216 



AGRICULTURE. 



BOOK I. 



common earth, clay, mud, stones, or a mixture of these ; oran} r 

 materials which will form into a solid, compact mass. The 

 side next the sea, of such as fig. 3., which forms an angle of 

 twenty degrees, or any side forming an angle between that and 

 thirty-five degrees with the base, may be covered with sand, 

 sea-shells, or gravel, from the natural shores ; or stones may be 

 broken of uniform sizes, about three pounds weight each, and 

 used in the same way ; or, should neither of these be at hand 

 in sufficient quantity, it may be covered with mats of reeds, 

 straw or bark *, which require to be renewed frequently ; or, it 

 may be defended by a fence of brushwood placed upright all 

 along the bottom of the bank, and of the same height, which 

 tends to break the force of the waves ; or the whole face of the 

 bank might be covered with brushwood, either in bundles, or 

 as wicker-work, or neatly laid on and fixed down with long 

 poles and strong hooks. It might be causewayed with stones 

 and moss— or moss might be spread on the bank, and then 

 covered with wicker-work — or moss-f might be wrought into 

 the wicker-work, and then these mossy covers neatly laid on 

 and pinned down, which mode would last a very long time— or 

 by various other ways, some of which would require no atten- 

 tion, as gravel, stones, &c. — or by others that would require 



* As is done in Holland. 



f Plants of moss in their living state are meant here; such as the sphagnum, 

 foyum, hypnum, &c. — not mere peat. 



i 



