At Bitteston, in the highway, blew marle appears.  Mr. Montjoy hath drawn the water that runnes through it, and is impregnated with its nitre, into his pasture grounds, by which meanes they are improved from ——­ to ——­ per annum.
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In Bradon-forest, and at Ashton Kaynes, is a pottery.  There is potters’ clay also at . .. .  Deverell, on the common towards Frome, and potts are made there.
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At Clarendon-parke is lately discovered (1684) an earth that cleanseth better than Woburne earthe in Bedfordshire; and Mr. Cutler, the cloathier of Wilton, tells me he now makes only use of it.  There is at Burton-hill, juxta Malmesbury, fullers’ earth, as also about Westport, and elsewhere thereabout, which the cloathiers use.

Tobacco-pipe-clay excellent, or the best in England, at Chittern, of
which the Gauntlet pipes at Amesbury are made, by one of that name. 
They are the best tobacco pipes in England. [See a curious paragraph
on the subject of Gauntlet-pipes in Fuller’s Worthies,- Wiltshire.-J. 
B.]
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The earth about Malmesbury hundred and Chippenham hundred, especially about Pewsham-forest, is vitriolate, or aluminous and vitriolate; which in hot weather the sun does make manifest on the banks of the ditches.

At Bradfield and Dracot Cerne is such vitriolate earth; which with galles will make inke.  This makes the land so soure, it beares sowre and austere plants:  it is a proper soile for dayries.  At summer it hunger-banes the sheep; and in winter it rotts them.

These clayy and marly lands are wett and dirty; so that to poore people, who have not change of shoes, the cold is very incommodious, which hurts their nerves exceedingly.  Salts, as the Lord Chancellor Bacon sayes, doe exert (irradiate) raies of cold.  Elias Ashmole, Esq. got a dangerous cold by sitting by the salt sacks in a salter’s shop, which was like to have cost him his life.  And some salts will corrode papers, that were three or four inches from it.  The same may be sayd of marble pavements, which have cost some great persons their lives.
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The soil of South Wilts is chalke and white marle, which abounds with nitre; and is inimique to the nerves by the nitre that irradiates from it.  ’Tis that gives the dampishnesse to the flowres and walles of Salisbury and Chalke, &c.  E contra, Herefordshire, Salop, Montgomeryshire, &c. the soile is clear of any salt; which, besides the goodnesse of the air, conduces much to their longævitas:  e. g., 100 yeares of age in those parts as common as 80 in Wilts, &c.

The walles of the church of Broad Chalke, and of the buttery at the farme there, doe shoot out, besides nitre, a beautifull red, lighter than scarlet; an oriental horse-flesh colour.

The soile of Savernake forest is great gravelle:  and (as I remember) pebbley, as on the sea side.  At Alderbury, by Ivy Church, is great plenty of fine gravelle; which is sent for all over the south parts of the countrey.