LAYING OUT GROUNDS. 37 



dressing to light warm land ; but in general it would be better if it 

 were incorporated with manure, vegetable earth, and lime. Where it 

 is applied as a simple dressing, it should be immediately carried to 

 the ground, as it soon begins to discharge its juices. Salt may be 

 used in small quantities upon some lands; rather upon such as are 

 dry, than upon those that have a tendency to wet : where it has been 

 used injudiciously, by putting on too great a quantity, the result 

 has been unfavourable. Bones and fish are the most powerful 

 manures that can be used : the oily substance which they contain 

 renders them much slower than any other manure in undergoing 

 a change. Fish should be applied as fresh as possible ; but so power- 

 ful is its effect, that it should be used sparingly. 



Land is as frequently injured by an injudicious application of 

 manures as by the neglect of them : it is very important that their 

 properties be well understood, that quantities may be regulated 

 according to qualities. All decayed animal and vegetable substances 

 form good manures, but should be incorporated with other substances, 

 according to the strength or nature of each, and should be so applied 

 that their several properties maybe called into action: when this is 

 effected, the gratification of seeing healthy and productive crops 

 will certainly follow. 



It is not to be expected that ground-workmen should be ac- 

 quainted with all the chemical properties of earths and manures ; 

 but they may, with little application and observation, discover the 



