Sect. IV. Agriculture and Vegetation. 2 1 



THAT there is fuch an oil, feveral rea- 

 fons induce me to think -, its nourifhing ve- 

 getables, which require oil, when opened 

 by mere fand ; its unctuofity -, its igniting, 

 like metals, when put in the fire. 



Exf. 6. I tried fuch clay as I ufed in the 

 former experiment with melted nitre. When 

 fmall pieces were put in, no fire was pro- 

 duced betwixt it and the nitre : but I evi- 

 dently perceived fparks of fire when it was 

 put in powdered. Hence I conclude^ tha$ 

 clay contains an oil intimately and clofely 

 combined with its terreftrial parts. 



THE oleaginous nature of clay is clearly 

 demonstrated by an experiment of Mr. 

 Eltcrs, in the jth Vol. of the Berlin Me- 

 moirs. He boiled fome clay in an alka- 

 line lye; this lye when decanted was fa- 

 turated with ol. vitriol. After the liquor 

 had flood fome time, he found at the bot- 

 tom a vifcid matter which deflagrated with 

 melted nitre, and reduced the calx of lead 

 C 3 to 



