Whereas the Royal Society, in prosecuting the Improvements of Natural knowledge, have it in design, to collect Histories of Nature and Arts, and for that purpose have already, according to the several Inclinations and Studies of their Members, divided themselves into divers Commitees, to execute the said design: Those Gentlemen, which do constitute the Commitee for considering of Agriculture, and the History and Improvement thereof, have begun their work with drawing up certain
Heads of Enquiries, to be distributed to persons Experienced in Husbandry all over England, Scotland, and Ireland, for the procuring a faithful and solid information of the knowledge and practice already obtained and used in these Kingdoms; whereby, besides the aid which by this means will be given to the general End of collecting the aforementioned History, every place will be advantaged by the helps, that are found in any, and occasion ministred to consider, what improvements may be further made in this whole matter. Now to the End, that those Enquiries may be the more universally known, and those who are skilful in Husbandry, publickly invited to impart their knowledge herein, for the common benefit of their Countrey, it hath been thought fit to publish the effect of them in Print, and withal to desire that what such persons shall think good from their own Knowledge and Experience to communicate hereupon, they would be pleased to send it to the Printers of the Royal Society, to be delivered to either of the Secretaries of same. The Enquiries follow.
1. For Arable.
1. The several kinds of the soyls of England, being supposed to be, either Sandy, Gravelly, Stony, Clayie, Chalky, Light mould, Heathy, Marish, Boggy, Fenny, or Cold weeping Ground; information is desired, what kind of soyls your Country doth most abound with, and how each of them is prepared, when employed for Arable?
2. What peculiar preparations are made use of to these Soyls for each kind of Grain; with what kind of Manure they are prepared; when, how, & in what quantity the Manure is laid on?
3. At what seasons and how often they are ploughed; what kind of Ploughs are used for several sorts of Ground?
4. How long the several Grounds are let lie fallow?
5. How, and for what productions, Heathy Grounds may be improved? And who they are (if there be any in your Country) that have reduced Heaths into profitable Lands?
6. What ground Marle hath over head? How deep generally it lieth from the surface? What is the depth of the Marle it self? What the colour of it? Upon what grounds it is used?
What time of the year it is to be laid on? How many loads to an Acre? What Grains Marled Land will bear, and how many years together? How such Marled Land is to be used afterwards, &c?