A Philosophical Discourse

Seats; and some again are indifferent to either ; but generally speakingmost of them chuse the warm, and mo're benign; and the Bottoms areuniversally fertile, being the recipients of what the Showers bring downto them from the Hills and more elevated parts.

Another infallible Indication is the nature, and floridness of theBlants , which officiously it produces; as where Thistles spontaneouslythrive; where the Oak grows tall and spreading; and as the Plant is 0kind, so to prognostic for what Tillage, Layer, or other use, the Groundis proper; Tyme, Strawberries, Bettony , Sorall, &c. direct to Wood;Camomile , to a Mould disposed for Corn , and I add, to Hortulan Fur*niture ; Burnet , to Pasture; Mallows to Roots, and the like, as myLord Verulam and others observe.

On the contrary, some Ground there is lo cold, as naturally bring 3forth nothing but Gorfe , and Broom, Holly, Tew, Juniper , jststBox, &c. which may happily direct us to the Planting of c Pine, F irS ’the Bhillyreas , Laurel , Sstanijh-Broom, and other perennial Verdure 8in such places. ,

Moss, Rujhes, JVild-TanJy , Sedge, Flags, Fern , Tar row, anwhere Plants appear wither’d or blasted, shrubby, and curl'd, (wlmare the effects of immoderate Wet, Heat, and Cold interchangeably/are natural Auguries of a cursed Soil .* Yet I have observ’d some ^ er IGrounds proper enough for Costs'ce and Forest-Trees. Thus as by 1 .Blant we may conjecture of the Mould ; ib by the Mould may we g u f_at the Blant : The more herbaceous and tender, springing from f-gentle Bed; the courser and rougher Plants, from the rude and churl" ^And as some Earths appear to be totally barren, and some thoughaltogether so unfruitful, yet wanting Salacity to conceive, Vigor ^produce, and sensibly eluding all our Pains; ib there is other, whichperpetually pregnant, and this is likewise a good Prognostic. . ^Upon these, and such like hints, in proposals of transplantingand other exotic Rarities, from either Indies, the Curious shouldstudious to procure of the natural Mould in which they grow y ,this might be effected to good proportion, by the balasting ofcither to plant, or nouriffi them in from the Seed, till they wereage, and had gained some stability of Roots and Stem, and become ^quainted with the Genius of our Climate ; or for Essays of Mi* tur Jto compose the like,

By thb Goodness, Richness, Hungrinefs and Tincture of the W Astraining through Grounds, and by the Weight and Sluggishness 0 ^

compared with the lighter, conjecture allo may be made, as in P arliave shewed already. . ^

To conclude, there are almost none of our Senses, but may of ^pretend to give their Verdict here: And First, z)

By the Odour or Smell, containing ( as my. Lord Verulam a yp 0 a sthe juice of Vrgetables already as it were concocted and prepar^»,after long Drowths, upon the first Rains, good, and natural y %emit a most agreeable Scent; and in some places (as Alonficonsiderable Sstanijb Author testifies) approaching the most raV U^'Perfumes; as on the contrary, if the Ground be disposed to any J - oU jral, or other ill quality, sending forth Arsenical , and very °°Steams; as we find from our Marshes and Fcnny-grounds.

By the Taste, and that with good reason ; all Earths ab oU _ asl dmore or less in their peculiar Salts, as well as Blants ; lomc Iwc

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