Hill with Rabbets, and it will anfwer our End, as well as the Level: They have chiefly their Abode under Ground, and, according to the Depth and Variety of Turnings they poffefs, may in1 habit perhaps the space of three or four Surfaces, which, befides their prolifick Quality, bring fuddain Profit. Indeed we must fuppofe, that the more Rabbets are in a Warren, fo much the more Food they require; but then, as I obferv'd before, we find that they only prey upon fuch com mon Weeds as one would chufe to destroy in other Cafes, if they are left to their Choice, and 'tis likewise obfervable, that when they have hilly Ground to make their Beds or Burrows in, they rarely fpoil the low Lands or Plains.

If this be allow'd, I am next to obfervé that the Profit arifing from every Acre on the Sides of the Hill, by this Means, will amount to more than it would do if Plants could grow there obliquely like the Thorns or Spines on the Body of an Hedgehog; but I think I have already prov'd that Plants muft grow upright.

While I am upon this Head I fhall take Notice of fomething extraordinary relating to a Warren, as it was contriv'd and practis'd by the late Lady Bellafis at Kenfington. Her Ladyship, among many other Curiofities which were culti vated in her Gardens, and Volaries, difpos'd one Part for the breeding and feeding of Rabbets, in fuch a Manner, as that, by a conftant Supply of nourishing Food, fhe might draw at any Time of the Year a fufficient Quantity to oblige her Friends, and ferve her Table; but to prevent the unfavoury Tafte which generally. attends the Flesh of tame Rabbets, confulted as much as poffible the Nature of the wild Sort, how much the open Air was beneficial to them:

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for this End the wall'd in a large fquare Place, and pav'd it at the Bottom, but in fome Parts had large Heaps of Earth, ram'd hard, and turfed, for them to burrow in; but this, which was her first Attempt, fail'd, by frequently falling in upon the Rabbets. This however gave her no Difcouragement; fhe had a Terrafs built with Arches, and fill'd with Earth, leaving proper Places for the Rabbets to go in and out; but still there were many Inconveniencies, as the falling in of the Earth, and the Males destroying the young ones, befides the Difficulty of taking them when they were wanted; but at length concluded to build diftinct Cells for every Female, fo order'd that they might hide themselves at Pleasure, or take the Liberty of the enclos'd Ground when they thought fit; by this Contrivance the Rabbets throve and encreas'd, and were fo much admir'd, that I fhall take Occafion to publish a large Account of it.

I am, Sir,

Yours, &c.

R. B.

CHA P.

CHA P. II.

An Account of

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a Farm of four hundred Ácres, part of which is fuppos'd to be wornout Ground, and the other Part reckon'd unprofitable Heath Ground: With the Method of improving the Whole.

SIR,

To Mr. BRADLEY.

Have been three Times at different Seafons at the Farm, which I told you I had an Eye upon, for the Place of my Retirement; and fhall give you as fhort an Account of the Nature of the Soil, as I can.

I find I fhall have Acres enough; there being no lefs than four hundred; befides the Orchard, Stable-yards, and the Ground which the Houfe, Barns, &c. ftand upon. Moft of it is in a miferable poor Condition; having been neglected, either from the Poverty or bad Husbandry of the late Tenant: So it will require not only a great deal of Money to be lay'd out, but the Advice of the moft skilful Husbandman to bring it into Order.

It borders upon a large Heath, fomething like that between Wimbleton and Putney; above an hundred Acres of which belong to this Farm, and may all be inclos'd. I don't hear that the Tenant ever made 15 l. per Annum of these hundred Acres.

The reft of the Farm has been inclos'd, and from the Age of the Trees upon the Hedge D 2 Rows,

Rows, and fome that stand round the old Orchard; it appears to have been done above forty Years ago; many of the Hedges and Fences are broke down, and the Trees destroy'd, excepting fome Fields near the Houfe; the reft have been plow'd from Year to Year, while they could produce any thing. I believe it has formerly been all black Heath, fuch as is mention'd above, excepting about twenty Acres, which lie low upon the Side of a little running Brook; upon which there was a pretty good Crop of Grafs this present Year. There are about fixty Acres near the House, which have been kept in pretty good Order, and both the Grafs and Corn upon them, are as good as any in the Country about. The Soil is generally Clay, and the Mold, where Juftice has been done it, is black. I was prefent when one of the Fields was plow'd laft Winter; I obferv'd it rife in grofs Clods; but the Frost made it fall into fine Mold when it was drefs'd; and I believe it may be brought to produce any Thing, which, can be expected from strong black Soils. On one Side of the Houfe, I find fome Fields, where the Soil for three Foot down is Gravel, like that about London; upon one of which, there is very good Wheat, the rest of them are in a very poor Condition.

They fhew'd me two fmall Inclosures, which the Tenant had made (upon his first coming to the Farm, about ten Years ago) from the black Heath, which had never been plow'd before. The Method he took, was to put a great deal of Lime upon it; after which, he had feven Crops of Corn; the first four or five, of which, were pretty good; but very bad for the laft two Years. They have not been plow'd these

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three Years, and as yet, there is little Grafs upon them, except upon the Tops of the Ridges, which being rais'd very high, nothing but bare Clay appears upon the Sides; all the Earth which had tafted of the Lime, being now fhov'd up to the Top. I made a Man dig down three Foot, and I found it ftrong blue Clay, with fome fmall Veins of Yellow running. through it; which last, is not so strong as the Blue, and has mix'd with it some small Stones and when I rub'd this upon my Hand, I found it mix'd with Sand or ftony Gravel. There is likewise a Moisture in this Yellow, which I obferv'd run over the Clods after it was dug up, and made them appear like Yellow Sand without, tho' within they were Blue. Poffibly to this Mixture of Sand or Gravel, is owing the Mold's falling fo fine when it is right drefs'd. I made him likewife dig down in the open Heath, and found it of the fame Nature and Colours, after he got below the Roots of the Heath. But what gave me the greatest Encouragement, was, that by digging in one of the least Fields near the House, which is at present cover'd with very fine Corn, I found the Soil the fame as this, after we got deeper than the Plow or Dung had gone; which makes me hope, that by good Management, it may all be made equally fertile. I must likewise tell you, that where the Hedges have not been destroy'd, there are very clean, good like Oaks and Elms, fhort of none of their Age in the Neighbourhood. Having given you this Account of the Farm, and the Nature of its Soil, I must beg your Opinion, how far you think it capable of Improvement, and your Advice in the Method I fhall take in managing of it. It is very proba

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ble,