Some Inquiries and Suggestions Concerning Salt for Domestick Uses; and Concerning Sheep, to Preserve Them, and to Improve the Race of Sheep for Hardiness, and for the Finest Drapery. In a Letter from Doctor John Beal to the Publisher

Some Inquiries and Suggestions concerning Salt for Domestick Uses; and concerning Sheep, to preserve them, and to Improve the Race of Sheep for hardiness, and for the finest Drapery. In a Letter from Doctor John Beal to the Publisher. 1. **Salt** gives the savour and gust to all our Diet; and would be the best and surest Prevention against the Rot of Sheep, if it could be had at Ease Rates upon the Downs; for which England is generally most concern'd: For, Sheep do support our great Staple-trade, as is implied in the Proverb, *That London-bridge hath Wool for the Foundation, and that our Senators in Parliament do sit on Wool-Jacks*. Therefore I here annex and intermingle the Consideration of Salt and Sheep, as most necessary commodities, and not out of the Road of your Useful Philosophy; nor by you omitted in your Ph. Transactions. Against the Rot in Sheep Spanish Salt is recommended Numb. 100: and the means to get Salt is describ'd or suggested Numb. 51, 53, 54, 66, 102. 2. From the last of which I will begin to sollicite these further Inquiries: At what places about Lemington in Hampshire Salt is made? What Quantity is made there? Whether any Salt is made in the Isle of Wight, or in the Isles of Jersey or Guernsey, or any Isles or Coasts belonging to England, Scotland, or Ireland? And what is the peculiar accommodation in Lemington, which occurs not on other Coasts? What kind of Salt, white or bay, &c? And, if it might be obtain'd from a trusty friend, to know, what is the gain by each Copper at Lemington; the Proportion of the Copper; how many workmen for one or more Coppers; what their Wages, and what other Charges? To the purpose, that where the Wages or other Charges are less, and the Accommodation not wanting, the supply for the Neighbourhood, or as the Seas and Rivers may convey the Salt, may be encouraged. Note, that the Brine at Nantwich, contains a Third, or Fourth, or when least, a Sixth Part of Salt. 3. Mr. Winthorp by Letter told you, that he had the Way of making good Salt in New-England in great abundance and at ease rates. They complain, that great wages are requir'd there; which which does much retard their Building of Ships and their Iron-works; which would otherwise do them great Service, and do a necessary Kindness to this Kingdom at present, if applied to save our Timber, which begins to be scarce. And Salt is requisite for their great Advantages by Fishery, if they have learnt to cure their Cod and Sturgeon, of which they have abundance on their Coasts and Isles; and they have the nearest approach to secure the English Interest on Newfoundland, and for the Fishery on the Bank. Under one you may inquire, what Accommodations they have, or what Helps for Salt about New-York, or other Places in that Continent, or in any Isles of the English Colonies. If a sufficient Sunshine and Industry be not wanting in Ireland, I cannot guess what should hinder them to have abundance of Salt for themselves, and their Fishery, and for others, since they cannot want Workmen, and their Wages (as I am inform'd) not great, if compar'd with the usual Demands in South-England. 4. In Varro's Days it was the Reproach of our Transalpines (who dwelt much farther towards the South than we do) that on the Rhine there were then neither Vines, nor Olives, nor Apples, nor Sea-Salt, nor Fossil-Salt, but were driven to the poor Shift of using Burnt-wood for their Salt: Ubi nec Vitis, nec Olea, nec Poma nascentur; ubi Salem nec fossilem nec maritimum haberent, sed ex quibusdam lignis combustis, carbonibus salis pro eo uterentur. Varro de re Rust. l. i. c. 7. The World is, as to those Things, much amended (since those Days) on this side the Alpes: And the English may yet be minded to proceed, as far as they can, to remove the Reproach; at least for Fruit, Wine, and Salt. Cato c.88. teaches diligently how to make vulgar Salt (popularem Salem) purely white. Columella l. 12. c. 53. shews, How to order our Bacon and our Salt (coeto Sale, nec nimium minuto, sed suspensa molâ infracto, diligentem salito;) for our delicate Gammons, &c. and there instructs, How to boil Salt, and how to season the several Parts of Bacon. And l. 6. c. 1. for Application to sore Eyes (a curious Point) he prefers Salem-Montanum, Hispanum, vel Ammoniacum, vel etiam Cappadocum, minute tritum, & immixtum melli. All our good Housewives do find a great Difference between our common Bay-Salt, and the several other Salts, which are in ordinary Use amongst amongst us. We find some white Salt very faint; and the Price imports a Difference between Spanish, French, and Portugal Salt. 5. The Illustrious Palladius, who wrote about the Year 350, and had his ample Manors or Territories in Italy, Naples and Sardinia, and thereby had great Experience in Sheep, seems to give sure Rules, How to preserve the Flocks sound; Novemb. Tit. 13. Sect. 2. Among his Adviso's he faith, Salis tamen crebra conpericio, vel pascuis mista, vel canalibus frequenter oblata, debet pecoris levare fastidium. All these Three, Palladius, Varro, and Columella, do give infallible Instructions for the Preservation of our Flocks; but the Rules cannot be observed by those that have the greatest Flocks: To change Pastures often, to be supplied in rainy Seasons with dry Fodder, to lick salted Troughs, to have some turns in Salt-Marshes: The Words of Palladius l. cit. are, Pascua ovillo generi utilia sunt, qua vel in novalibus, vel in pratis succioribus excitantur, palustria vero noxia sunt. And Gabr. Prat. from his own, and his Ancestors Experience of 80 Years, bids us take heed of the pregnant Verdure, when much Rain falls in the vernal Months of April, and May: And all Sheep-masters are afraid of rainy Autumns. But whence shall the Relief be had? The Charge will be heavy, if the same Fodder be provided for every Year, and the destroying Years do surprize us. I hear, that about Salisbury some do plough up a few Acres, and sow a Kind of Pulse, which they there call Tilth. And now we have in England to many Kinds of French Seeds, and French Grass, that one Kind or other is like to prosper in most Places; and Fodder well ordered in Stacks will hold out for many Years, perhaps for Sheep the older the better. And hereabout they hold such friendly Correspondence, that in Autumn I see the Shepherds drive the Flocks out of Somersetshire into Dorsetshire, and those of Dorsetshire into Somersetshire, for the Benefit on both sides by change of Soil. Note, That crude Antimony cures Sheep and other Cattle, and fattens them also. I omit many Particulars commonly known and observ'd by careful Shepherds, as in Showers, and soon after a shower to drive the flocks gently, that they may beat off the Dew with their Feet, before they be suffer'd to feed on the wet Grass, especially in cold Mornings, when dewy dewy Cobwebs lie upon the Pastures; and to let the Sheep blood under the Eye, as soon as they can discern them Rank of Blood. I must refer to Mr. John Smith's England's Improvement, l.5. p.170,171. hoping that he will bestow a few Sheets more to direct punctually the best Way of ordering Sheep, and the most effectual Remedies against the several Kinds of Rots, and their other Diseases, as a Matter of no small Concernment to England, and in which he seems to have much Experience. 6. To return for more Salt, and to know the Shifts that are made, and lately were made for it in England. At Wirewater in Lancashire Salt is gathered out of Heaps of Sand along the Sea-side in many Places: Upon which Sand (faith Speed) the People pour Water until it gets a saltish Humour, which they afterwards boil with Turfs, till it become white Salt. Cambden in Britann. fol. p.753. describes it thus, In ora hac maritima multis in locis habuli cumulos videas, quibus aquam subinde infundunt, donee saluginem contraxerit, quam postea subditis glebis in candidum sale n excoquunt. And Speed saith, There are certain Stones lying in the River Were at Butterbec near Durham, from whose Sides, at the ebb and low Water in Summer, issues a certain Salt reddish Water, which with the Sun waxeth white, and growing into a thick Substance becomes a necessary Salt for the By-dwellers. Cambden p.744. describes it thus, Inde Vedra decurrit, crebro eminentibus saxis interpolatus, quibus si aqua infundatur, parumque miscetur, salam imbuit qualitatein. Sir, you took Notice of two or three saline Springs in this Neighbourhood of Somersetshire: One examin'd by Dr. Highmore, in your Num. 56. p.1130; another Num. 57. p.1162. And doubtless there are many more such in England, if well observ'd: And tho' the Proportion of Salt be small, yet they may serve for some domestick Uses. The Water in Summer-time, when the Brine is strongest, being cast in any Place where it may be soon dried by the Sun, and where we would have Pigeons resort, does please them well. So will any refuse Brine being boil'd up to a Consistence. But I know not whether such Brine taken from powder'd Flesh will be kind for Sheep. Possibly such saline Springs may indicate fossil Salt for future Industry. And N. 56. p.1135. you recite from worthy Mr. Evelyn a good Hint to encourage some Attempts for the Multiplying of Salt, in Sylva secund. Edit. Sir Hugh Plat hath said and collected enough of the Vertues and Uses of Salt (and how it may be obtain'd) for the Fertilizing of Land, in his Jewel-house, c. 104. Now to improve the Race of our Sheep for Hardines, or for Largeness of the Size, and Abundance of Wool; we hear, that many wealthy Sheep-masters on the Downs do offer very high Rates for the largest Sheep, Rams especially, that they can procure; and sometimes they buy from foreign Parts very large and lusty Rams, and find the Benefit by the Largeness of the descending Race. And since, in several Parts of England, they seriously let on for the finest Drapery, 'tis to be wish'd that our Merchants would bring us from those Parts of Spain, Italy, and Greece, (which boast of the finest Wool) both Rams and Ewes that bear the finest Wool, that we may try them at Lembster-fore in Herefordshire, where they are skill'd, and generally practised in ordering such delicate and tender Sheep, and to try them in other Parts, where they pretend to the finest Wool in England. Our Merchants say much, and require good pay for the Spanish Wool; some for the Wool of Segovia. Of old the Sheep of Tarentum had in Italy the highest Esteem. These Tarentin Sheep were brought into Italy from Greece, and were so tender, and did require such curious and costly Attendance in Varro's Days, being all cover'd with Leather Pelts (pellibus integuntur) to guard them from Heat or Cold, and to preserve their Purple Fleeces from all Pollution; Varro l.2. c.2. and after, in Columella's Time, required such exact Skill to preserve them, Colum. l.7.c.2. that I know not how to recommend them for our English Climate, and our ordinary Shepherds. Pallad saith, l. cit. Graecas ovres, sunt Asianas, vel Tarentinas, moris est potius stabulo nutrire quam campo. I must refer to better Advice for such a Race as is likely to live amongst us, and then if Gentlemen wou'd make the Trial to amend the Race of Sheep (as they have often attempted to amend our Race of Horses by the best of Barbary, and as with more Hope the Gentry in Ireland may assay to mend their mettlesome Hobbies with Spanish Genets, or Bards from Tangier,) under one, by the same or like diligence, and by the same adventure, they may chance to oblige their Country both ways, both with Sheep bearing finer Wool, and with better Horses than the Irish Hobbies; I dare not say, than the right British. For For I was told by a great master of horses, who had many years experience of Stallion barbs, the best he could buy, that the bastard barbs, descending from the best English mares he could obtain, were constantly better shaped, and better for the saddle and other stronger service, than their Syres. But I turn'd here aside to name Ireland, because the rot of sheep is not so ordinary in Ireland as in England, and they are nearer Spain and Tangier than we are: And they are highly to be commended for their late industry, both in the linnen and Woollen manufactures; which may nobly provoke our emulation. And whilst England and Ireland strive to excel each other in good things, we draw closer to a perfect union, and to give strength and assistance to each other mutually. Sir, you having been long accustom'd to bear the burthen of useful Inquiries, and to promote the common good, you'll pardon this freedom in, &c. An Account of some Books. I. About the Excellency and Grounds of the MECHANICAL HYPOTHESIS, some Considerations occasionally propos'd to a Friend by R. B. E. Fellow of the R. Society. London. 1674. in. 4°. This Discourse is annexed to another, entituled, The Excellency of THEOLOGY, compar'd with NATURAL PHILOSOPHY; which though it be not of a direct tendency to the design of these Tracts, yet doth it occasionally mention divers things, fit to be taken notice of by a Student of Natural Philosophy; such as are the useful Hints and Directions to guide him in the making Experiments skilfully and warily (p. 118, 119;) to encourage him to the Improvement of Natural Philosophy, now that the Mechanical Hypothesis is sufficiently settled, and the right Methods of Inquiring are found out (p. 171,) to instruct him how injurious Systematical Writers are to the true search of Nature (p. 193.) and what care is to be had of establishing Philosophical Hypotheses (p. 208.) as also how much remains yet to be discover'd of Nature (p. 174, 176, 178.) and how Philofophy hath recoiled by the Aristotelians laying aside Mathematicks, and disputing of Generals (p. 204.) and by whom the Experimental and Mathematical Way of Philofophizing hath been restored and brought