1+6 
5J7 
5?S 
TJaturall History: 
-I 
And not Heating the Ground too ranch. The next Sca'Sand i Y\ hich 
(no doubt) obtaineth a fpeciall Vertue, by the Salt: For Salt is the firft * 
Rudiment of life. Chalke ouer-heateth the Ground a little. And there¬ 
fore is belt vpon Goldclaj-G rounds , or Moifi Grounds: But I heard a great 
Husband i ay, that it was a common Erroui to think that C'balke helpeth 
Arable Grounds , but helpeth not Grazing Grounds ; Whereas (indeed) it j 
helpeth Grafts as well as Come: But that which breedeththe Errouris,! 
becaufe after the Chalking of the Ground , they weareit out with many j 
Crops , without Reft ; And then (indeed) afterward it will beare little 
Graffe, becaulcthe Ground is tired out. It were good to trie the laving of 
Chalke vpon Arable Grounds , a little while before Plowing ; And to 
Plow it in, as they doe the Duugi But then ltmiift be Friable firft, by 
Raine, or Lying: As for Earth, it Compafjeth it Selfe 5 For I knew a Great 
Garden, that had a Field (in a manner) powred vpon it- and it did beare 
Fruit excellently the firft veare of the Planting: For the Surface of the 
Earth iseuerthe Fruitfulleft. And Earth fo prepared hath a double Sur¬ 
face. But it is true, as I conceiue, that fuch Earth, as hath Salt Petrt l,- 
bred in it, if you can procure it without too much charge, doth excell. 
The way tohaftenthe Breeding of Salt-Fetre , is to forbid the Sunne, and 
the Growth of Vegetables. And therefore if you make a large Houell, 
thatched, ouer fome Quantity of Ground; Nay if you doe but Plancke 
the Ground ouer, it will breed Salt-Petre. As for Pond Earth, or Ritter 
Earth, it is a very good Compojl • Efpecially if the/iWhaue beerelon 1 
vncleanfcd, and fo the water bee not too Hungry: And I Iudge it wifi 
be yet better, if there be fome Mixture of Chalke . 
The Third Helpe of Ground, is, by fome other Sub flames, that hauea 
Vertue to make Ground Fertile, though they bee not meerelv Earth- 
wherein Afhes Excell- Info much as the Countries about Aitna, and 
Vefuuius , hauea kinde of Amends made them, for the Mifchiefe the E- 
ruptions (many times) doe, bv the exceeding Fruitfulneffe of the soyle, 
caufedby the Afhes , fcattered about. Soot alio, though thin fpred, in a 
Field , or Garden, is tried to bee a very good Comp oft. For Salt, it is too 
Coftly: But it is tried, that mingled with Seed-Come, and fowen toge¬ 
ther, it doth good: And I am of Opinion, that Chalke in Powder, ming 
led with Seed-Come, would doe good - Perhaps as much as Chalking the 
Ground all ouer. As for the Steeping of the Seeds, in feuerall Mixtures 
with Water, to giue them Vigour; Or watring Grounds with Compojl-wa¬ 
ter i We haue fpoken of them before. 
The Fourth Helpe of Ground, is, the Suffering of Vegetables to die mu 1 
the Ground • And fo to Fatten it • As the Stubble of Come, Efpecially Pcafe 
Brakes c aft vpon the Ground, in the Beginning of Winter, will make it ve¬ 
ry Fruitful!. It were good (alio) to try, whether Learns of Trees fwepr 
together with fome Chalke and Dung mixed, to giue them more Heart, 
would not make a good Compofi: For there is nothing loft, fo much as 
Leauesof Trees 5 Andas they lye fcattered, and without Mixture, they 
rather make the Ground (oure, than otherwife. 
The 
