Chap. VIII, OF MANURES. 29. 



this produdl of his own land, and in a few years got ten thoufand 

 pounds by it. 



Though, as was obferved before, there is fcarce any fuch thing 

 as exhaufling a marle-pit, there is however, now and then, an incon- 

 veniency attending iuch as dig too deep in level lands inclineable to 

 wetnefs in the winter : for the fprings will fometitnes break in upon 

 your pit, and much increafe the labour of your workmen, and your 

 own expences. There are little engines to be made, which, turning 

 in a femi-circular frame, will catch the wind at every point, and, 

 by the force of their motion, pump up vaft quantities of water, and, 

 by that means eafe this inconvenience, which, however, had mucli 

 better be prevented ; and that may infallibly be done, by working 

 wide and lliallow, in fuch places as you fufpedt to be watry. 



This author feems never to have feen fliell-marle, by his not 

 mentioning it. It is often found under mofs, or that black earth 

 ufually dug up for fewel, or where there has been a bed of a river 

 or running water ; the fhells in it having, probably, belonged for- 

 merly to fome living creatures. Whoever finds this marie, finds a 

 mine of great value. It is one of the beft and moll general manures 

 in nature. It is proper for all foils, and peculiarly fo for clay, as 

 already obferved. This effervefces ftrongly with all acids, which is 

 perhaps chiefly owing to the fhells. There are very good marles 

 which {how nothing of this effervefcence : and therefore the above - 

 author judged right, in making its folution in water, the diftinguirti- 

 ing mark. 



The fame writer, fpeaking of the quantity of manure proper to be 

 laid upon light fandy foils, whether it be cLa/^, mark, clay, fieep's 

 dung '^xt^2.x' 6. vf'ixh earth, not fatid ; fea-owfe, of the clofeif, black, 

 fat kind ; mud, or the producft of your Jlercorary ; fays, five and 

 tv/enty load of the lafi: is the quantity moft proper for an acre ; 

 thirty of chalk j of marie, at leaft an hundred; and of clay, a little 

 more : twenty load of {heep's dung, and as much of fea-owfe j 

 and, if you ufe mud, lefs than forty or fifty load will be too little. 

 Whichever of thefe manures is ufed, care Ihould be taken that the 

 plowman turns it in, as fall as it is brought on, and fpread upon 

 the furface. /Vi 



We cannot difmifs this article without mentioning an obfervation 

 made by an ingenious gentleman, on reading Pliny's account (c. 6.) 

 of the ufe of marie in Britain by the Romans. — It may be worth 

 while to obferve, fays he, that Pliny is very particular on the Hate 



of 



