15
trees grow and prosper well in any tolerable land which will producecorn or rye, and which is not in excefs stony, in which neverthelefssome trees delight, or altogether clay, which few or none do naturallyaffect; and yet the oak is seen to prosper in it, for its toughnefs pre-ferred before any other by many workmen; though of all soils the cow-pasture doth certainly exceed,. be it for what purpose soever of plantingwood. Rather therefore we should take notice how many great witsand ingenious persons, who have leisure and faculty, are in pain for im-provements of their heaths and "barren hills, cold and starving places,which causes them to be neglected . and despaired of; whilst they.flattertheir hopes and vain expectations with fructifying liquors' 1 , chymical
h The steeping of seeds in prolific liquors is not of modern invention. The Romans,who were good husbandmen, have left us several receipts for steeping of grain, in orderto increase the powers of vegetation. In England, France, Italy , and in all countrieswhere agriculture has been attended, to, we see a variety of liquors recommended for thesame purpose. Good nourishment has ever been observed to add strength and vigour toall vegetables. Hence it was natural to suppose that, by filling the vcfsels of the grainwith nourishing liquors, the germ, with its roots, would be invigorated. How far thisreasoning is founded upon just principles, remains to be examined. For my part, I amnot an advocate for steeps. All my experiments demonstrate that they have no inherentvirtue. I have more than once sown the same seed, steeped and unsteeped, and thoughall other circumstances were minutely alike, yet I never could observe the least differencein the growth of the crop. I confefs that when the light seeds are skimmed off, as in theoperation of brining, the crop will be improved, and difeafes prevented: but thefeadvantages proceed from the goodnefs of the grain sown, and not from any prolific virtueof the steep. I am happy in not being singular in- my objection to steeps. Many philo-sophical farmers have been induced to quit their prejudices, and are now convinced fromtheir own trials, that there is no dependence upon. prolific liquors, though ever so wcSlrecommended. Some people have been hardy enough to persuade themselves, that thetillering of wheat may be so much increased by invigorating the grain, that only one halfof the seed will be required. Duhamel, one of the most accurate of the experimentalhusbandmen, and a most excellent philosopher, speaks in the strongest terms, against thepractice of steeping, so far as it supposes an impregnation of vegetative particles. I .shallnot here repeat his experiments: 1 shall only observe, that they are such as any farmermay make; they are plain and conclusive. Good seed, when sown upon land in excellenttilth, will always produce a plentiful crop. The best of grain impregnated to the fullwith the most approved steep, and sown upon land indifferently prepared, will for everdisappoint the hopes of the fanner. I do not presume to condemn the practice in positiveterms, because my experiments are against it. Other experiments may be opposed t«