1 52 Oclober 1748. 



The Datura Stramonium, or Thorn Ap~ 

 pie, grows in great quantities near all the 

 villages. Its height is different according 

 to the foil it is in. For in a rich foil it 



grows 



half an inch of mould was produced. But he obferves in the 

 fame time, that this obfervation was not at all exatt ;• for as 

 the common mould feldom exceeds a foot, it mull from 

 thence follow, that fince the deluge no more than 2400 years 

 were elapfed, though the fcripture chronology reckons up- 

 wards of 4000 years fince that event: befides this, he re- 

 marks, that mould always becomes more dry and compreffed, 

 where it is out of the reach, of rain and fnow ; and where it 

 is expofed to rain, it is carried off to lower places, and 

 therefore increafes and decreases according to the qualities of 

 its local fituation. Moreover, vegetables it is known profper 

 the belt where mould is found. As the furface of our globe 

 has been covered with vegetables fince the deluge, they muft 

 have had a mould to grow in ever fince that time ; confe- 

 quently it is highly probable, that there muft have been a 

 mould covering the furface of our globe, ever fince the firft 

 origin. I fhould be led by fome other confiderations, to 

 doubt of the infallibility of this rule for the increafe of 

 mould. In RuJJia, on this fide the river Volga, are high and 

 extenfive plains, which have been uncultivated eyer fince the 

 deluge, for we know from hiftory, that the Scythians, Sarma- 

 tians, Huns, C bazars, and Mogols, were fucceffively the 

 mafters of thefe vaft countries, and were altogether nomadic 

 nations, who lived without agriculture ; the country has 

 been without wood fince time immemorial, nor could there 

 even fpring up any wood whatfoever, fince its rambling pof- 

 fefTors every fpring fet fire to the old dry grafs, in order to 

 make room for the new grafs, which in the latter end of May, 

 J found come up very near to my waift. And thefe vaft, de- 

 fart plains, I faw every where covered with at leaft two feet 

 mould ; nay, in fome places it amounted to four feet ; this 

 would give according to the former rule of half an inch per 

 Century, 4800 years, in the firft inftance, and in the fecond, 

 9600 years, and therefore fhews that this rule for calculating 

 the increafe of mould, is very precarious. The chemical 



analyfis 





