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There are, I confefs, who fancy that this long exposure of earth, beforeit be employed for a crop, causes it to exhale and spend the virtue whichit should retain; but, provided nothing be suffered to grow on it whilst itlies thus rough and fallow, there is no danger of that, there being in truthno compost or ladation whatsoever comparable to this continual motion,repastination, and turning of the mould with the spade; the pared-ofFturf (which is the very fat and efflorescence of the earth) and even weedswith their vegetable salts, collected into heaps and exposed, when reduced,fall into natural, sweet, and excellent mould. I say, this is a marvel-lous advantage, and does in greater measure fertilize the ground alone,without any other addition; for the earth, which was formerly dull andunactive, or perhaps producing but one kind of plant, will by this culturedispose itself to bring forth variety, as it lies in depths, be it never soprofound, cold, and crude, the nature of the plant always following thegenius of the soil; but indeed requiring time, according to the depthfrom whence you fetch it, to purge and prepare itself, and render it fitfor conception, evaporating the malignant halituses and impurities of theimprisoned air, taxing the parts, and giving easy deliverance to its off-spring.
I do not dispute whether all plants have their primogenial seeds, (as intruth I believe they have) and that nothing emerges spontaneously andat adventure; but, that these would rise freely in all places, if impedi-ments were removed, (of which something has already been spoken) andto show how pregnant most earths would become, were these indisposi-tions cured, and that those seminal rudiments, wdierever latent, were freeto move and exert their virtue, by taking off these chains and weightswhich fetter and deprefs them.
It is verily almost a miracle to see how the same land, without any othermanure or culture, will bring forth and even luxuriate; and that thebare raking and combing only of a bed of earth, now one way then ano-ther, as to the regions of heaven and polar aspects, shall diversify theannual production, which is a secret worthy to be considered. I am onlyto caution our labourer as to the present work, that he do not stir theground in over wet and slab by weather; that the sulcus or trench be madeto run from north to south, and that if there be occasion for opening of a
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