48 



A DISCOURSE 



they should be well considered and matched accordingly, things (as was 

 said) becoming fruitful from the mixture of repugnant qualities ; so as 

 cold and dryness, without a warm and cherishing moisture, produces 

 nothing. For this, therefore, you see what choice I have presented you of 

 sand, ashes, chalk, lime, marl, mixture of mould, calcinations, air, sun, 

 dew, rain, frosts, and snows, trenching, drilling, watering, infusions, and 

 finally, of animal stercorations and other composts, which is the next and 

 last part of this (I fear) over-tedious Discourse ; since indeed, it is not suf- 

 ficient to find out even the best and most grateful mould in nature, so as 

 to rely for ever upon the same performance, without supplies of all sorts, 

 stirring and repose, constant dressing, and (after all we have said) artifi- 

 cial IjEtations likewise, to encourage and maintain it in vigour. 



We proceed, then, in the next place, to what farther advancement we 

 may expect from stercoration, and manuring the gi'ound by composts, 

 and to discover the qualities which may be latent in their several fer- 

 ments, and how to apply them by a skilful and philosophical hand, 

 without which they do always more hurt than good ; and therefore, first, 

 we will enumerate their several kinds ; we shall next inquire what it is 

 we chiefly seek for and expect from them ; and lastly, shew how to treat 

 them, so as to render them fitting for our service. 



From animals, we have the soil of horses and other beasts of burden, 

 neats, sheep, goats, hogs, pigeons, poultry, and fenny fowl : we have 

 also flesh, fat, blood, hair, feathers, urine, shavings of horn, hoofs, 

 leather, skins, fish, garbage, snail-mud, &c. From vegetables, (as of 

 nearest affinity,) we have vine-cuttings, stalks, fallen leaves, marc of the 

 wine and cider-presses, lees of wine, oil, rotten fruit, gourds, weeds, 

 fern, haulm, stubble, rotten wood, saw-dust, refuse of the tan-pit, sea- 

 weed, and old rags ; also brine, pickle, ashes, soot ; and of things pro- 

 miscuous, washings of dishes and barrels, soap-suds, slime, and scouring 

 of ponds and highways, dust, sweepings ; in sum, whatsoever is apt to 

 rot and consume in any competent time, arid is either salt, unctuous, or 

 fatty ; to which let me add impregnating rains and dews, cold and dry 

 winters, with store of snov*^, which I reckon equal to the richest manures, 

 impregnated as they are with celestial nitre. But with all these auxiliaries, 

 we are not yet to imagine that any of them are, therefore, profitable and 

 good, because they return an heady scent, are hot, moist, rotten, and slip- 



