i84 OFTHEUSE 



in dry ; that fome plants thrive moft in fandy 

 foils, others in claiey, others in black mould, 

 others in fpungy ground, others in watry ; 

 fome ought to be fown in pools, others on 

 the tops of hills. 



Thofe barren defarts called Alvacu on the 

 mountains of Oeland, It. Oel. p, 206. had long 

 ago been covered with the crocus^ from whence 

 the inhabitants might have reaped great be- 

 nefit, if the nature of that plant had been 

 known to them. Our alps, that are more 

 than a hundred miles long, had not remained 

 to this day a mere wafte, if our induftrious 

 hufbandmen, who not long fince began to 

 improve the ceconomical arts, had known how 

 to cultivate fuch plants as might have been 

 ufefuli in food, or phyfic ; and if they had 

 known what ufefull trees, and herbs grow 

 on the forreign alps, viz. the Swifs, the Si- 

 birian, the Pyrenean, the Valefian, &c. from 

 whence they ought to have got feed. 



The banks of our lakes produce fcarcely 

 any thing but rujhes^ horfetaily water lilly^ fond- 

 weeds^ 7-eeds^ &c. where neverthelefs a great 

 number of plants fit for food might be fown, 

 fuch as zizany of Canada, water caltrops ^ bcz. 



Every province lias its plants, which choak 



the 



