Original Letters of Dr. Franklin. 367 
Schuyler, and obtain for you a particular account of his man- 
ner of improving his banked grounds 3 and will also pro- 
cure you a Specimen of our alum earth, with Mr. Syng’s ob- 
servations on it. In return (for you know there is no trade 
without returns,) T request you to procure for me a particu- 
lar account of the manner of making a new kind of fence we 
saw at Southhold on Long-Island, which consists of a bank 
and hedge: I would know every particular relating to 
this matter, as, the best thickness, height, and slope of the 
bank; the manner of erecting it; the best time for the 
work ; the best way of planting the hedge ; the price of 
the work to labourers per rod or perch; and whatever may 
be of use for our information here, who begin in many pla- 
ces to be at a loss for wood to make fence with. We were 
told at Southhold that this kind of fencing had been long 
practiced with success at Southhampton and other places on 
the south side of the Island, but was new among them. I 
heard the minister of Southhold is esteemed an ingenious 
man ; perhaps you may know him, and he will at your re- 
quest, favour me with an explicit account of these fences. 
The fore part of the summer here was extremely dry, and 
the grass in many places was burnt up. But we had a good 
crop of wheat ; and rains coming on about the end of July, 
we had in August a new spring, the grass sprouting again 
wonderfully thick and fast in fields where we thought the 
very roots had been destroyed. Our grave-diggers said 
they found the earth hot sensibly at three feet depth, even 
after these rains. Perhaps the great heat below and the 
moisture above, occasioned this sudden and profuse vegeta- 
tion, the whole country being as it were one great hot-bed. 
fam, with esteem and affection, dear Sir, 
sen Your obliged humble servant, 
B. FRANKLIN. 
x 
~ 
a : PHILADELPHIA, SEPT. 12, 1'751. 
~ Dear Sir, 
I received your favour of last March, with the twelve 
essays. Some time since, I mentioned to you a method of 
increasing dung by leaves ; did you receive that letter ? 
