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On Manures, or Substances applied for preserving or
AUGMENTING THE FERTILITY OF THE SdL.
By jo hn Naismith, Esq.
The solid parts of* this globe which we inhabit, are generallyoverlaid with a surface of mixed matters, which we denominatethe soil; by which is meant a substance capable of producingvegetables useful to man and his dependent animals. Infinitewisdom and-beneficence, which accomplishes the greatest purpo-ses by the most simple means, has destined this mean substanceto fulfil the most important ends; no less than to be the originalsource of subsistence to all the animals of every species whichreside upon it. The new born earth, when first called into exist-ence, was commanded “ to bring forth grass, the herb yieldingseed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit. ’’ it obeyed the sovereignmandate; and thus has still continued “ to supply the wants ofall that live. ”
In tlje early and rude stages of society, we find that man, likehis fellow animals, satisfied his wants with the spontaneous pro-ductions of the earth. Cut as numbers increase, the spontane-ous supply becoming less and less adequate to the demand, someeffort becomes necessary to make adventitious additions : and thecontinued increase of numbers makes new calls on industry andingenuity. Thus those powers which Divine goodness has be-stowed on man are awakened, and, by gradual improvement, be-come the means, not of subsistence alone, but of every comfort,and all the elegant enjoyments of life.
The first exertions of industry, to multiply the productions ofthe earth were, no doubt, rude and uncouth. Such bints as ca-sual observations had given would be followed,—the soil wouldhe partially and feebly stirred,—and such seeds committed to itas were found to yield the most abundant and most nutritive re-turn ; and this practice would be repeated till the soil was ex-hausted ; after which new lands would be occupied, and treatedin the same manner, till all that w'ere accessible were reduced tothe same condition ; and at last it would become necessary tohave recourse to some means of restoring decayed fertility. Thatsuch was the progression of ancient agriculture is confirmed by