In my theory, I
advanced two propositions with regard to the economy of this world:
First, That the solid masses of this earth, when exposed to the
atmosphere, decay, and are resolved into loose materials, of which the
vegetable soil upon the surface is in part composed; and, secondly, That
these loose materials are washed away by the currents of water, and
thus carried at last into the sea. Our author says "Here are two
suppositions, neither of which is grounded on facts;" and yet he has
but the moment before made the following confession: "That the soil,
however, receives an increase from some species of stones that moulder
by exposition to the air cannot be denied, but there is no proof that
all soil has arisen from decomposition."--Surely _all soil_, that
is made from the _hard and compact_ body of the land, which is my
proposition, must have arisen from _decomposition_; and I have no where
said, that _all_ the soil of this earth is made from the decomposition
or detritus of those stony substances; for, masses of looser sand and
softer substances contribute still more to the formation of vegetable
soils.
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