236 A TREATISE ON THE CONNECTION OF 



*' that his labours will be found to open a field of expe- 

 " riment, of chemical reasoning, and of the practically 

 " useful, applicable to agriculture, of which that science 

 " had hitherto been thought incapable." His meaning- 

 was, and it should have been so expressed, " of which 

 " that science has to too many appeared incapable : " for 

 persons of reflection and understanding must admit, that 

 chemistry, defined in the Introduction to this Work, " to 

 " be a knowledge of the properties of bodies, and of the 

 " effects resulting from their different combinations," 

 cannot but be necessary to the proper understanding and 

 bringing to perfection, any art, science, or occupation, 

 wherein matter is to be operated upon." 



Attacks upon the theories and opinions of other writers 

 have been carefully avoided, the Author's view r s not 

 being to court argument or dispute, but to convey such 

 information as appeared to him might be useful ; nor 

 would he have departed from this line of conduct in the 

 following remarks respecting the a6tion of lime, had he 

 not considered it as being conducive to the interest of 

 individuals, and to agriculture in general, to combat an 

 erroneous theory, to wjrich many have subscribed, on 



the 



