The Hartlib Papers

Good Mr Hartlib

                    I receaved not long agoe your last and in it a promise to communicate unto me some observations of worthy Mr Beal upon Perles.   And as I hartily thanke you for it, so I must tell you, that I shall alwayes be very glad to receave whatsoever comes from soe able a person as hee. I now send you a secret to make grow a salade in all times and seasons in the space of two or three years houres. Take of of the ashes of mosse and of dung finely powdered, mingle them well together, and water them 6. or 7. times with the juce of dung, drying them as often at the sunne, till at last you make of this composition a fat earth, which conserve in an earthen or glasse vessel till you have a mind to make vse of it.

      If you are in winter, put of this earth into an earthen vessell, bruise it well, and water it with the juce of dung till it become like the ground which is ready to be sowed (that is to say nether to wett nor to dry) And then put it upon a chafing dish of coales, giving it a heat equall to that of the month of july, and afterwards sowe your grain of lettice and other such herbes, as you are wont to sowe them in ordinary ground, having first let them infuse the space of 24. houres in the juce of dung upon a gentle heat. When you see that the earth in the pot groweth dry by reason of the heat of the fyre, water it with warme raine water, and in the space of two or three houres you will see your earth all covered with herbes.

    A gentleman of this towne gave me lately a secret against the stone esteemed by him to be excellent against the stone, which disease he much had been tormented with these many yeares, but was freed therof he said since he had made vse of this remedy, which they call here L'Eau de Bellegarde. If you doe not know it and thinke it may serve you or any of your freinds, I shall not fayle, God willing, to send it you

In the meane while I remaine

                            your very affectionate humble

Paris the 28^th of Feb:      servant R. Iones

        1660

            A Monsieur

            Monsieur Samuell Hartlib

[another hand, upside down:] Iones