1756.] DOCTOR GARDEN. 393 



putting him to a merchant. I have wrote several times, last fall, 

 to Peter Collinson about him, and expect an answer by the first 

 ships. ****** 



I have often thought of proposing a scheme, which I am apt to 

 believe would be of general benefit to most of our colonies, if put 

 in practice ; and as a particular curious friend, I first acquaint 

 thee with it, and perhaps I may mention it to my friend Peter 

 Collinson. 



It is, to bore the ground to great depths, in all the different 

 soils in the several provinces, with an instrument fit for the pur- 

 pose, about four inches diameter. The benefit which I shall pro- 

 pose from these trials, is to search for marls, or rich earths, to 

 manure the surface of the poor ground withal. Secondly, to 

 search for all kinds of medicinal earths, sulphurs, bitumens, coal, 

 peat, salts, vitriols, marcasites, flints, as well as metals. Thirdly, 

 to find the various kinds of springs, to know whether they are 

 potable, or medicinal, or mechanical. 



Now, to bring this into practice, suppose there was appointed, 

 in every province, a curious, judicious, honest, careful man, as 

 overseer ; that he should choose such men as understood boring in 

 rocks and earth, and furnish them with proper instruments ; that 

 he, or any whom he may depute under him, shall take particular 

 care to write down, in a book for that purpose, the time and place, 

 when and where, they began to bore, and the particular depth of 

 every stratum they bore through, examining curiously the contents 

 of the bit, every time the auger is drawn out, and the depth from 

 whence it was drawn. Minute it down, so that they may know 

 the exact depth, whether it be marl, chalk, coal, salt, or any 

 other mineral ; or the springs of water, and how deep they are 

 from the surface, so that every proprietor may know what riches 

 are in his possession, and may guess what expense he must be at 

 to come at the benefit of them. I am persuaded that most sandy, 

 desert soil, hath under it a large bed of marl, or saline earth, 

 which, if brought on the sandy surface, would make the surface 

 fruitful ; and most countries, far from the sea, have vast beds of 

 rock salt, at uncertain depths, which, if they were discovered, 

 would be of great advantage to the inhabitants. Moreover, how 

 exceeding useful and satisfactory will it be, to curious philosophi- 

 cal inquirers, to know the various terrestrial compositions that we 



