OF EARTH. 



17 



A certain yellowish loamy earth, which had been brought to me with 

 some orange-trees out of Italy, was reduced to a bright, soft sand, ap- 

 pearing more gemmy than in the other loams. 



Chalk resembled fine white flour, and some of it sparkled, especially 

 the harsher sort ; but the tender, not. 



FuUers'-earth appeared like gum tragacanth ; a little wetted, seem- 

 ingly swelled, yet glistering ; but, when reduced to a fine dust, became 

 a smooth sand. 



Tobacco-pipe earth, not much bruised, was just like white starch ; 

 washed and well-dried, it resembled the whites't flour of wheat a little 

 candied. I had not the opportunity of examining the several sorts of 

 marls ; so I proceed to the dungs. 



Neats'-dung (the cattle fed only with fodder, or little grass, for it was 

 in the winter I made my observations) appeared to be nothing but straws 

 in the entire substance, and colour a little altered, save what a certain 

 slippery mucilage gave them, sprinkled with a glistering sand like atoms 

 of gold ; but, upon washing and drying again, the tenacious matter 

 vanished, and the straws appeared separated and clear. 



Sheeps'-dung was much like the former, only the spires and blades of a 

 fine short grass were conglomerated and rolled up into pellets, about 

 which the glue was less viscous, but it passed also away in the lotion. 



Swines'-dung had the resemblance of dirty bees'-wax, mingled with 

 straws and husks, which seemed like candied eringo, and some like 

 angelica roots. 



The soil of horses appeared like great wisps of hay and little straws, 

 thin of mucilage, and which, being washed, was easily to be discerned 

 by a naked eye. 



Deers'-dung much resembled that of sheep. 



Volume II. 



