^Xli ' ADVERTISEMENT. 



a Treatife on the Culture of the Melon and Pine- 

 apple; and I mean to compare my fcheme of 

 deftroying the infedis and healing the dlfeafes of 

 the aforefaid plants with thofe methods which 

 are already publifhed; and in particular with 

 thofe of the three authors whom I have 

 quoted, and of w^hofe writings I defign taking 

 a retrofpec^ve view, not for the purpofe of 

 depreciatiort, but for that of inveftigation, and 

 that the Public may be able clearly to fee whofe 

 method is the moft preferable for healing the 

 difeafes, and for deftroying the infeds, which are 

 accounted detrimental to vegetation. 



Mr. Speechly, after giving his receipt for the 

 deftrud:ion of thofe infeds which infeft the pine- 

 apple plant, fuggefts that a better and more 

 cafy remedy than his own might be invented ; 

 and for this end, he recommends that boiling 

 water be poured upon quickfilver or mercury, 

 and that the pine-apple plants be conftantly 

 watered with this water, which he fuppofes 

 would be fo impreg .ated by means of the quick- 

 filver, that the juices of the plants would there- 

 by in courfc of time be fo changed, that inftead 

 of continuing to be the natural and proper fub- 

 fiftenceof the infefts, they would become poifon- 

 ous to them. Thefe and fuch-like fuggeftions 

 are the fanciful imaginations of the mere fpe- 



culative 



