_Enquiries concerning _Agriculture_._ 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 {92} 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? {93} 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?