Sed. VI. Agriculture and Vegetation. 9 1 



afhes of peat, which are moft ufed, afford 

 falts equal only to the thirty-fecond part of 

 the whole, and are the weakeft of all thofe 

 I know. 



HFRE we muft clafs the burning of the 

 turf, or furface, which is often done to im- 

 prove poor foil. Farmers think it ads by 

 difpelling a four juice which land has con- 

 traded from lying long untilled : and they 

 chiefly prefcribe it for that fort of poqr 

 ground ; for they all agree that it hurts 

 rich foil. But I imagine, that the benefit 

 arifing from it is owing to the alkaline 

 fait arifmg frc/m burning the roots of ve^ 

 getables : for farmers enjoin us to go no 

 deeper than thofe roots ; and it is found, 

 that the greater the quantity of roots, as 

 happens in land which has been long 

 untilled, the more benefit arifes from 

 burning, 



THERE is another manure which takes 

 its rife from fire, and properly belongs to 



this 



