123 Of Wheat. Chap. IX. 



VefTel, than Rain-water does in a VefTel of the fame 

 Bignefs, rilled with it till putrefied. 



Dews at Land, 1 fuppofe, are fir ft exhaled from 

 Rivers, and moift Lands, and from the Expirations 

 of Vegetables; moil of the Dew which falls on it is 

 exhaled from untilled Land ; but mod of that which 

 falls on well tilled or well hoed Land, remains there- 

 in unexhaled ; fo that the untilled Ground helps, by 

 that means, to enrich and augment the tilled: For if 

 an Acre be tilled for Two Years together without 

 fowing, it will become richer by that Tillage, than 

 by lying unplowed Four Years, which may be eafily 

 proved by Experience (b). 



But then, as to Rain, the Sea being larger than all 

 the Land (and its Waters, by their Motion, becom- 

 ing replete with terreftrial Matter), 'tis not unlikely, 

 that more Vapour is raifed from One Acre of Sea, 

 than from One hundred Acres of Land. 



Some have been fo curious as to compute the 

 Quantity of Rain, that falls yearly in fome Places in 

 England, by a Contrivance of a VefTel to receive it ; 

 and 'tis found, in one of the drieft Places, far from 

 the Sea, to be Fourteen Inches deep, in the Compafs 

 of a Year; in fome Places much more; viz. at Paris, 

 Nineteen Inches ; in Lancajhire, Mr. "Townley found, 

 by a long-continued Series of Obfervations, that there 

 falls above Forty Inches of Water in a Year's time. 



Could we as eafily compute the true Quantity of 

 Earth in Rain-water, as the Quantity of Water is 

 computed, we might perhaps find it to anlwer the 

 Quantity of Earth taken off from our hoed Soil an- 

 nually by the Wheat. 



But if Land fown with Wheat be not hoed, its 

 Surface is foon incruftate ; and then much of this 

 Water, with its Contents, runs off, and returns to 



[b) Nan ig'itur Fatigatione, quemath:odum plurimi crediderunt* 

 rec Senio, fed nojira fcilicet Inertia, minus benigm nobis Ar<va re- 

 Jftondent. Colum. lib. xi, cap* I. 



the 



