh as hath S.alt-Perer brédin it, | 
{if you can procure it without too much charge, doth excel: The’ way to'} - 
| haftert the breeding of Sus-Peser, is to forbid the Sus, and the growth'of 
| Vegetables. And therefore, if youmakea large Hovel, thatched, overfome | 
wantity of Ground ; nay; if youdo butplanck the'Ground over, it Will’; 
eed Salt-Peter. As for Pond-earth or River-earth, it is avery good compdtt, f 
efpecially, if the ‘Pond have been long uncleanfed, and fothe Water be’ not 
too hunery; and I judge it will be yetbetter, if there-be'1ome mixture. of | 
| Chalk. | 
| =‘ Thethirdhelp of Groundis, by fome other Subftances that have ver- 
| tue to make Ground Fertile, though they benot meerly Earth, wherein Afhes | 
i. infomuch as the Counsreys about CZina and Vefuvius have akinde of | 
amends made them, for the mifchief the eruptions (many times) do, by | 
| ES exceeding fruitfulnefs of the foyl, caufed by the Afhes icattered about. | 
oot alfo, thoughthin, {pred in a Feld or Garden, is tryed to be avery good |. 
compoft. For Salt it is too coftly ; buticis tryed, thatmingled with Seed-. 
‘corn, and fown together, it doth good: And] amof opinion, that Chalkin 
Powder, mingled with Seed-corn;woulddo good; perhaps asmuch as Chalk- 
ing the Ground all over. As forthe fteeping of the Seeds in feveral mixtures 
with Water, togive them vigor, or watring Grounds with Compoft-water, 
| we have fpoken of them before. | 
The fourth help of Ground is, the fuffering of Vegetables to die into 
the Ground, and foto fatten it 5 as the Stubble of Corn; efpecially Peafe. 
Brakes caftupon the Ground in the beginning of Winter; will make it very 
| fruitful. It were good (alfo)to try whether Leaves of Trees fwepttogether, | 
Avith fome Chalk and Dung mixed, togive them morcheart, would not 
make a good Compoft: For thercis nothing loft, fomuch as Leaves of 
Trees, andasthcy lic fcattered, and without mixture, they rather make the 
Ground four, than otherwife. if 
The‘ fthhelp of Ground is, Heat and Warmth. Iehath been anciently 
jpractifed toburn Heath, and Ling. and Sedge, with the vantage of the Wind, 
upontheGround. We fee, that Warmthof Walls and Inclofures, mendeth 
Ground; we fee alfo, that lying open tothe South, mendcth Ground; wefec 
again that the Foldings of Sheep help Gound as well bytheir warmth, as by 
their compoft: And it may be doubted, whether the covering of the Ground 
}with Brakes, in the beginning of the Winter (whercof we {pake in the laft 
Experiment) helpeth it not, by reafonof the Warmth. Nay, fomevery good 
7 | Bi _Husbands | __ 
598. 
599. 
