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soils may be difsembled, and the air and water attempered, (at least forsome curiosities which may give light to more useful things) I do not con-clude m , but I should expect very rare and considerable things from an at-tentive and diligent endeavour. To this end, the raising of artificialdews and mists, impregnated with several qualities for the more naturalrefreshment of exotic plants, were, it may be, no hard matter to effect,no more than were the modification of the air abroad, as well as in ourmore confined Reserves, where we set them in for hyemation, and duringthe most rigorous colds. .As for mixtures of earth j plants we know arenourished by things of like affinity with the constitution of the soilwhich produces them, and therefore it is of singular importance to bewell read in the alphabet of earths and composts; for,, as we have said,plants affect the marsh, bog, mountain, valley, sand, gravel, fat and leanmould, according to their tempers; and for want of skill in this, thesame plant not only languishes and starves, but some we find to grow soluxuriant as to change their very shapes, colours, leaves, roots, and otherparts, and to grow almost out of knowledge of the most skilful Phyto-lomst 5 not here to speak of what alterations do accrue from transplantingand irrigations alone. I mention this to incite the curious to efsay artifi-cial compositions in defect of natural soil 5 to make new confections ofearths and moulds for the entertaining of the most generous and pro-fitable plants, as well as the most curious, especially if, as I hinted, wecould skill to modify also the air about them, and make the remedy aswell regional as topical j and why not for other fruits (strangers yetamongst us) as for oranges, lemons, pomegranates, figs, and other pre-cious trees, which of late are become almost endenizoned amongst us, ando- r ow every generation more reconcileable to our climate ? For, accord.Tno- to Theophrastus , it is not the excefsive fatnefs and richnefs of thesoil which invites these exotics and varieties to stay with us, or indeed any
other plants to prosper, but something which is connatural and suitable to,the species.
Here we might enlarge upon the several inquiries formerly suggested ;as, How far principles might be multiplied and differenced by alterationand condensation ? Whether earth , stripped of all heterogeneity and un-uniform particles, retains only weight and an insipid siccity? And whetherit produces or affords any thing more than embracement to the first rudi-ments of plants, protection to the roots, and stability to the stem; unpro-