[ *33 ] 



diftinguifhed ; fo that the bafe appears to be only a 

 lump of frozen earth, to which thefe (lacks of co- 

 lumns (CD.) firmly adhere. 



I (hould not have taken the trouble to defcribe 

 fo minutely as I have done this procefs of nature, 

 had I ever obferved it defcribed elfewhere j and be- 

 caufe it is very neceffary to be adverted to, feeing 

 it is ufually in confequence of that procefs that our 

 broad clover fields are fo frequently cut off by the 

 feverities of our winter, which will be eafily under- 

 stood by attending to the following remarks. 



When any vegetable is growing on the foil thus 

 affected, the top of thefe columns of ice naturally 

 lay hold of it as it were, and adhere to it fo clofely 

 as to force it up along with them with a very ftrong 

 power. If the root penetrates the ground perpen- 

 dicularly, either the main root mud be broken off 

 by this force, applied as at E, or the lateral fibres 

 muft be all torn off from the principal root, fo as to 

 leave it entirely naked, and thus expofed to the in- 

 juries of the weather altogether defencelefs. When 

 a thaw comes, the columns of ice are melted away, 

 and the earth fubfides to its former bulk, fo that 

 the poor naked root (lands up as at F, and mull 

 infallibly perifh. Every attentive farmer muft have 

 remarked his broad clover drawn at times out of 

 the ground in this manner though he has not 



perhaps 



