Royal Society. 87 
out of the jaw, was polifhed, and almoft as black as jet 5 the 
back-bones and ribs of whales have been dug leveral miles up the 
country : The foil in general is fandy, and di&rent Ibils are ap- 
propriated to the leveral lorts of tobacco 3 for there is not only 
the two diftmct forts of fweet fcented, and Aranoko tobacco, but 
of each of thele there are feveral forts very different ^ the fame 
fort of feed in dif&rent earths will produce tobacco very different 
as to goodnefs j the richer the ground, the better it is for Ara- 
7:oko tobacco, whole fcent is not much minded, their only aim 
being to have it fpecious, large and to procure it a bright kite's 
foot colour: Mr. Clayton thinks tobacco is a plant aboundina in 
nitro-lulphureous particles ; for the planters try the goodne'is of 
their \^c^d by calling a little thereof into the fire, u it be good, it 
will fparkle like gun-powder, as will likewile the ftalks of to- 
bacco leaves, and perhaps it has Ibmething analogous to the nar- 
cotic fulphur of 7"(?;;//5, which the Chemifts ib indultrioufly labour 
after- the oil of tobacco hath wonderful effects in curing of old 
inveterate fores and fcrophulous fwelling^^ the goodneis of to- 
bacco confifis in the volatility of its nitre 3 and hence the landy 
grounds that are moft impregnated therewith, and whole nitrous 
lak is raofl volatile, yield tobacco's of the richeft fjent^ whereas, 
in tobacco of ftiff grounds, the falts feem more fixed and locked 
npln the oil, ^o that whilft new, it is very heady and ilrong, and 
requires fbme time for its falts to free thcmfelves and become vo- 
latile, which it dilcovcrs by its urinous fmell^ the elder thif 
compofiticn of the leaf, the better is the tobacco, and you may 
guels at the goodnefs of tobacco, upon weighing the hogs-heads 5 
for if an equal care be taken in the packing of them, the bell to- 
bacco will weigh the heavieilj the^ fweet-icented tobacco, which 
grows on fandy land, is befl for Imoaking, whilft it is new, or 
only two or three years old 3 but if you keep the lliff land to- 
bacco, which is generally a tobacco of great lubftance, five or fix 
yearSj it will by much exceed the former : The planters difter 
in their judgments about the time of planting, or piiching their 
croups; lome are for pitching very early, others late, without any 
diftindlion of the nature of the foils 3 in fandy grounds early 
planting is not fo neceffary3 for the loolenefs of the earth, and 
the kindlinels of the Ibil, and the fand retaining the heat, make 
the plants grow filler 3 but in ftiff foils, if the crops be not early 
pitched, fo as, during the feafcn of rains, it have get confider- 
able roots, and. fliot them feme depth, if early droughts come on, 
it fo binds the land, that the roots never fpread or ftioot deeper, 
or farther th.m the hill they are 'planted in 3 for they plant them 
as 
