70 The Natural Hi/lory 



monly ufe the chippings of the Hone dug there in the Quarry, for 

 improvement of the Land, and that not without apparent fuccefs : 

 and yet the ftone is of a much harder kind, than this at Tetf- 

 vporth and in the way to Whitfield. 



6. Amongft fonie MSS. notes of Natural things, I met with one 

 of a ftone at Oriel College, commonly called (fays the Author) 

 The [stating ftone, at which the Birds were conftantly pecking 

 and licking ; as 1 guefs (if ever there were any fuch thing) for 

 fome kind of faltnefs they found come from it: I fay, if ever 

 there were any fuch thing, for I find it not in this new, norre- 

 mains there any tradition of it in the old College, I therefore pafs 

 it by without further notice. 



7. However, in (hort, all ftones have fo much fait in them,, 

 that in forre meafure they are an improvement of Land, for though 

 it be fo clofelock'd up with fulphur, that the greateft frofts and 

 rain will not make the ftones run, yet there is ftill fuch an emiffi- 

 on of feline fteams, that fome earths have their whole fertility 

 from them. Thus have I feen Fields cover'd with Flints and 

 Pebbles,produce better Corn than where there were none, which 

 perhaps may be a better reafon than what is brought by Pliny u , 

 why the Foreign Coloni that came to Syracufe to inhabit there,and 

 praciife Hufbandry ; after they had cleared the ground of all 

 the ftones, could have no Corn, till they had laid them again on 

 the very fame ground from whence they had taken them but juft 

 before. 



8. The like maybe obferved in walls and buildings, where fe- 

 veral forts of vegetables, yea trees of great bignefs, will thrive 

 and profper remote from the earth, without any further nouriih- 

 ment, than that they have from the fertile ftones, and lime they are 

 laid with, alfo made out of Hones. 



9. If it be objected that Pebbles and Flints alfo hold z fulphur y 

 as well as a fait, and that in all probability Corn and other Vege- 

 tables may receive their flouniliing verdure , rather from the 

 warm comfortable fteams of that, then the others of fait, I friall 

 not fo much as contend about it, but gladly accept of the oppor- 

 tunity by this means to pafs fxom Jlones holding fait only, to fuch 

 as have alfo a mixture of fulphur. 



10. And fuch are all that with fleet, or any other fit body, 



; Lib. 17. cap. 4. 



Will 



