Qentury V I , 2 j 



Heating the Ground too much. The next is Sea~Sand ; Which (no doubt) 

 obtaineth afpeciall Vertue, by the Salt: For Salt is the firft Radiment of 

 life.Chalk over- heateth the Ground a little. And therefore is beft upon Cold 

 Clay-Grounds, or Moijl Grounds : But I heard a great Husband fay,that it was 

 a common Err our, to think that Chalk helpeth Arable Grounds, but helpeth 

 not Grazing Grounds ; Whereas (indeed) it helpeth Grafts as well zsCorne 

 but that which breedeth the Frrouris, becaufe after the Chalking of the 

 Ground, they wear it out with many Crops, without Reft And then(indeed) 

 afterwards it will bear little Graf, becaufe the Ground is tyred out. It were 

 good to trie the laying of Chalk upon Arabic Grounds, a little while before 

 Ploughing 5 And to Plough it in, as they do the T ting -, But then it muff be 

 Friable ftrft, by Raine, or Lying : As for Earth., it Compajjeth it Self-, For I 

 knew a Great Garden, that had a Field (in a manner) poured upon it And it 

 did bear Fruit excellently the fir ft yeare of the Planting : For the Surface of 

 the Earth is ever the Fruitfulleft. And Earth fo prepared hath a double Sur 

 face. But it is true,as I conceive, that fuch Earth as hath $ alt-Pem bred in it, 

 if you can procure it without too much charge,doth excell. The way to halt- 

 en the breeding of Salt-Petre, is to forbid the Sunne, and the Growth of 

 Vegetables. And therefore, if you make a large Hovell, thatched, ove : r 

 forae Quantity of Ground *, Nay, if you do but Planck the Ground over ^ 

 it will breed Salt-Petre. As for Pond-Emthj?K River- Earth, it is a very good 

 Compoft; Efpecially if the iVWhave been long undeanfed,. and fo the Wa- 

 ter be not too Hungry h And I judge it will be yet better, if there be fome 

 Mixture of Chalk. : < ii 1 > 



The Third Help of Ground, is, by fome other Subjiances, that have a Ver- 

 tue to make Ground Fertile though they be not meerly Earth : wherein 

 jjhes excell •, Infomuch as the Countries about zAitna, and Vesuvius, have a 

 kind of Amends made them , for the Mifchief the Eruptions (many 

 times) do, by the exceeding Fruitfullnefoi' the Soile, caufed by the Ajhes, 

 fcattered about. Soot alfo,though thinne, fpread in a Field or Garden,\s tried 

 to be a very good Compoft. For Salt, it is too Coftly •, But it is tried, that 

 mingled with Seed Come,2.vA fowen together ,it doth good : And I am of O- 

 pinion, that chalk in Powder, mingled with Seed Corn, would do good-, 

 Perhaps as much as Chalking the Ground all over. As for the Steeping of the 

 Seeds, in Teverall Mixtures with Water, to give them Vigour h Or Watring 

 Grounds with Comp of -Water ; We have fpoken of them before. 



The Fourth Help of Ground, is, the Suffering of Vegetables to' "die into the 

 Ground 5 And fo to Fatten it As the Siubble of Come , Efpecially Peafe. 

 Brakes caft upon the Ground, in the beginning of Winter^ will make it very 

 Fruitful!. It were good (alio) to trie, whether Leaves of Trees fwept toge- 

 ther,with fome Chalk and Dung mixed, to give them more Heart, would not 

 make a good Compofl : For there is nothing loft,fo much as Leaves ot Frees-, 

 And as they lie fcattered,and without Mixture, they rather make the Ground 

 foure, than otherwife. 



The Fifth Help o: Ground, Is Heat and Warmth. It hath been anciently pra- 

 ftifed to burn Heath, 2nd Ling, and Sedge, with the vantage of the f-F/W 3 upon 

 the Ground : W T e fee,that Warmth oiWals aud Enclofores^mendeth Ground 1 

 We fee alio that Lying open to the South, mendeth Ground: We fee again, 

 that the Foldings of Sheep help Ground, as well by their Warmth, as by 

 their Compoft : And it may be doubted, whether the Covering oi the Ground 

 with Brakes, \n the Beginning of the Winter, (whereof we fpske in the laft Ex - 

 periment,) helpeth it not, by reafon of the Warmth. Nay fome very good* 



M 2 Husbands 



599 



