tf 4- The Natural Hi /lory 



and therefore by Naturalifts called Vryites \ it was taken up in 

 great quantities too, and out of fome of the pieces, (whereof 

 1 have one) it may be plainly feen where twigs have come forth, 

 the knots ftill remaining where they were cut off; fo that unlefs 

 we fly to the (ports of Nature^ and allow her to imitate almoft all 

 things in ftone, we cannot well avoid a confent, that this was 

 fomtime really Wood. It was cafually dug up in the Parifti of 

 Wendlebury, in a gravelly ground not far from the Church, and 

 is, I believe, the fame Earth mentioned fo good for this purpofe 

 in our Philofophical Tranfaclions^. 



4c. Thus having confidered the principal Earths ufed 'in Huf- 

 bandry , Tainting, Medicine, (yc. I proceed in the next place to 

 treat of fome others, lefs in value, and put to inferior ufes : A- 

 mongft which we may reckon the very uppermoft Turf; which 

 befide for Bowling-greens, and Grafs-walks in Gardens, is here 

 not unfrequently ufed by Thatchers, and laid on Mud-walls, and 

 the top of Houfes, in the place and manner of thofc we call 

 Ridge-tiles ; not that it is fo good as Thatching (though fome fay 

 it better refills the winds) but becaufe in fome places Wood is fo 

 fcarce, that they cannot get (prates to fatten on Thatch ; or elfe 

 the people fo poor that they care not to buy them. 



41. Alfo at fome other places for want of Wood, they make 

 ufe of another fort of Turf for fewel , not the upper Green* 

 ficord, but an inferior ftringy bituminous Earth, cut out like Brick?) 

 for the moftpart from moorifh boggy grounds ; in fome Coun- 

 tries called Peat-pits, in others Mojfes. The beft of this Turf that 

 I have feen in Oxford-Jhire, I met with at Mr, Warcup in the Parifti 

 of North -Moor, but dug as I was informed in Stanton-Harcourt^ 

 about a mile diftance S. Weft from the Church: it lies but one 

 fpits depth within the ground, and is fuppofed to be at leaft 

 four foot thick : They cut it in March, and lay the pieces called 

 Peats to dry on the grafs, fomtimes turning them ; which when 

 reafonably well done, they then pile up like Wheelwrights felleys, 

 leaving every where empty fpaces between,that the Air and Wind 

 paffing through them, they at length may become dry enough for 

 the fire. They think that the ftringy roots, that together with 

 the Bitumen, make up the Peats, do never flourifh above the fur- 

 face : if fo, I am fomthing confirmed in an opinion, that there are 



1 Num. 6. 



many 



