236 A TREATISE ON THE CONNECTION OF 



** that his labours will be found to open a field of expe- 

 ** riment, of chemical reasoning, and of the practically 

 *' useful, applicable to agriculture, of which that science 

 *' had hitherto been thought incapable." His meaning 

 was, and it should have been so expressed, " of which 

 -** that science has to too many ajipeared incapable : " for 

 persons of reflecflion and understanding must admit, that 

 chemistry, defined in the Introdu6lion to this Work, " to 

 *■'• be a knowledge of the properties of bodies, and of the 

 " effeds resulting from their different combinariuns," 

 cannot but be necessary to the proper understanding and 

 bringing to perfeflion, any art, science, or occupation, 

 wherein matter is to be operated upon." 



Attacks upon the theories and opinions of other writers 

 have been carefully avoided, the Author's views not 

 being to court argument or dispute, but to convey such 

 information as appeared to him might be useful; nor 

 would he have departed from this line of conducl in the 

 following remarks respeding the acflion of lime, liad he 

 not considered it as hc'xwg conducive to the interest of 

 individuals, and to agriculture in general, to combat an 

 erroneous theory, to which many have subscribed, on 



the 



