1 20 October 1748* . 



gether with the Phytolacca, or American Night*- 

 foade y grow here in thofe places near the gardens, 

 houfes, and roads, which in Sweden are covered 

 with nettles and goofe-foot, which European 

 plants are very fcarce in America. But the Da- 

 tura and Phytolacca are the worft weeds here, 

 liobody knowing any particular ufe of them. 



TURNIP-FIELDS are fometimes to be feen. In 

 the middle of the high road 1 perceived a dead 

 black fnake, which was four feet fix inches long, 

 ^nd an inch and a half in thicknefs. It belonged 

 to the viper kind. 



LATE at night a great Halo appeared round 

 the moon. The people faid that it prognofti- 



in thefe new plants, after being fet at liberty from the ftrufture 

 of the laft year's plants by putrefaction, or by fire. Mould, che- 

 jnically examined, has the fame analogous parts. Acid and cau- 

 |tic are plentifully contained in the common air, and may alfo 

 eafily be reftored to the mould, and thus circulate through a new 

 fyitem of plants. Water comes fikewife from raia and fnow, -out 

 of our atmofphere ; alkaline and oily particles, or a kind of/oaj> s 

 are the only things wanting, which, when added with the former 

 to any fubtle earth, will make a good mould ; and thefe are pro-? 

 cluced by putrefaction or fire, from vegetable and animal fub^ 

 fiances, and are the great promoters of vegetation. 



BUT the great queltion is, from whence thefe various fub- 

 $ances, neceiTary for vegetation, originally came ? To believe 

 they are produced from pu trifled vegetables, is begging the quef- 

 tion, and making a circulus vitiofus in the argument. There is 

 therefore no evafion ; they were certainly produced by the great 

 Creator of the univerfe, and endowed with fuch qualities as make 

 them capable of producing in various mixtures new bodies ; and 

 u-hen they are introduced by moiilure into the firft ftamina of a 

 plant, or a feed, they expand thefe ftamina, and conilitute a new 

 being, capable of affording food to the animal creation. Jt is 

 evident, Mr. Kalm hinted at the above-mentioned opinion of th 

 i;;creafe of mould ; and this gave me an opportunity of confirming 

 }is argument, and of Hating fairly the great quettion on which 

 agriculture, the moil neceifary branch of human arts, depends. 

 F. 



cated 



