MAN 
they are confined to the pots. I have frequently ob- 
fervedmany kinds of plants, which were rooted through 
the pot into the tan, and have fent forth roots up- 
ward of twelve feet each way, in lefs than three 
months, and the plants have advanced in proportion •, 
which is a plain indication, that plants are greatly 
nourilhed by the rotten tan. After the tan hath been 
ufed for a hot-bed, I have fpread it on the ground for 
Manure, and found it has greatly enriched the ground; 
but it is much better for cold ftrong land, than for 
lio-ht hot ground, becaufe it is of a warm nature, and 
will loofen and leparate the earth ; fo that where this 
Manure hath been ufed three or four times, it hath 
made the land very loofe which before was ftrong, 
and not eafy to be wrought. When this Manure is 
laid upon Grafs, it fhould be done foon after Mi- 
chaelmas, that the winter rains may walh it into the 
around ; for if it is laid on in the fpring, it will burn 
the Grals, and inftead of improving it, will greatly 
injure it for that feafon. Where it is ufed in Corn 
land, it fhould be fpread on the furface before the 
laft ploughing, that it may be turned down for the 
fibres of the Corn to reach it in the fpring ; for if it 
lies too near the furface, it will forward the growth 
of the Corn in winter : but in the fpring, when the 
nouriftiment is chiefly wanted to encourage the Items, 
it will be nearly confumed, and the Corn will receive 
little advantage from it. Nor will it be proper to 
have this Manure lie too near the roots of any plants, 
for when this has happened, I have frequently obfcrv- 
ed it prejudicial to moft plants, but efpecially to bul- 
bous and tuberofe-rooted flowers, which are very fub- 
je£t to rot where it lies near their roots ; yet when it 
is buried juft deep enough for the fibres of their 
roots to reach it in the fpring, the flowers have been 
exceedingly improved by it. And m fome places, 
where this Manure hath been ufed in kitchen-gar- 
dens, it hath greatly improved the vegetables; fo 
that it is to be wondered, that this ftiould not be 
employed on the land in every country where it can 
be obtained. 
Rotten vegetables of moft forts alfo will enrich land, 
fo that where other Manure is fcarce, thefe may be 
ufed with fuccefs. The weeds of ponds, lakes, or 
ditches, being dragged out before they feed, and laid 
in heaps to rot, will make good Manure, as will moft 
other forts of weeds ; but wherever any of thefe are 
employed, they fhould be cut down as foon as they 
begin to flower, for if they arc fuffered to ftand until 
their feeds are ripe, the land will be ftored with 
weeds, which cannot be eafily deftroyed ; nay, fome 
kinds of weeds, if they are permitted to ftand fo long 
as to form their feed, will perfedt them after they are 
cut down, which may be equally prejudicial to the 
land : therefore the fureft method is, to cut them 
down juft as they begin to flower ; at which time 
moft forts of vegetables are in their greateft vigour, 
being then ftronger and fuller of juice, than when 
their feeds are farther advanced ; fo that at that time 
they abound moft with falts, and therefore are more 
proper for the intended purpofe. In rotting of thefe 
vegetables, it will be proper to mix fome earth, mud, 
or any other fuch like fubftance with them, to pre- 
vent their taking fire in their fermentation ; which 
they are very fubjedt to, where they are laid in large 
heaps without any other mixture to prevent it ; and 
it will be alfo proper to cover the heaps over with 
earth, mud, or dung, to detain the falts, otherwil'e 
many of the finer particles will evaporate in fer- 
menting. When thefe vegetables are thoroughly 
rotted, they will form a folid mafs, which will cut 
like butter, and be very full of oil, which will greatly 
improve land. 
In fuch places where there are neither ponds, lakes, 
or ditches, to fupply thefe weeds, and the fituation 
being far from the fea (from whence alfo may be ob- 
tained many forts of weeds for this purpofe) there 
may be many forts of vegetables fown, in order to 
plough them into the grounds when they are full 
grown, to enrich the land ; at prefent thofe chiefly 
MAN 
ufed for this purppfe are Buck Wheat, Vetches, and 
Spurry. And in fome countries abroad they com- 
monly fow Lupines upon inch land as they want to 
improve, and when they are full grown they mow 
them down, and plough them into. the ground, which 
they efteem to be good Manure. This is chiefly ufed 
in the fouth of France and in ItaSy^ where fome of 
the forts of Lupines grow naturally ; But thefe are 
not proper for this climate, becaufe, if the feafon. 
fhould prove cold or wet after the Lupines are fown, 
they will rot in the ground, fo that it is very hazard- 
ous to fow them in this country ; and there being 
many other forts of plants which are hardy, and grow 
to a much larger fize with us than Lupines, they 
fhould be preferred to them for this purpofe. I have 
known fome land fown pretty thick with Horfe-beans 
which have been mowed down when they were in 
bloflom, and ploughed in for a crop of Wheat, and 
it hath largely repaid the owner. Alrnoft any of 
the pulfe kind, which grow large, are very proper 
to be fown for this purpofe ; and next to thefe 
may be fown Muftard, Cole-feed, or any of theib 
large growing plants ; which, if cut before they form 
their feeds, and ploughed in, will greatly enrich, 
the ground. 
The refufe of kitchen-gardens, when laid in heaps and 
rotted, will alfo afford a good fort of Manure for Corn 
land ; but as this is not to be obtained in any quanti- 
ty, excepting near great cities, fo, in fuch places, 
dung being to be had pretty reafonable, the other 
will not be much fought after. 
I have lately been informed of another improvement, 
which may be of great ufe in feveral parts of the king- 
dom ; which is, the mowing down of Fern while it 
is green and tender, and laying it in heaps to rot, 
which will make a tolerable Manure for land ; and as 
this is a moft troublefome plant in many parts of 
England, fo by frequently mowing, it may be de- 
ftroyed ; and when rotted, a good quantity of this 
Manure may be obtained, which will more than de- 
fray the charges of cutting it down. In fome places, 
where no tan or horfe-dung can be obtained, they 
have cut down Fern and chopped it pretty fmall, and 
laid it in a heap to ferment, then have ufed it for hot- 
beds, for which purpofe it has aniwered pretty well. 
The firft perfon who informed me of this, was Mr. 
Samuel Brewer, a very curious gentleman in garden- 
ing, who made feveral hot-beds of Fern, which, he 
fays, continued their heat for fome months ; fo that 
he prefers it to dung, where a moderate lafting heat 
is required. 
There are many kinds of weeds which infeft the lands 
in many parts of England, which, if cut down at a 
proper time and laid to rot, might be ufed to great 
advantage for manuring of land ; and hereby the 
weeds may in time be deftroyed, and the Manure 
would more than pay the expence of doing it: but 
few perfons who are employed in hufbandry care to 
go out of their old beaten road to try experiments, 
even where they are attended with little expence and 
nothing hazarded ; otherwife there is great room to 
make improvements of this kind, efpecially in coun- 
tries where dung, or other common Manure is very 
fcarce ; in which places, if fome experiments were 
properly made, of rotting whatever vegetables couid 
be procured in the neighbourhood, it might turn to 
good account. 
Theafhes of all kinds of vegetables are an excellent 
Manure for land, fo that where the ground is over- 
run with bufhes, brambles, &c. which are become 
woody, if they are grubbed up in funmier, and fpread 
abroad to dry for a little time, then gently confumed 
to afhes, and thefe fpread on the land, it will greatly 
improve it. The mechod for doing this is already 
explained under the article of Land. 
Rotten wood, and faw-duft when rotted, is a very good 
Manure for ftrong land, becaufe it loOfens the parts 
of the earth and renders it light.- 
Bones, horns, and other parts of animals, alfo en- 
rich land greatly, as do decayed nfh ; fo that in fome 
§ O places 
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$ 5 $ 
