I believe the greatest Part of the St. Foin that is sown, is spoil’d by being indiscreetly fed by Sheep[188]; which Damage is occasion’d merely by suffering them to continue feeding it too long at a Time, especially in the Spring; for then the Sap moves quick, and must be depurated by the Leaves; and as the Sun’s nearer Approach accelerates the Motion or Ferment of the Juices, more _Pabulum_ is receiv’d by the Roots; but for want of Leaves to discharge the Recrements, and enliven the Sap with nitro-aereous Particles (the Sheep devouring the Buds continually as fast as they appear), the St. Foin’s vital Flame (if I may so call it) is extinguish’d; the Circulation ceasing, the Sap stagnates, and then it ends in Corruption[189]. But let the Sheep eat it never so low, in a short time, without continuing thereon, or cropping the next Buds which succeed those they have eaten, the Plants will recover and grow again as vigorously as ever, and if with a Spade, in the Winter you cut off the St. Foin Heads an Handful deep, and take them away, together with their upper Earth, the Wound in the remaining Root will heal, and send out more Heads as good as those cut off, if those second Heads be preserv’d from Cattle, until they attain to a Bigness competent to bear Leaves sufficient for the Use of the reviving Plants: Nay, I have seen Plants of St. Foin cut off in the Winter a Foot deep, and the Earth of that Depth taken away; and the remaining Root recover’d, and grew to an extraordinary Bigness: But this was preserv’d from Cattle at first. [188] I never suffer Sheep to come upon St. Foin, except betwixt Mowing-time and _All-Saints_. And there is so much Danger of spoiling St. Foin by the Fraud of Shepherds, that I knew a Gentleman that bound his Tenant never to suffer any Sheep to come thereon; and by this means his St. Foin continued in Perfection much longer than is usual, where St. Foin is suffer’d to be fed by Sheep. [189] Natural Grass is not kill’d by constant feeding, because no sort of Cattle can bite it so low as to deprive it of all its Leaves; and ’tis, like Eels, more tenacious of Life than the rest of its Genius, and will send out Leaves from the very Roots when reversed, as is too often seen where turffy Land is plow’d up in large Furrows.