C *93 ] 
ledse In Agriculture), till an happy Accident forced 
him upon a bold Improvement. He ufed to mend 
his Cartways, when broken up by Harveft-Work, 
with thefe Shells ; in which Bufinefs his Cart one 
Day broke down, and threw ..the Shells out of the 
Cart-Track into the cultivated Part of the Field. 
This Spot produced fo remarkable a Crop next Year, 
that he put fome Loads upon a particular Piece, kept 
the Secret to himfelf, and waited for the Event. This 
Trial anfwering'Expe&ation, he diredtly took a Leafe 
of a large Quantity of poor Land, at about five Shil- 
lings the Acre j and having manur’d it heartily with 
thefe Shells, in about three Years it turned to fo 
good an Account, that he had 15 Shillings the Acre 
proffer’d to take the Leafe out of his Hands. I know 
that Manuring Land with Shells, thofe of Oifkrs in 
particular, is no Novelty : I mention this with Re- 
gret, as an Inftance of what poor Hands, both as to 
Landlords as well as Tenants, Agriculture, an ex- 
tenfive Branch of Natural Knowledge, is generally 
thrown into j which both requires and deferves the 
clofe Attention of a philofophical Mind *. 
It is with true Refped and Efteem, that I have the 
Honour, Sir, of being, 
Tour moft humble Servant , 
R. Pickering, 
* It might be of great Service to the Public, if every curious Gen- 
tleman, who holds Lands in his own Hands, would allot an Acre, or 
half an Acre only, for making Experiments ; would carefully fet down 
his Obfervations, and then fend them in to the Royal Society ; there to 
be recorded, or publifhed. C. M* 
Bb % 
XIV. 
