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The downes of Wiltshire are covered with mists, when the vales are
clear from them, and the sky serene; and they are much more often here
than in the lowest story or stage.
The leather covers of bookes, &c. doe mold more and sooner in the hill
countrey than in the vale. The covers of my bookes in my closet at
Chalke would be all over covered with a hoare mouldinesse, that I
could not know of what colour the leather was; when my bookes in my
closet at Easton- Piers (in the vale) were not toucht at all with any
mouldiness.
So the roomes at Winterslow, which is seated exceeding high, are very
mouldie and dampish. Mr. Lancelot Moorehouse, Rector of Pertwood, who
was a very learned man, say'd that mists were very frequent there: it
stands very high, neer Hindon, which one would thinke to stand very
healthy: there is no river nor marsh neer it, yet they doe not live
long there.
The wheat hereabout, sc. towards the edge of the downes, is much
subject to be smutty, which they endeavour to prevent by drawing a
cart-rope over the corne after the meldews fall.
Besides that the hill countrey is elevated so high in the air, the
soile doth consist of chalke and mawme, which abounds with nitre,
which craddles the air, and turns it into mists and water.
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On the east side of the south downe of the farme of Broad Chalke are
pitts called the Mearn-Pitts*, which, though on a high hill, whereon
is a sea marke towards the Isle of Wight, yet they have alwaies water
in them.
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