30 he Principles of Part I* 



not. I muft obferve here, that the fine 

 powder of flint has a fenfible deflagration 

 with melted nitre. 



As lime is a powerful diflblvent, eipe- 

 cially of oily bodies, I imagined that lime 

 might have fome fuch effect on fand, dif- 

 folve it into a mucilage in the earth, and 

 in this way fand might be converted into a 

 fit nourimment for vegetables. This per- 

 haps might be, I thought, the reafon why 

 lime and fand took fo firm a bond toge- 

 ther, when lime alone does not adhere. 

 This appeared to me yet ftronger, when I 

 confidered, that any mucilaginou's or oily 

 fubftance, fuch as whites of eggs, train-oil, 

 &c. when mixed with quick-lime, make it 

 take bond. I therefore tried the following 

 experiment. 



Exp. 10. I took a certain number of 

 fmall pieces of flint, which is allowed to 

 be of the fame nature with land, weigh- 

 ing i dr. 52ir gr. and added a quantity of 



lime 



