284 
COM MERCK. 
any vegetative principle in the earth, as animal or ve¬ 
getable salts, or lime may do; it produces bad effects 
on ploughed lands, by increasing their dryness in hot 
weather, and by making them greasy, and what the 
farmers call raw in damp weather. 
He has found it serviceable to scatter foul salt upon 
large heaps of manure, to kill weeds, and destroy their 
seeds, but not to enrich ; care must be taken that it be 
not laid near the roots of trees, as it will certainly de¬ 
stroy them. 
If laid at the bottom of pools, it enables them to bold 
water; it is wholesome to granivorous, and gramini¬ 
vorous, animals, but prejudicial to carnivorous ones. 
Dr. Nash says, further on the subject of salt, 1805, 
tl Having a considerable estate at Droitwich, I sunk a 
pit there, at the expense of 30l. sufficient to furnish 
salt for half the kingdom, and now let it for Si. 10s. 
per annum. A bushel of salt, without duty, is worth 
about 5d. or not so much ; with the duty, the labourer, 
who salts his pig, pays above 15s.” 
But I apprehend some mistake or omission in this 
calculation, as the coal delivered at Droitwich will cost 
most of the money; to this is to be added labour, rent 
of salt pits, and of buildings necessary in the trade, 
furnaces, tools, machinery, interest of captital, &c.; 
the duty, however, forms a very large proportion of the 
price of the article. 
Mr. Pomeroy says, u The produce exported is 
chiefly fruit, cyder, perry, and hops; considerable 
numbers of fat cattle, sheep, and hogs, are also sent to 
London, and the large manufacturing towns of the 
counties of Warwick and Stafford. The quantity of 
wool is estimated at 2000 packs, of 240lb. each, value 
from 101. to 161. per pack. But the principal source 
of 
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