AND MAR&HY SITUATIONS. 14.1 



pie, are to be cut off; and the great magazine, from 

 whence a fufficient fiipply is to be obtained, mufl be 

 rought for in t!ie art of agriculture. 



The ftagnant waters may be carried off and the foil of 

 marflies rendered dry, by means of drains, deep trenches, 

 and wells ; and farther ftagnation and putrefadlion pre- 

 vented, by confuming the dead weeds, grafs, and woods, 

 and by filling up the flats, fmks and hollows with clay, 

 fand, or lime. 



And the atmofphere may be fupplied with a profufion 

 of oxygen by cultivating on ilich foils, graffes and plants 

 of vigorous growth, and efpecially thofe whicli live and 

 flourifli lateft in the feafon. For vegetables while living 

 and growing, when expofed to the rays of light con- 

 ftantly decompofe the water they imbibe from the earth 

 and air, and while they retain the hydrogen or bafe of 

 inflammable air for the formation of oil, wax, honev, 

 or refm, they replenilh the atmofphere with oxygen."* 



When it is impradlicable to render marfl;iy fituations 

 dry, on account of their extent, they flrould be kept con- 

 ftantly flooded by means of dams and fluices, to prevent 

 the effedts of putrefi£lion, for when dead vegetable or 

 animal fubfl:ances are immerfed in water fo as to be en- 

 tirely excluded from contadl with the air, putrefaction 

 can only take place in a flow and imperfe£l manner. 



But clearing the woods, plants, and herbs, from 

 marfliy or fenny tradts without draining off the ftagnant 

 water at the fame time, and deffroying the dead herbage 

 by fire, inftead of rendering fuch fituations more healthful 

 has been found to have a different effed, becaufe a 

 greater extent of putrefcent furface is thereby expofed 

 to the rays of the fun, and of courfe a greater portion of 

 oxygen abftradled from the atmofphere. It is owing in 



* Ch^tal's Chemiftry. Ingenhaufz.'s Obfervations, 5:c. 



T a great 



