[ S 6 3 ] 
Commodity, and fo much wanted 5 for it grows on 
the fame Ground with Com of any kind, which it 
does no Harm to, as it is a fmall annual Herb, that 
does not fpread till the Corn is ripe, or off of 
the Ground. 
There are fome other Plants that are known to 
make a kind of Pot-afh, commonly called Rochetta , 
which is faid to be even preferable to the Barrilha , 
efpecially for making Glafs. Thefe are thefirft and 
fecond Kinds of Kali) defctibed by Brofper Alpi- 
nus , in his Account of the Plants of Egypt. The 
firft of which is the above-mentioned Ficoides that 
grows in Italy , and all over the Levant* but the 
other is peculiar to Egypt. Thefe would be fit Im- 
provements for our Colonies in America , where 
we feem to want nothing more than fome proper 
Production for the vaft TraCts of Land we are pof- 
feffed of there. But thefe Plants alone afford a 
Commodity, which Tr. Alpinus and Rauwolfius 
tell us they faw many large Ships yearly loaded with 
in Egypt) and which gives the Excellency to the 
Glafs and Soap that are made at Venice . 
It would be worth while then at lead to make a 
Trial of a Production, that is likely to improve 
both our Trade abroad, and our Manufactures at 
home. It was this that put me upon the prefent 
Inquiry, as an Improvement fit for our Colonies, 
which if I find acceptable, I (hall hereafter confider 
Tome others. 
E e e e 
XI. 
