48

A DISCOURSE

they should be well considered and matched accordingly, things (as wassaid) becoming fruitful from the mixture of repugnant qualities; so ascold and drynefs, without a warm and cherishing moisture, produces no-thing. For this therefore you see what choice I have presented you ofsand, ashes, chalk, lime, marl, mixture of Mould , calcinations, air, sun,clew, rain, frosts and snows, trenching, drilling, watering, infusions, andfinally, of animal stercorations and other composts, which is the next andlast part of this (I fear) over-tedious discourse ; since indeed it is not suf-ficient to find out even the best and most grateful Mould in nature, so asto rely for ever upon the same performance, without supplies of all sorts,stirring and repose, constant drefsing, and (after all we have said) artifi-cial lactations likewise, to encourage and maintain it.in vigour.

We proceed then in the next place to what farther advancement we mayexpect from stercoration, and manuring the ground by composts, and to

discover the qualities which may be latent in their several ferments, and

how to apply them by a skilful and philosophical hand, without whichthey do always more hurt than good;■ and therefore, first, we will enu-merate their several kinds; we shall next inquire what it is we chiefly seekfor and expect from them ; and lastly,, show how to treat them, so as torender them fitting for our service..

From animals, we have the soil of horses and other beasts of burden,,neats, sheep, goats, hogs, pigeons, poultry, and fenny fowl: We havealso flesh, fat, blood, hair, feathers, urine, shavings of horn, hoofs;leather, skins, fish, garbage, snail-mud, &c. From vegetables, (as ofneareft affinity) we have vine-cuttings, stalks, fallen leaves, marc of thewine and cyder prefses, lees of wine, oil, rotten fruit, gourds, weeds,fern, haulm, stubble, rotten wood, saw T -dust, refuse of the tan-pit, sea-weed and old rags; also brine, pickle, ashes, soot; and of things pro-miscuous, washings of dishes and barrels, soap-suds, slime, and scouringof ponds and highways, dust, sweepings ; in sum, whatsoever is apt torot and consume in any competent time, and is either salt, unfituous, orfatty ; to which let me add impregnating rains and dews, cold and drywinters, with store of snowq which I reckon equal to the richest manures,impregnated as they are with celestial nitre. But with all these auxiliaries,we are not yet to imagine that any of them are therefore profitable andgood, because they retain an heady scent,'are hot, moist, rotten and. s!q>