60 



A DISCOURSE 



macerate it well rotted in the lees of wine, stale urine, and a little brim- 

 stone beaten very fine ; then mingle it with your earth, for one of the 

 richest composts. But let this be noted, that as the effect of this dung 

 is sudden, so it lasts not long, and, therefore, must the oftener be re- 

 newed. 



The flesh of carrion and dead animals, being (as I think my lord 

 Bacon tells us) prepared already by so many curious elaborations of its 

 juices, is highly effectual ; but it should be very well consumed and 

 ventilated, till it have quite lost its intolerable smell, and, therefore, 

 never applied too crude 



Blood is excellent almost with any soil where fruit is planted, especially 

 the mural. To improve the blood of the grape, it is of great advantage, 

 being somewhat diluted, and poured about the roots. It has been assuredly 

 reported by divers eye-witnesses, that after the battle of Bradock Down, 

 in Cornwall, (where Sir Ralph Hopeton obtained a signal victory,) the 

 carnage being great, the blood of the slain did so fertilize the fields, 

 where corn had been sown a little before, that the year following pro- 

 duced so extraordinary a crop, as most of the wheat-stalks bare two, three, 

 four, yea seven, and some even fourteen ears ; a thing almost incredible. 

 The owner of the land seeing his ground so miserably trodden by the 

 horse and soldiers after the conflict, intended to resow it, as believing 

 all his former labour lost ; but being dissuaded from his purpose, (per- 

 haps to make the experiment,) it happened as you have heard 



Urine, for being highly spirituous and sharp, had need be well cor- 

 rected ; and then, being mingled with other composts to allay its acri- 

 monious salt, it hardly has its equal. 



■n The ofFal of the shambles, when mixed with earth and fresh horse-dung, makes a com- 

 post of the richest quality ; but this cannot be obtained in large quantities. Some yeai-s 

 ago, I recommended a compost, the basis of which was whales' flesh, after the oil had been 

 taken from it. This, compounded with horse-dung and earth, is now much used by the 

 farmers who live in the neighbourhood of sea-ports where ships are fitted out for the Green- 

 land seas. The manner of preparing this rich kind of manure is described in the Georgical 

 Essays, p. 385. 



" Blood, mixed with saw-dust, makes a very good hand-dressing to be sown upon wheat 

 in the spring. It equals soot, and does not come to half the price. 



