Of the -proper Choice of Soils^ dec. 23 



good above will exhale ; or if the Ground 

 lie ftecp, then the Rain will wafa it away. 

 Thirdly, if the Spring or Summer be very 

 hot or dry, the natural Toughnefs of the 

 Clay doth fo fetter and lock the Roots or 

 Grain within the Mold, that it will not give 

 them Liberty to fprout, or if it doth, yet 

 the Cold after much Rain will prefently 

 ftarve the Root, by rotting thofe emiilgcnt 

 Fibres that fetch in Nourifliment thereto, 

 anJ makes the Stem utterly unable to bring 

 forth profitable Fruit ^ next to Clay are 

 marie and chalky Grounds, they telng de- 

 riv'd of Clays and Sands, Chalk being only 

 (as fome define it)* a kind of white Marie, 

 It being ,- as they affirm, Marie, before it was 

 Chalk, and both of them Earth or Clay ac 

 firft, only became hardned and colour'd by 

 courfe ot Time, as Stones are co-agulated by 

 Water and Fire, which we may well obferve 

 in Bricks and Earthen Pots : For here Art 

 imitates Nature ; as alfo that they are Sub- 

 ject to Calcination, as Lyme-ftones, Flin's, 

 or the like are , but bccaufe Marie has its 

 Original from Clay, I (liall leave it to be 

 adjudg'd by Appearance as the Clay Ground 

 is 5 excepting, that there you will find no 

 Broom or Gorfe, or fuch like Weeds, for 

 Marie is a. great Enemy to fuch like Incum- 

 brances* 



D 4 As 



