NEW HUSBANDRY EXEMPLIFIED. IJ 



trees and all plants, from living anional bo- 

 dies, and thole in a ftate of putrefaction or 

 diflolution by fire or other agents ; all thefe, 

 and every kind of volatile matter lighter 

 than air, afcend into it, and compofe that 

 fluid body called the atmofphere. In this body 

 are contained the moft active parts of matter, 

 and the principles, or elements, of all natural 

 bodies. This fluid body furrounds :he earth's 

 furface, and, being conftantly in contact 

 with the earth, muft have very great influence 

 upon it; and in fact we fee it has fo ; for heat 

 and cold, drought and moifture, dews or rain, 

 fnow and fro ft, do all proceed from the fun 

 and atmofphere ; they dired the feafons and 

 temperature of the air and earth, and are the 

 great caufes of its fertility, or of its barren- 

 nets. 



Rain and dews contain the vegetable nou- 

 riihment in confiderable quantities; and it is 

 , by them introduced and depotited in the foil. 

 If the foil be loofe and porous, they intro- 

 duce it to a connderable depth, as in light 

 fandy land ; but ftifF loams and clays being 

 much more clofe and compact, the rain and 

 dews do not eanly penetrate into them, or but 

 to a fmall depth ; for which reafon, fuch 

 clofc lands are enriched by them near the fur- 

 face only. 



This is feen in land that has lain fomc time 

 at reft, whereof the furface, called the ftaple, 

 is of a fomewhat darker colour, and richer 



than 



