BUR on the poorest, and worst kind of lands, or barren, rushy, and heathy grounds, that have long been un- tilled. By this useful practice, an excellent crop may be obtained from the most impoverished soil; though the effect does not con- tinue longer than three years, when the ground becomes as poor as it was before. Land may be so much exhaust- ed, by repeated crops after burn- baiting, as not to receive benefit from any thing, till recruited by ten or twelve years fallow : hence the farmer should, after the first crop, prepare fur the second, by the addition of any common ma- nure. A correspondent in the " Mu- seum Rusticum," ascribes the ne- glect of this system to the follow- ing causes : 1 . The poverty of many small farmers, who, holding their estates at a rack-rent, will not venture to lay out such a con- ek'erable sum on lands, which they may probably quit before their money will be returned. 2. Land- lords, observing the parsimonious conduct of farmers, in working out the land, and thinking of no im- provement beyond the present crop, are, in general, averse to this expdient, and will not grant permission to their tenants to adopt it. Bustard lurn - baiting. This practice consists of burning the refuse prodin5t of the land, such as stubble, haulm, &c. upon the ground which produced them ; or whatever else is laid on it, for that purpose. It may be considered under four heads : 1. The burning of sedge on wet lands ; a very old and successful practice. 2. Burn- ing the stubble upon corn-fields ; which is also an ancient and com- B U R [397 mon method ; and though the ashes thus produced are light, and not abundant, yet the heat impart- ed to the ground, makes such a dressing better than four times the quantity of ashes of another kind. 3. The burning of any waste pro- duct on heaths and commons ; the benefit of which is not sufficiently known : this is performed by stub- bing up the broom, or other waste matter, piling it in heaps, and co- vering them with the earth that had been raised in digging to the roots ; then burning the whole, and spreading the ashes on the ground, to be ploughed in. 4. The bringing of certain substances to impoverished land, and burning them there; such as sticks, stubble, haulm, or other waste matters of any kind. The principal advan- tage of this last method does not so much consist in the quantity of ashes produced, as in the en- livening warmth communicated to the ground, by such a number of small fires, which greatly contri- bute to promote its fertility. BURNS may proceed from fire, as well as a fluid body; which lat- ter may be either heated, or consist of corrosive mineral acid, such as aqua fortis, oil of vitriol, &c. In this place, we shall treat only of burns occasioned by Jire, and refer the reader for an account of other accidents of this nature, to the head of" Scalds." In slight cases, the burnt part may be held for a minute near the fire ; or, if it be a finger, the pain and inflammation will be abated by bringing it in contact with the ear; which, in this instance, acts like a condi.tor. Ink, the juice of onions, or a little brandy, or even salt rubbed on the part affect- ed, all tend to prevent blisters ; but
