PRODUCED ARTIFICIALLY. 81 



England derives her supply of nitre exclu- 

 sively from her East Indian possessions. Hol- 

 land also does the same, and has done so for 

 ages past; but the other Continental States, 

 having no colonial povssessions, being driven to 

 their own resources to produce this article, 

 have discovered a variety of means of pro- 

 ducing it. In the course of these researches 

 it was found that the superficial soil of farm 

 yards, cattle stalls, cellars, privies, and other 

 places long exposed to the vapour of putrefy- 

 ing animal matter, afforded a supply of this ar- 

 ticle, and farther that the supply was much 

 increased when these soils were mixed with 

 wood ashes. In consequence of these disco- 

 veries various oppressive laws were created in 

 France and elsewhere, giving the crown a 

 right and possession to these nitrous soils 

 wherever they might be found, and companies 

 were formed and charters granted for the sup- 

 ply of this necessary article to the government 

 magazines, but as a necesvsary consequence the 

 land became impoverished from the abstraction 

 of one of its best manures, and the vexations 

 and annoyances to the parties subject to these 

 extortions became so vehement, that a com- 

 mission was appointed by 'I'urgot, the then 

 Minister in France, of which Lavoisier was 

 the head, having for its object to discover the 

 best means to obtain a supply of tliis article. 

 The following is believed to have been the 

 manner in which this important article was 

 produced, or at all events these means may 

 readilv be adopted for forming it. 



8-^ 



