IS
Furthermore, good and excellent Earth thould be of the same constitu-tion, and not of contrary, as soft and hard, churlish and mild, moist anddry; not too unctuous, nor too lean, but resoluble, and of a just andprocreative temper, combining into a light easily crumbling Mould , yetconsistent, and apt to be wrought and kneaded; such having a modi-cum of loam naturally rising with it, to entertain the moisture, does neitherdefile the fingers, nor cleave much to the spade, which easily enters it:this kind is usually found under the turf of pasture grounds, upon whichcattle have been long fed and foddered. In a word, that is the best Earth to all the senses which is of a blackish grey, cuts like butter, sticks notobstinately, but is short, light, breaking into small clods, is sweet, willbe tempered without crusting or chapping in dry weather, or becoming
mortar in wet.
Lastly, By the sight, from all the instances of colour and other visibleindications; for the common opinion is, though exploded by Columella,that all hot and choleric grounds are red or brown; cold and dry, black-ifh; cold and moift, whitilh ; hot and moift, ruddy; which yet, exha-lations from minerals, the heat of the fun, and other accidents may caufe;but generally they give pre-eminence to the darker greys; next to therufset; the clear tawny is found worse; the light and dark'ash-colour(light also of weight, and resembling ashes) good for nothing; but theyellowish red worst of all. And all these are fit to be known, as contri-buting to noble and useful experiments, upon due and accurate compari-sons and inquiries from the several particles of their constitutions, figures,and modes, as far at least as we can discover them by the best auxiliariesof microscopes, lotions, strainers, calcinations, and grindings; upon suchdiscovery to judge of their qualities, and by efsaying variety of mixtures,and imitating ail sorts of Mould , foreign or indigen, to compoundEarths as near as may be resembling the natural, for any special or curioususe, and thereby be enabled to alter the genius of grounds as we seeoccasion h .
h I cannot in this place omit the beautiful and correct description that Virgil has givenus of the various soils:
Next, of each various soil the genius hear!
Its colour, strength, what best dispos’d to bear.