AGRICULTURE. 103

of that very body now found so congenial to vegetation, As this is fairly illustrated by in- numerable experiments science has established, and now, indeed, by every informed man acknow- ledged as an indubitable truth, I must enforce the remembrance of it, for the purpose of strengthening and animating my readers’ con- fidence when I come to the management of lime, dung-mixens, and other agricultural amend- ments. Almost all earths have in their mix- ture some of those absorbent parts,—some mutch more than others; and it is the business of the farmer, whenever too small a quantity of this principle is evident, to provide a fresh supply by art. And here chemistry displays its value and utility, by discovering to us what materials contain, in their component parts, such ab- sorbent alkaline particles. Jt informs us that chalk, marl, almost all the different composts, and lime, are endowed with this power. Before I animadvert on the use of this last, which is the pointed and marked article, the very general use of which I am hostile to; I shall presume an

excuse;—having dedicated but a little of my

time to the consideration of this subject;—and, at the same time to say, I am indebted to the affa- bility and liberality of a nobleman for the use of one book judiciously written, and for which I now return my sincere and most respectiul ac-

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