OF EARTH. 51 



It is salt which fertilizes and renders Egypt so luxuriously fruitful after 

 the inundations of the Nile ; and the nitrous grounds of Jamaica and 

 other places, cause a stupendous growth of plants and trees. 



It is the want of salt which emasculates the virtue of seeds too long 

 macerated in hungry water, and renders floated wood such unprofitable 

 fuel, and to turn into such insipid ashes ; and whatsoever it be some plants 

 may appear to affect, as to the external differences of appetite, some of 

 them seeming to draw in more air, some earth, and others water in ex- 

 traordinary measure, according to the several contextures of their parts, 

 or by whatever magnetisms and attractives, it is still to come at their salts, 

 which doubtless create that inclination, and compose the various saps and 

 juices which they present us. Nay, what if I should say that all the se- 

 veral parts of vegetables were endowed with their peculiar and distinct 

 salts, through different motions, complications, and percolations ? Or, 

 that so many earths, so many kinds of salts digested and transported by 

 their different vehicles and strainers ; and those also, though unlike in 

 quality, yet perfectly congruous to what they produce and nourish ? but 

 what this vehicle or menstruum is, I contend not. It is evident that salts 

 unite best with water, vernal and autumnal showers and dews, as the 

 most apt to convey their insinuations. You know, who have dignified 

 salt with the prerogative of being named element-earth, the vigour and 

 close of all things ; yea, the first and last of elementated bodies. What 

 shall I say, quid divlnuni I the original of all fecundity ; nor can I say 

 less, since there was no sacrifice, or discourse, acceptable without it. 

 And verily, upon serious contemplation of the premises, and the little 

 experience I have had of their effects in this work of vegetation, as far as 

 I am able to penetrate into causes by them, I am i^ot displeased at the 

 magnificent epithets which are given it. In the mean time, I know there 

 be who are so averse to this doctrine, as to prefer water alone before it ; 

 nor contend I with them, so they allow the near affinity and friendship 

 which is between them, as I have deduced it at the entry of this Discourse, 

 where I describe my autoptical observations of the several earths : all 

 that I pretend froni hence being only to excite us to make diligent inquiry 

 what may more likely be the cause of vegetation, and whether salt have 

 not a dominion almost monarchical in this great work of Nature, being so 



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