127
2d div. The second a plant bearing seeds having a small pro-portion of farinaceous matter in proportion to their bulk: for thishe would choose oats.
3d div. The next class should be the legumina, of which onedivision would be sufficient; and he would choose peas.
4th div. A plant containing farinaceous matter, or sugar, inits roots : There are several kinds of this description ; those, forexample, which have tuberous roots, which do not form a parti-cular natural class of plants, such as potatoes, Jerusalem arti-chokes, &c.; of this class he thinks the potato most proper. Itis not of much consequence which variety of the potato is plant-ed, provided it be the same through the whole.
5th div. One of plants having tap roots; which likewise areof no particular natural class, such as parsnips, carrots, trago-pogon, scorzonera, &c. .
6th div. One of plants forming a root something between a tapand a tuberous root, but rather nearer the tap : I believe, natu-rally, all tap roots, containing only a very small proportion of fa-rinaceous matter ; the roots, for instance, of tetradynamia, suchas turnips.
Such plants as are cultivated for their herbaceous stems andleaves; of which it would be sufficient to make one division forthe gramina, and another for the legumina.
7th div. Gramina, any grass whose seed can be procured i»sufficient quantity.
8th div. Legumina, sainfoin, or clover.
These divisions should all run from one side to the opposite side»f the square acre.
Divisions should cross these, of the different kinds of manures.
1st div. The natural earth itself, without any mixture what-ever, as a standard for the good or bad effects that other substan-ces produced upon the several crops; for unless it be seen whatsuch a mixture of sand and clay will naturally bear, it is impos-sible to know the advantage or disadvantage of any applicationthat may be made to them by way of manure.
2d div. Putrid matter, as horse-dung, putrefied by itself, af-ter it has served for a hot-bed, has been turned over when cold,and has lain for a month.
It would be best that this, like all the other manures in the firstinstance, should be mixed thoroughly with the soil at the time theseed is sown. Dr Fordyce does not conceive this to be decided-ly the best mode of application; nor does he think it best to ap-ply the whole of any manure at once. Perhaps the most eligiblemethod is that of the Japanese , which is, to render substances pu-trefied to a certain degree, almost fluid, and applying them in thisstate, at several different times during the growth of the plant,m the manner here called top- dressing; but as the ground may beoccupied .by the Honourable Board for a succession of years, inftrder to bring different modes of cultivation to certain experiment,