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no fatisfa&ory Account of it ; and they, who under- 
hand it, generally keep it a Secret, left others 
fhould learn fo beneficial an Art. But as it is a 
Commodity that no Nation hardly can well be 
without, either for making Soap, Glafs, Dying, or 
Bleaching, fo the Way of making it is generally 
underfiood in moft Countries, except our own. 
For in France , and other Countries where they 
make Wine, they make a kind of Pot-afh in an eafy 
manner from the Lees of their Wine. In thofe 
and other more Southern Climes, they have many 
kinds of Herbs hereafter mention’d, either fponta- 
neous, or cultivated on purpofe, which they as eafily 
convert into Pot-afh. In Germany , and other more 
Northern Countries, they make great Quantities of 
Pot-afh by extracting the Salts of their Wood-afhes, 
in a manner that is well known. But it is only in 
Ruffia , Sweden , and other Northern Nations, where 
the Art of converting their Wood-afhes into Pot-afh, 
without the tedious Proccfs of Elixiviation, is either 
well known to the Learned, or pra&ilcd by the 
Vulgar. 
By this means moft Nations are fupplied with 
this neceffary Commodity of their own, except the 
Englijhy who might be fupplied with any Quanti- 
ties of it, from the great Plenty of otherwife ufelefs 
Wood they have in their Colonies, if not at home, 
if they knew how to make it. But it feems this 
Art is fo little under flood among us, that many At- 
tempts I have known to make Pot-afh have all 
proved unfuccefsful merely upon that account, fo 
as to be intirely laid afide. This has put me for 
fomc time upon inquiring into the Ways of making 
this 
