WAT 
linotff falts and oils blended together : thefe two bodies 
make a fapo, which is a faline body, but not a fait. 
Now oil itfelf is not diffoluble in Water ; but the ad- 
mixture of the fait here rendering it faline, Water 
readily diffolves it. 
All the humours in the human body, are apparently 
faline, though none of them are fait itfelf. The fame 
may be faid of the juices of ail vegetables, excepting 
the oils, which accordingly diffolve in Water. 
Saks are the active inftruments of nature j and yet 
thefe do not act, unlefs diffoived either by Water or 
fire. 
4. It diffolves glafs itfelf; for this, if melted with 
fait of tartar, becomes foluble in Water. 
5. It diffolves all gummous bodies ; this being part 
of the definition of a gum, that it diffolves in Water, 
in cqntradiftin&ion from a refin : but oleaginous bo- 
dies it leaves untouched ; nay, and what is more ex- 
traordinary, it repels them ; and by repelling, drives 
the oily particles into eddies. 
If a hundred drops of oil be thrown upon Water, all 
the feveral drops, which before were perfe&ly dif- 
perfed, will foon gather together again, and leave 
the Water alone ; fo that there fhould be fome re- 
pugnance between Water and oil, and fome attraction 
between the particles of Water, as alfo between that 
of oil. 
Add, that Water feems to repel all oleaginous, fatty 
bodies, wherein oil predominates ; and hence alfo it 
is, that the fatty parts in our bodies efcape being dif- 
foived by W ater ; and it is in all probability, by this 
means, that fat is collected in the adipofe cells of all 
animals. 
Nor does Water diffolve fulphur; for though you 
boil fulphur ever fo long in Water, yet it will {till re- 
main untouched. 
Nor does it diffolve terrene or earthy bodies, but ra- 
ther unites and confolidates them ; as we fee in tiles, 
&c. 
Water however, mixed with alkaline falts, diffolves 
oil, and oily bodies ; thus though mere Water poured 
on greafy wool be repelled thereby, and contributes 
nothing towards cleanfing the fame ; yet mix a ftrong 
lixivium, or an alkaline fait with the Water, and then 
it readily diffolves, and abforbs all that is greafy and 
oleaginous ; and thus it is woollen cloths are fcoured. 
But neither will Water alone do, as being immifcible 
with oil, nor will any other fort of falts ; for fea 
Water, with all its falts, will never wafh out any oily 
impurities. So, in the ordinary methods of fcouring 
and fulling, the fluffs are wafhed in ftale, putrefied, 
human urine, which is known to be a thorough alkali. 
Laftly ; it does not diffolve refin, as we conceive a 
refin to be no other than an infpiffated or concentrat- 
ed oil. 
Having thus fully treated of the properties of Water 
philofophically, I fhall next confider it as effentially 
neceffary in gardens for ufe, and alfo of the beauty 
which Water adds to gardens, where it can be obtain- 
ed in plenty, if it is properly difpofed ; and firft of 
its ufe. 
In the kitchen-garden, Water is abfolutely neceffary, 
for without it there can be little expeCted ; therefore 
in fuch places where there cannot be a lupply of Wa- 
ter obtained for bafons or ponds, wells muff be dug ; 
and where the depth to the Water is too great to be 
raifed by pumps, there .muff be either machines for 
raffing it contrived, or it muff be drawn by hand ; 
but in fuch places which are fo unhappily fituated, as 
to require machines for the raffing of Water from a 
great depth, there is but fmall encouragement to make 
kitchen-gardens ; for then conftant fupplying of Wa- 
ter in thofe dry fituations will be attended with great 
expence, and generally the produce of fuch land is of 
little worth, efpecially in dry feafons. 
Where kitchen-gardens are fupplied with Water from 
wells, there fhould be a contrivance of large cifterns, 
into which the Water fhould be raifed, to beexpofed 
to the fun and air fome time before it is ufed ; for 
the rawnefs of this Water, when frefh drawn from 
W A T 
Wells, is not agreeable to the growth of vegetables ; 
fo that where large ponds are in the neighbourhood 
of thefe gardens, from whence the Water can be led 
into them, that is by much the beft for the growth 
of vegetables ; next to this, river Water is to be pre- 
ferred, efpecially from thofe rivers which run through 
or near large towns, where the Water is fattened by 
the foil thrown into the rivers ; but the V/ater of 
fome very clear rivers, is as hard as that from the 
deepeft fprings, rifing through gravel or fand ; but 
the fprings iffuing through chalk are generally much 
fofter. 
If good Water can be obtained in plenty from the 
neighbourhood of the kitchen- garden, then there 
fhould be two or three bafons made in different parts 
of the garden, fo that no part of the garden fhould be 
too far diftant from the Water ; for where the Water 
is to be carried to a confiderable diftance, the expence 
of labour will be great, and there will be great dan- 
ger of the plants fuffering, from their being but fpa- 
ringly watered ; labourers being very apt to flight their 
work, when attended with trouble, if they are not 
well looked after. The fize of thefe bafons fhould be 
in proportion to the quantity of Water which will be 
required, or that they can be fupplied with, but their 
depth fhould not be more than four feet ; for when 
they are deeper, there is danger of perfons being 
drowned, if by accident they fhould fall into them ; 
befides Water, when very deep, is not fo well warmed 
and tempered by the fun and air, as when it is fhallow ; 
therefore the Water of fhallow bafons is beft for the 
ufe of gardens. 
In making of thefe bafons, there muft be particular 
regard had to the natural foil of the garden, . for in 
loofe fandy land there will require much care in mak- 
ing of the clay walls foas to hold Water ; but where 
the ground is loamy, or inclining to clay, there will 
be little difficulty in making bafons, and the clay walls 
need not be fo thick. Where the ground is loofe, 
the clay walls at the bottom fhould not be lefs than 
two feet thick, and thofe on the fides one foot and a 
half The clay fhould be well wrought over and 
trod after it is taken from the pit, before it is ufed in 
building the wall. The true fign of good clay is, 
that it be clofe and firm, without any mixture of land, 
and that it be fat and tenacious in handling : as for 
the colour, it is no matter whether it be green, yel- 
low, blue, or red ; but before the clay is brought to 
the place, the bafon fhould be dug out and formed ; 
for if the clay is too long expofed to the fun and air, 
it will not be fo fit for ufe, efpecially if it be laid in 
fmall parcels. 
The beft time of the year for making bafons, is in 
autumn when the fun is declining, and the weather 
temperate ; for in the fpring of the year the eaft and 
north-eaft winds generally blow, which are drying; 
fo that the clay walls, which are not very carefully 
covered as faft as they are made, very often crack in 
many places ; and thefe fmall cracks often grow wider, 
and the Water will find a paffage through them. The 
fame inconveniency happens from the violent heat of 
the fun in fummer ; for when the clay dries faft, it will 
be very difficult (not to fay impoftible) to prevent 
its cracking, and thefe will let off the W ater-; and 
if the clay wall fhould not be well made at firft, it 
will be very difficult to mend it after ; befides the 
uncertainty there is in finding out the places through 
which the Water finds a paffage, which is feldom 
done without ftrictly examining every part of the 
clay. 
When the ground is dug out level, where the bafon 
is defigned, the clay muft be brought in, and laid 
very carefully in the bottom, being very careful that 
no dirt or fmall ftones be mixed with the clay ; and 
there muft be fome Water thrown from time to time 
upon it, as it is clofely trod by mens naked feet, and 
then it muft be rammed very clofe : in the perform- 
ing of this, there muft be great care taken that every 
part of the clay is equally kneaded and rammed, 
without which there will be great danger of the Wa- 
ter 
