The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

so NATURAL HISTORY. CENT. VI.
dung; but then it must be friable first by rain or 599. The fifth help of ground is, heat and
lying. As for earth, it composeth itself; for I warmth. It hath been anciently practised to burn
knew a great garden that: had a field, in a manner, heath, and ling, and sedge, with the vantage of the
poured upon it, and it did bear fruit excellently wind, upon the ground. We see that warmth
the first year of the planting: for the surface of of walls and inclosures mendeth ground: we see
the earth is ever the fruitfulest. And earth so also, that lying open to the south mendeth ground:
prepared hath a double surface. But it is true, we see again, that the foldings of sheep help
as I conceive, that such earth as bath saltpetre ground, as well by their warmth as by their
bred in it, if you can procure it without too much compost: and it may be doubted whether the
charge, doth excel. The way to hasten the breed- covering of the ground with brakes in the begining of saltpetre, is to forbid the sun, and the ning of the winter, whereof we spake in the last
growth of vegetables. And therefore if you make experiment, helpeth it not, by reason of the
a large hovel, thatched, over some quantity of warmth. Nay, some very good husbands do susground; nay, if you do but plank the ground over, pect, that the gathering up of flints in flinty
it will breed saltpetre. As for pond earth, or ground, and laying them on heaps, which is
river earth, it is a very good compost; especially much used, is no good husbandry, for that they
if the pond have been long uncleansed, and so would keep the ground warm.
the water be not too hungry: and I judge it will 600. The sixth help of grounds is by watering
be yet better if there be some mixture of chalk. and irrigation, which is in two manners; the one
597. The third help of ground is, by some by letting in and shutting out waters at seasonother substances that have a virtue to make ground able times: for water, at some seasons, and with
fertile, though they be not merely earth; where- reasonable stay, doth good; but at some other
in ashes excel; insomuch as the countries about seasons, and with too long stay, doth hurt: and.Etna and Vesuvius have a kind of amends made this serveth only for meadows which are along
them, for the mischief the irruptions many times sonme river. The other way is, to bring water
do, by the exceeding fruitfulness of the soil, caus- from some hanging grounds where there are
ed by the ashes scattered about. Soot also, springs, into the lower grounds, carrying it in
though thin spread in a field or garden, is tried some long furrows; and from those furrows,
to be a very good compost. For salt, it is too drawing it traverse to spread the water. Andt
costly; but it is tried, that mingled with seed- this maketh an excellent improvement, both for
corn, and sown together, it doth good: and I am corn and grass. It is the richer, if those hanging
of opinion, that chalk in powder, mingled with grounds be fruitful, because it washeth off some
seed-corn, would do good; perhaps as much as of the fatness of the earth; but howsoever it prochalking the ground all over. As for the steep- fiteth much. Generally where there are great
ing of the seeds in several mixtures with water overflows in fens, or the like, the drowning of
to give them vigour, or watering grounds with them in the winter maketh the summer following
compost water, we have spoken of them before. more fruitful: the cause may be, for that it keep598. The fourth help of ground is, the suffering eth the ground warm, and nourisheth it. But
of vegetables to die into the ground, and so to the fen-men hold, that the sewers must be kept
fatten it; as the stubble of corn; especially peas. so as the water may not stay too long in the
Brakes cast upon the ground in the beginning of spring till the weeds and sedge be grown up;
winter will make it very fruitful. It-were good for then the ground will be like a wood, which
aiso to try whether leaves of trees swept together, keepeth out the sun, and so continueth the wet;
with some chalk and dung mixed, to give them whereby it will never graze to purpose that year.
more heart, would not make a good compost; for Thus much for irrigation. But for avoidances, and
there is nothing-lost so much as leaves of trees; drainings of water, where there is too much, and
and as they lie scattered, and without mixture, the helps of ground in that kind, we shall speak
they rather make the ground sour than otherwise. of them in another place.