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principles he dre*w from it were as certainly 

 w rorig. - He maintained that pulverization in- 

 ereaied the pafhire of plants, and fu mimed their 

 proper pabulum; and concluded earth in its moft 

 iubtilized ihite was the true food of plants. In 

 this he certainly erred. He miftook the means 

 neceiTary to the acquisition- of fertilizing particles, 

 for the fertilizing particles themfelves. Pulveri- 

 zation certainly increafes the pafturc, as the rcots 

 of plants cafily pervade the earth in every direc- 

 tion, as its adhefion is diminifhed or deftroyed, 

 and as it renders the foil pervious to rhe ferti- 

 lizing particles which are continually floating in 

 the atmofphere. The atmofphere is the great 

 repofitory, the grand magazine, which contains 

 the fertilizing principles, and it is from that great 

 and inexhauftible fource that all the benefit of 

 fallowing is derived. But pulverization is abfo- 

 lutely necefTary to prepare the foil for the recep- 

 tion of thofe particles; for earth in its natural 

 compact Irate admits neither rain, fnow, dew, nor 

 any of thofe finer and more fubtilized particles 

 which are continually floating in the air, defcend 

 with them to the earth, and are carried off in the 

 ftreams they form on the furface, together with 

 fuch other particles as they take up and arrelt in 

 their way. So that rain, fnow, dew.*, & . which 

 iink into, an J are imbibed by a weL I 



