2 A TREATISE OF 



having either a fharp fand or fprings be- 

 neath, but either a rock, marlc, or a 

 ftrong clay, if it be tolerable dry. 



The ibhd particles of clay are the fmall- 

 eft of any fort of foil : fo that in clay there 

 is much matter and but little fpace. It re- 

 tains moifture longer than fand, whofe 

 folid parts are much larger, as well as the 

 ipaces betwixt them : through which too 

 great a quantity of the faline juices quickly 

 defcend, and the lighteft parts of them 

 are eafily attraded by the fun's rays, by 

 which in the fummer the furface becomes 

 too foon dry. Clay, though it retains 

 moifture longer, yet when 'tis very dry 

 i§JVnc%j)paft a body, that neither rain 

 nor watering can eafily penetrate it, but 

 remain upon or near the furface in fum- 

 mer till attrafted by the fun, or carried 

 off by the winds, and but little defcends 

 to the roots of vegetables : nor can the 

 roots extend themfelves fo eafily in clay, 

 as in foils more open and porous. There- 

 fore, as fand gives room for the roots to 

 extend themfelves, and clay retains proper 

 Juices for them to abforb, a mixture is bet- 

 ter than either of them alone. 



Any 



