90 We Principles of Part II. 



SECT. VI. 



Of manures which arife from burning vege- 

 tables. 



AL L vegetables converted into afhes 

 by the action of the fire, afford a 

 good nourishment for vegetables, efpecially 

 for grafs j becaufe, as their action is very 

 fudden, it is fooner obfervable on a grafs 

 than corn field. Chymiftry fhows, that 

 thefe afhes confift of an indiflblvable earth, 

 and an alkaline fait ; which latter body at- 

 tracts acids more ftrongly than any other. 

 Fern afhes contain the moft fait of any 

 common vegetable which I know j the 

 fixth part is alkaline fait. They rnuft, 

 therefore, be the propereft for this ufe. At 

 the alum works near Scarborough, the 

 farmer pays 2 J. a cart-load for the refufe 

 of the earth of thefe afhes, after almoft all 

 the fait is extracted out of them. The 

 refufe of the foap manufactures, and of 

 the bleachfield, are rich manures. The 



afhes 



