OF EARTH.

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time, of all waters, that which descends from heaven we find to be therichest and properest in our work, as having been already meteorized,and circulated in that great digestory, enriched and impregnated withastral influences from above at those propitious seasons; whence that say-ing, Annus fructificat, non Tellus, has just title to a truth we every year’srevolution behold and admire, when the sweet dews of spring and autumn(hitherto constipated by cold, or consumed with too much heat) begin tobe loosened, or moderately condensed, by the more benign temper of theair, impregnating the prepared earth to receive the nitrous parts descend-ing with their balmy pearls, yet with such difference of more or lefsbenign, (as vapours haply, which the earth sends up, may be sometimesqualified) that nothing is more uncertain. And this we easily observefrom the labours of the industrious bee, and her precious elixir, whenfor some whole months she gathers little, and at other times stives herwaxen city with the harvest of a few propitious days. But I am gone toofar, and therefore now shall set down only a few directions concerning

watering-, and so ditiniTs. the subject and your patience.

1, It is not good to water new-sown seeds immediately, as frequentlywe do, and which commonly bursts them, but to let them remain eight-and-forty hours in their beds, till they be a little glutted with the naturaljuice of the earth: But then neither must you so neglect their beds, as tobecome totally dry; for if once the seeds crack through the heat, theirlittle souls exhale c : therefore till they peep, you must ever keep them in ajust temper'for moisture, and be sure to purge them of predatious weedsbetimes: In a word, these irrigations are to be conducted according tothe quality of the seeds, those of hard integuments requiring more plen-tiful refreshings.

2. Never give much water at one time; for the surface of the earthwill often seem very dry when it is wet enough beneath ; and then thefibres rot about autumn, especially in pots and cases wintered in thegreen-house. To be the more secure, we have already cautioned gar-

c This exprefsion has an uncommon degree of simplicity and beauty.

Volume II. 3 Q