12

A DISCOURSE

unfruitful, yet wanting salacity to conceive, vigour to produce, and sen-sibly eluding all our pains; so there are others which are perpetuallypregnant, and this is likewise a good prognostic.

Upon these, and such like hints, in proposals of transplanting spicesand other exotic rarities from either Indies, the curious should be studiousto procure of the natural Mould in which they grow, (and this might beeffected to good proportion, by the ballasting of ships) either to plant ornourish them in from the seed, till they were of age, and had gained somestability of roots and stem, and become acquainted with the genius ofour climate ; or for efsays of mixtures, to compose the like.

By the -goodnefs, richnefs, hungrinefs, and tincture of the water strain-ing through grounds, and by the weight and sluggishnefs of it, comparedwith the lighter, conjecture also may be made, as in part we haveshowed already.

To conclude: There are almost none of our senses but may of -rightpretend to give their verdict here.

And first, we judge by the odour or smell, containing, as my LordVerulam affirms, the juice of vegetables already, as it were, concoctedand prepared ; so as after long droughts, upon the first rains, good andnatural Mould will emit a most agreeable scent, and in some places (asAlonzo Barba, a considerable Spanish author, testifies) approaching themost ravishing perfumes ; on the contrary,, if the ground be disposed toany mineral, or other ill quality, it sends forth arsenical and very noxiousfleams, as we find in our marshes ;and fenny grounds.

2dly, By the taste, and that with good reason, all Earths aboundingmore or lefs in their peculiar salts, as well as plants ; some sweet andmore grateful; others bitter, mordacious,.or astringent; some flat andinsipid; all of them to be detected by percolation of untainted water thro’them; though there be who affirm that the best Earth , like the bestwater and oil, has neither odour nor taste.

3dly, By the touch, if it be tender, fatty, detersive, and slippery; ormore asperous, gritty, porous, and friable; likewise if it stick to the fin-gers like bird-lime, or melt and difsolve on the tongue like butter.