._- I 2ra$ I BR ■fc tm ■\ky VbaAl A PRACTICAL TREATISE 0 F HUSBANDRY: Wherein are contained, many USEFUL and VALUABLE EXPERIMENTS and OBSERVATIONS IN THE NEW HUSBANDRY, Collected during a Series of Years, by the Celebrated M.DUHAMEL DU MONCEAU, Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, Fellow of the Royal Society, London, &c. ALSO, The mod approved Praftice of the beft ENGLISH FARMERS, in the Old Method of Husbandry. with Copper-Plates of feveral new and ufeful Instruments. Agricola incurvo terrain dimovet aratro. Hinc anni labor ; bine patriam, parvofque nepotes Suftinet ; bine armenta bourn, meritofqiie juvencos. Virg. Geom-. J. 2. LONDON: Printed for J. Whiston and B.White in Flcet-JIrect, R.Baldwin in Pota-najhr-Row, W. Johnston in Ludgate-jlrut, P. Davey and B. Law in Ave-mary-Lane, MDCCLIX. To The Right Honourable JACOB, Lord Vifcount FOLKESTONE, president; The Right Hon. Robert, Lord Romney, The Right Hon. George Henry, Earl of Litchfield, The Right Hon. Simon, Earl of Har court, The Right Hon. Hugh, Lord Willoughby, of Par ham, The Rev. Stephen Hales, D. D. Charles Whiiworth, Efq; Edward Hooper, Efq; George Eckerfall, Efq; VI CE-PRESIDENTS; And to the reft of the Gentlemen, who are of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce ; This practical Treatife of Hufbandry, is infcribed, with the utmoft Refpecr, By Their mojl obedient Servant, And Sincere IFelhviJher, March 24, •755- John Mills. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from NCSU Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/practicaltrea.tiOOduha .0300© ®2O0® @90Q§ ©9QQ0 §9QQ§ $iQ&® ©iSS®'- o o "^)«r I© u)| ;© a Hi nr I© qI ^r lo a>l_3_J© qI ^r '_ •@5O0® ®555o® @a*5e® Isoei ©5oa@ ®50 • • . . ibid. Refult of the experiment at Denainvilliers, . .; 115 Refuli of the experiment at Acou, ' , , 1 1 6 $.11. :>;., CONTENTS. §. II. Contfauation of the experiments at Denainvillers and Acou, in the year 1 7 c J , . . . . 1 1 8 A V* -II- -U-A i. ^/Denainvilliers, . . ; ibid. 2. At Acou, . . : . .120 §. III. Continuation of the experiments at Denainvilliers mid Acou, in the year 1752, . . . . ibid. 1 . At Denainvilliers, . ibid. 2. Experiments made at Denainvilliers, in order to know whether it be mo ft profitable tofow in two rows, or in three, . 121 3. Continuation of the experiments made at Acou, in the years 175 1 and 1752, . - • .122 §. IV. Experiments made at Denainvilliers in the year 1753, ibid. §. V. Experiments made at Denainvilliers in the year 1754, 123 §. VI. Experiments made at Denainvilliers in the year 1755, ibid. §.VII. Experiments made by M. Diancourt, in the years 1753, 1/ '54, an and part with the drill-plough, in September 175 1, ibid- Experiment, No. 6, ..... 157 Experiment, No. 7, ..... . ibid. Refections of M. de Chateau- vieux, which prove the truth of the principles on which the new bujbandry is jowided, 159 §. III. Experiments made by M. Lullin de Chateau-vieux, in the >'ear *7$h 163 Art. 1 . Experiments made on lands laid out in beds, which had borne a fecond and third cropt with fome obfervations parti* cularly relating thereto, . . . 1 64 Experiment, No. 1, . . . . . ibid. Experiment, No. 2, . . . .165 Experiment, No. 3, . . . .169 Obfervations on tbefe experiments, . . ibid. Art. 2. Experiments made on lands which had borne a-firfl crop. Remarks on tbefe experiments, . . . 171 Experiment, No. 4, ibid. Experiment, No. 5, . . • • I73 Experiment, No. 6. . . . .174 Experiment, No. 7, . . „ ibid. Art. 3. Experiments on land laid out in beds, and of which the firfi crop was reaped in 1753. Reflections on tbefe expert- mmt*> ..... ibid. Experiment, No. jL . . ' 17- Experiment, No. 9, . .... 176 Art. 4. Experiments made on fields fown in equally dijlant rows with the drill-plough, by jeveral lovers of agriculture, 177 Experiment, No. :o, . . , , j^id. Experiment, No. 11, . , , m j~g Experiment, No. 12, . . . ibid. Experiment, No. 13, ; . . .179 Expe- xvi CONTENTS. Experiment, No. 14, . . ibid. Experiment , No. 15, . . . ' . 180 Art. 5. Account of the crops produced during fixtcen fucceffive years, by fields cultivated and [own in the common 'way, and of which part was conjlantly dunged ; compared with a crop of the fame fields cultivated without dung, according to the new husbandry, even fuppofing them not to yield more than they did in 1753, which was their firjl crop, and which was greatly diminifned by the unforefeen and extraordinary acci- dents already mentioned, . . . ibid. Art. 6. Proofs that the bejl field in the country, though the greateji part of it was dunged, yielded lefs wheat than thofe of the ex- periments No. 2 and 1 1, in which no dung was ufed, 182 Art. 7. Reflections and obfervations on the practice of the new hujbandry, . . . . .185 Art. 8. General difpofition of the land for the crop of 1754, 188 Conclufion, . . . . 189 §. IV. Experiments made by M. Lullin de Chateau-vieux, in the year 1754, . . . .190 Art. 1. Experiments made on lands formed into beds, which had yielded a third and fourth fucceffive crop : with fome obfer- vations particularly relating thereto, . . 192 Experiment, No. 1, being the fourth fucceffive crop off the fame field, ibid. Experiment, No. 2, . . . 198 Experiment, No. 3, . . . . . 199 Remarks on thefe Experiments, . . . 200 Art. 2. Experiments made on lands laid cut in beds, and which had borne a fecond crop. Refections on tbefe Experiments, ibid. Experiment, No. 4, .... ibid. Experiment, No. 5, . . • .201 Experiment, No. b, . . • . . 202 Experiment, No. 7, ibid. Reflection **• the experiments contained in this article, 203 Art. CONTENTS. xvn Art. 3. Experiments made on lands laid cut in beds, which had borne a fir ft crop : with an account of , he manner in winch they were tilled to prepare them for fowirg. Remarks on thefe experiments, . . . . . . 204 Experiment, No. 8, . . . ic / Experiment, No. 9, .... ibid. Experiment, No. 10, . . . 208 Remarks on thefe experiments, : ; . ibid. Art. 4. Experiments made on lands laid cut in beds, which had borne a firjl and fecond crop; together with fome inter efling obfervations, . . . . . . 212 Experime?2t, No. 11, . . . . ibid. Obfervations on this experiment, . . . ibid. Experiment, No. 12, . . . .. 215 Experiment, No. 13, . . . '. 216 Art. 5. Experiments made by fever al lovers of Agriculture, on lands fown in equally dijlant rows with the drill-plough, 217 Experiment, No. 14, . . . ibid. Experiment, No. 15, . . . . 218 Experiment, No. 16, . . . . ibid. Experiment, No. 17, . . . . 219 Experiment, No. 18, . . . 222 Art. 6. Summary accounts of the products of fever al pieces of land fown in equally diflant rows with the drill-plough, 223 Experiment, No. 19, . . . ibid. Table of the extent, fowing, and crops of different pieces of land, in 1754, . . . . 225 Art. 7. General reflections and obfervations on the experiments con- tained in the foregoing articles, . . ibid. Art. 8. Experiments made on beds fown with fix rows of wheat : comparifon of their produce with that of beds fown with only three rows ; and fome inquiry into what number of rows it is befltofow, . . . . .232 c Art. XV111 CONTENTS. Art. 9. Experiment made in order to know which is the moft profitable way of [owing the beds ; and to af certain more pre- cisely the quantity ofjeed proper to be ufed, in order to have the great ejl crop, . . . . . 234 'Table of a bedfown in clujlers with barley, and itsprodu£it 236 Remarks thereupon, . . . . 237 ■Art. 10. General difpofition for the farther progrefs of the new hujbandry, and particularly for the crop of 1755, 241 V. Continuation of M. de Chateau-vieux's experiments in 1755 and 1756, ..... 242 Art. 1. "Experiments made on fields laid out in beds, the la ft made of which had borne three fucceeding crops : with obfervations relating particularly to each experiment, . . 245 Experiment, No, i,year 1755, . . ibid. Ob/ervattons, . . . .246 No. 1. year 1756, . . . 247 Ob/ervations, ..... ibid. Experiment, No. 2, year 1755, . . 249 Obfervations on Smyrna wheat, . . . .250 No. 2, year 1756, . .... ibid. Obfervations, : . . . . 251 No. I. Produce of the field No. 2, during fix teen years that it was cultivated in the old way > viz. from tie harveft of the year 1730, to that of the year tj^inctttfiyely, 252 No. 2. Produce of the fame f eld during five years of culture in the new wayt . . . . 253 No. 3. Comparifon of the above product of the new culture, with that of the old, . . . . 254 No. 4. Farther comparifon of the produfhef the new hujband- ry, with that of the old, . . . ibid. HcjiecJions and obfervations, .... ibid. Experiment CONTENTS. XXX Experiment, No. 3, . . . .256 Experiment, N. 4, year 1755, . . ibid. — : year 1756, . . 257 Ob/ervations, . , . . . ibid. Experiment, No. 5, year 1755, . . ibid. year- 1756, . . . ibid. Experiment, No. 6, year 1755, . . .258 , year 1756, . , 259 Obfervations, . , . . . ibid. Experiment, No. y, year 1755, . . . 260 year 1756, . . . ibid. Experiment, No. 8, year 1755, . . . 261 Experiment, No. 9, j^r 1755, . . . 26? year ,7j6, . . . ibid. Experiment, No. 10, year ij 55. . . . ibid. year 1756, , . . ibid. Experiment, No. 11, . . , . 26^ Produce of the firji and fecond crop of a field cultivated in the new way, . ... .265 Eirft year's produce of a field f own and cultivated according to the new hufbandry y ... , .'269 Obfervations, • . . # 2_f Art. 2. Experiments made on lands fown in equally diflant rows with the drill-plough : with fame refections on 'the advan- tages of this practice % . , , , 2-., Experiment, No. 17, year 1755, . \ 2-. r ; )'ear *7$(>, . . 275 Recapitulation of thefe experiments, , . 2jy Experiment, No, 18, . , , .278 Art. 3. Shewing the product of the new bujbandry to he fvbericr to that of the old. . ... J ibid. c z Comparifon xx CONTENTS. Comparifon of the produce of land fown in equally dijlant rows with the drill plough, with that of the other land laid out in beds, . . . . 280 CHAP. III. Of the culture of Maiz or Indian Corn, . . 283 CHAP. IV. 'Experiments on Smyrna Wheat, . ... 290 CHAP. V. Experiments on Wheat of different countries, . . 292 ^^^^aO^©^^^^^^^^^^^^©^^^^©^^! PART. HI. Of the Culture of Spring Corn, Millet, and Rice, Legu- minous Plants and Pot-Herbs, Flax and 'Hemp, Artifi- cial and Natural Grass, and the Vine. CHAP. I. Experiments on Barley, Oats, and Rye, . . . 295 §. I. Experiments made near Bourdeaux, by M. Navarre, Dean of the Court of Aids, . . . . 295 §. II. Experiments made at Avignac in Britany, by M. de Brue, . . . . . 296 §. III. Extract of a letter from a Gentleman in Poitou, 297 §. IV. Experiment on Barley, by his Excellency M. Bielinflci, Grand Marfial of Poland, . . • . . 3GI CHAP. CONTENTS. xxi CHAP. II. Of the .culture of Millet, . \ 305 CHAP. III. Shewing the refemblance between the culture of Rice in China, and the new method which we have propofed for the culture of Wheat, ..... 306 C HA P. IV. Experiments on Leguminous Plants, . ■; . 309 CHAP. V. Experiments on Pot-herbs, &c. . . : 313 CHAP. VI. §. I. Of the common culture of Turneps, . . 323 §. II. Of the culture of Turneps according to the new hujhandry, by M. Duhamel, . . . . * 324 §. III. Experiments on Turneps cultivated according to the new kuf- bandry . . . . , 329 CHAP. VII. Of Flax and Hemp, . . . . .334 CHAP. VIII. §. I. Of the culture of Sainfoin, . . . 337 §. II. Experiments on Sainfoin, . . . ^ac CHAP. IX. §. I. Of ■ the culture of Luferne, . , :m n^ §. II. Experiments on Luferne cultivated according to the new huf- bandry, by M. de Chateau-vieux, . . 354 Account xxii CONTENTS. Account of the produce of Luferne planted in beds, and cultivated according to the principles of t/.v wew hufbandry : ivith fome important . reflections on the advantages which may be obtained from it, .... . 357 Remarks on the culture of Lu feme, . , . 359 Continuation of M. de Chateau- vkuxV acc-ount of his experiments m Luferne, in the years 1755 and 1756, . . 361 Olfervaiions, ... . . . 362 CHAP. X. Of Clover, .. . . . . .367 CHAP. XL Of Meadow crPafture Ground, . . . 370 CHAP. XII. $. I. Of the culture of the Vine, . . . 383 §. II. Of Vineyards in England, . . . 389 §. III. Extract of a letter jrom M. Rouflel in Brie, to M. Du- hamel, ..... 403 §. IV. Experiment on the Vine cultivated according to the principles of the new hufbandry, by M. de Chateau-vieux, . 404 Of the difpofition of the Vines in the Vineyard, . 406 Of the importance of leffening the' expence of culture, by the new difpofition oj the Vines, . . . 407 Of the means oj rendering the culture of the Vint more beneficial to the plant and its fruit, . . . .408 §. V. Good effects of this culture proved by the produce of a bed of Vines 40 toifes long, planted in 1752, . . 41! §. VI. Getter al directions for making Wine, . . 414 PART CONTENT?. xxiir PART IV. Of the Instruments peculiar to, or ufeful in, the New Husbandry. CHAP. J. Of Ploughs, ..... 423 §. I. Defcription of M. de Chateau-vieux'j Plough, . 42 * M. de Chateau- vieux'.* directions for ufmg his plough, . 429 §. II. Defcription of M. Duhamel'j plough, . . 430 CHAP. II. Of Drill-ploughs, . . . , • 432 §. I. Of Mr. Worlidge'* DrilUphugh, . . ibJd. §• II. 0/7^ Sembrador, , .-- §- III. Of M. VandusfelV ftafc, . . .430 §. IV. Of M. Duhamel'i Drill-plough, . . ^Q CHAP. III. Of Horfe-hoes, . . . , ... 445 §. I. Defcription of M. Duhamel'j light plough, . . jjk^ §• II. Defcription of M. de Chateau-vieux'i fngle cultivator, 446 §. III. Defcription of M. de Chateau-vieux'; double cultivator, 443 §. IV. Defcription of M. de Chateau-vieux* cultivator with two mould-boards, . Directions for ufing the cultivator with two mould-boards, by ft/de Lnateau-vieux, J 45* § . V. Defcription of M. de VilliersV cultivator, . . . 4 - Obfervations on horf -hoeing, by M. de Villiers, . ' : 456 C H A P. xxiv CONTENTS. CHAP. IV. Of Granaries, ..... 459 'Experiments on ninety four cubic feet cf wheat (not dried) which was prejerved above fix years by ventilation only, . 461 Experiment on j$ cubic feet of new wheat, extremely moifi, and which had already contracted, a bad fmell, . . 463 Experiment on 90 cubic feet of fine wheat, which was preferved with~ out ventilation, after having been dried on a kiln, . 464 Experiment onj$ cubic jeet of fmail wheat, mixed with fmut, wiicb had been dried on a kiln, . . . ibid. Experiment on 825 cubic feet of fine wheat lightly kiln-dried\ and ventilated, , . ... . . 465 Of //vMoth or Worm, .... 466 Experiment on fmutty corn, by the Rev. Dr. Hales, . ibid. Of the Weevil, ..... 467 Experiments made at Denainvilliers, on the prefervatton cf corn, 468 Experiments on the prefervation of corn, by Dorn Edward Proven- chere, ...... 470 Experiments on the prefervation of corn, by Dom de St. Affrique, 471 Experiments on the prefervation of corn, by M. Vandusfel, . . 472 CHAP. V. Obfervations on the weather, during the years 1755 and 1756, by M.Duhamel, 473 A PR AC- PRACTICAL TREATISE O F HUSBANDRY. PART I. CHAP. I. Of ROOTS. S the culture which is beftowed upon the pro- ductions of the earth, acts principally upon the roots, and relates more immediately to them, than to any other part of plants, we make them the fubjecT: of our firft chapter. The nice di- ftin&ions by which botanifts charadterife certain kinds of plants, would be foreign to our purpofe in this work, the fole defign of which is to treat of agriculture. We fhall therefore content ourfelves with dividing the roots of plants in general into two forts, viz. carrot or tap- B roots, 2 . 0:F ROOTS. Part I. roots, and creeping or fbrous-roots. The former, which are gene- rally fingle, run down altnoit perpendicularly into the earth, and the latter branch out horizontally, whence they are likewife called horizontal -roots. The Roots which proceed immediately from the feed, are always- of the carrot or tap kind. They ftrike down perpendicularly into- the earth, 'till it becomes too hard to admit of their farther paffage : but when the foil is deep, and eafily pierced, they penetrate fome- thnes to the depth of feveral yards, unlefs they are cut or broken, in which cafe they alter their direction. This I have frequently had occafion to obferve; particularly in plants raifed in water only. The tap-roots fhoot out branches which extend horizontally; and thefe branches are ftronger, in proportion as they are nearer to the furface of that depth of earth which is ftirred by the plough or fpade. Thefe are the roots which we call creeping, or fibrous. They extend fometimes to a confiderable diftance from the plant that pro- duces them : but then they become fo minute, that the naked eye can no longer trace them; efpecially when they have taken the tinclure of the earth that furrounds them, as they generally do. A Carrot, for example, which feems to have only one great root furnifhed with fome fibres, pufhes its' roots, according to Mr. Tull, to a confiderable diftance : but they grow fo very flender, that they cannot be diftinguifhed from the earth that covers them, without <*reat attention. The cafe is the fame with almofr. all plants. To be convinced of this, and at the fame time to know how far the roots of any plant can extend in ground that- has been well loofened by the plough or fpade, one need only make the following, or fome other fimilar experiment. Take a piece of ground that has not been broken up for a long time, and dig in it a triangular fpot, 80 feet long, 12 feet wide at one end, and ending in a point at the other. Sow 20 turneps in the length of this fpot, and let the earth round them be frequently dug and well hoed. When the turneps are come to their full growth, if that which is next the point is found to be the fmalleft, and the others are gradually bigger as they ftand nearer to the part of the triangle, that is, for inftance, four feet wide, it may be con- cluded that the roots of thofe bigger turneps have ipread two feet on every fide : and if the turneps are nearly of the fame fize from thence to the wideft end of the triangle, it will be reafonable to fiup-. pofe that their roots have not:extended above two feet. . ■ The. Chap. II. O F L E A V E S. 3 The following instances fhew what efforts trees will make, to find a proper foil for the extenfion of their roots. On examining thofe of a hedge, at the fide of which a ditch had been dug, it appeared, that after patting underneath the ditch, they re-afcended, and fpread themfelves in the plowed earth on the other fide. I made the fame obfervation on a row of elms, which were very near being killed by the digging of a deep ditch pretty near them, in order to prevent their roots from damaging an adjacent piece of ground. The- elms mot out freth roots in the loofe mould that dropt into the ditch : thefe roots re-afcended on the other fide of the ditch, and fpread in the plowed ground, and the elms foon recovered their former vigour. I have likewife obferved, that on digging a trench at a fmall di- ftance from a young elm, and rilling it with good mould, the roots of that elm took their direction towards the trench, and grew to a great length in it. Mr. Duhamel, gives an infiance of two elms blown down by the wind, which had flood upwards of an hundred years, whofe origi- nal roots, being planted too deep, had not increased in all that time, but the trees had been fed by other roots which fhot out nearer the furface of the earth. Thefe obfervations prove that roots extend themfelves to a great diftance in the earth, efpecially when the mould is loofe : and as a plant thrives in proportion to the extent of its roots, Mr. Tull juftly infers the neceffity of keeping the earth in a light ftate. A root that has been cut or broken, never grows longer, but foon produces feveral new roots, all of which gather the proper food of the plant. Its means of fubfiftence are therefore increaied by the breaking of its roots in digging or plowing. CHAP. II. Of LEAVES. LE A V E S are fo neceffary to plants, that few can fubfift with- out them : for experience fhews, that if they are ftrip'd of all their leaves, they generally die. I fay generally, becaufe we fqme- times fee trees flrip'd by infects, which do not die. But I have killed trees by taking off all their leaves. Is this difference owing to the infects deftroying them by degrees, or to my pulling them B 2 off would be lefs fo when raifed in a well-dung'd ground, than if it had grown in a poor dry foil j by the fame rule that felery acquires a ftronger and higher flavour, in a poor, than in a well-dung'd foil. 3. Dung, which, according to Mr. Tull, acts by fermentation, caufes indeed an internal divifion of the particles, which may -be of great ufe : but the plough not only divides the particles, but changes their fituation, by turning the earth upfide down. The part which was expofed to the influences of the air and dews, takes the place of another part which is removed from underneath to the furface, and the earth that is turned up is penetrated by the rain and dew, and by the rays of the fun.; all which greatly conduce, to render it fertile. 4. Dung harbours infects, which afterwards feed upon the plants and fpoil them. It is well known, that when lands are dunged in which trees are planted, their roots are in great danger of being hurt by infects : and this is one of the chief reafons why florifts banifh dung from their gardens.* 5. It is true that dung is equally beneficial to light and to ftiflf grounds; but the fame may be laid of tillage ; and the following is the manner in which Mr. Tull fays this lafl acts upon bath thofe kinds of kind. Too flxong land is that of which the parts. are fo clofe, that roots cannot penetrate them without great difficulty. Now-, if .roots can- not extend themfelves freely in the earth, they cannot draw from it the food of plants, which, for want of that food, will droop and languish. But when thofe lands fhall. have be.vo clafTes : the firft, {harp or red fand, confifling of fmall transparent pebbles, naturally found on the mountains, and not calcinable : the fecond, foft or fmooth. Mr. Chap. VIII. OF MANURES. 25 Mr. Miller obferves that, grounds which are fandy and gravelly, eafily admit both of heat and moifture ; but then they are liable to thefe inconveniencies, that they let them pafs too foon, and fo con- tract no ligature, or elfe retain them too long, efpecially where there is a clay bottom ; and by that means they are either parched or chilled too much, and produce nothing but mofs and cankerous infirmities ; but if the fand happens to have a furface of good mould, and a bottom of gravel or loofe ftone, though it do not hold the water, it may produce a forward fweet grafs ; and though it may be fubjecf to burn, yet it quickly recovers with the leaft rain. Sand indeed is apt to pufli the plants that grow upon it, early in the ipring, and make them germinate near a month fooner than thofe that grow upon clay > becaufe the falts in the fand are at full liberty to be railed and put into motion, upon the leaft approach of the warmth of the fun : but then, as they are hafty, they are foon exhaled and loft. Clay is another excellent manure, fays the author of the New Syftem-of Hufwndry, p. 1 24. and eafy. enough to be found in all places : but you muft obferve, 'tis only ufeful upon fandy grounds, or any lands of a nature entirely different from its own j among which you may reckon gravelly or pebbly foils. To thefe it brings the only part of excellence they naturally want, and confequently changes them, from what they were originally, to an equal fertility with the beft and richeft. This will, perhaps, be ftrange news to many countrymen, who have bought dung, all their life-time, to deftroy their land with. 'Tis as great a folly, adds our author, to dung grounds which require cooling, as 'twould be thought to adminiftxx poifon, to cure a man of a fever. Our farmers are not fenfible, that the temper of the land muft, as neceffarily, be confulted, as the pulje of the patient. The dunghil enly is their univerfal refuge ; they fly to that upon all occa- fions. They mil's a crop, by dunging an improper foil ; and lay on more dung, to remedy the misfortune. Some few years ago, continues he, a friend of mine remarkably JU experienced "the fufficiency of this obfervation. He had a couple of fields, divided by a hedge only ; neither of which was fit for corn, or feeding. He refolved to improve them both : and when they were plowed up to that intent, he found, that one was a hard brown clay, and the other a very burning gravel. He was furprifed to find thefe diametrical oppofites fuch neighbours, and fuppofed that, for E that 26 OF MANURES. Part I. that reafon, the hedge had been formerly made to feparate them. He pulled down the divifion, and, having laid them open, fet his men to work on trenching them fix inches deep. The earth they dug out of one trench in one field, he made them carry inftantly to •another trench in the other field, in wheel-barrows ; by this means interchangeably mingling the gravel with the clay, and the clay with the gravel. When this was done, he had it plow'd all over with a deep cutting plow, and -has fow'd it every feafon fince with the richeft grains. The effect of this is, that he has not now a finer or more mellow piece of ground in his eftate. The very nature of the land is altered, and there remains no vifible difference between the two divifions, but the whole is converted into a good hazel- mould, and produces a plump round corn, and as plentiful harveiis as any foil in the kingdom. The practice of the North-Riding of Yorkfhire, as related by Dr. Lifter, Phil. TranfaB. No. 225. fhews to how great advantage clay is made ufe of there, as a manure. The clay is of a blueifh colour, not fandy at all, but very ponderous. They dry it about Midfummer, on the declivity of a hill, and lay 100 loads on an acre of ground of a light fandy foil. They obferve, that for three or four years it continues yet in clods upon the land ; and that the firfr year, the land lb manured bears rank ill-coloured and brcad-grain'd barley, but afterwards a plump round corn like wheat. This clay manuring will, by certain experience, laft above forty years in the ground, and then it muff, be clayed again. This fandy ground, unlefs clayed, will bear nothing but rye, whatever other manure they uie. Clay becomes a much better manure when mixed with lime, than perhaps either of them are fingly. The lime corrects the bad qua- lities of the clay, by rendering it more friable. Sea-owfe, that is, the fettling of the tides on fhores and level places, between low and high-water mark, is a manure of incom- parable excellence for many forts of lands ; but is, on others, to be avoided, as a certain bane to whatever part 'tis mixed with. Loofe fandy foils are peculiarly benefited by it. The cleaning of ponds and ditches becomes likewife here an ex- cellent manure, confifting of the putrified animal and vegetable bodies mixed with the rich earth depofited there by rains, &c. The fame may be faid of the mud in rivers, where, by the ftag- nating, Chap.VIIL OF MANURES. 27 rating, or want of current in the vvater, the rich particles carried down by it have time to fubfide. But of all the manures for fandy foils, none is fo good as mark. There are many different kinds and colours of it, feverally diftin- guifhed by many writers ; but their virtue is the fame ; and they may all be ufed upon the fame ground, without the fmalleft diffe- rence in their effect. The colour is, either red, brown, yellow, blue, grey, or mix'd. It is to be known by its pure and un-compounded nature. There are many marks to diffinguifh it by ; fuch as its breaking into little' iquare bits ; its falling eafily to pieces, by the force of a blow, or upon being expofed to the fun, and the froft; its feeling fat and oily, and fhining when 'tis dry. But the moil: unerring way to judge of marie, and know it from any other fubftance, which may appear like it, is, to break a piece as big as a large nutmeg, and, when 'tis quite dry, drop it to the bottom of a glafs of clear water, where, if it be right, it will diffolve and crumble, as it were to duff, in a very little time, mooting up many fparkles to the furface of the water. In many places, marie difcovers itfelf to the moft negligent eye; efpecially upon the fides of broken hills, or deep hollow roads, in meff counties in England. Many rivers poffefs an inconceivable trcafure, on both their fides, which is plunder'd by every flood. B°igy fond* frequently cover it ; and, in fuch, it feldoni lies above three feet deep. 'Tis fomewhat lower, under ffiff clays, and marjhy ici-cl grounds. Moft fandy lands abound in it, in their loweff places, at fometimes three feet depth, and fometimes feven, nine, or more. As for the marie itfelf, 'tis feldom you can find its depth ; for, when the upper cruff of the earth is once removed, all you can fee, or dig, is marie, as deep as ever you can go. There are few, if any, inftances of a marle-pit's being exhaufted. Nothing is more common, in moft places, than to find the ditches which inclofe a field, dug down fo deep that they have pe- netrated fix or feven inches into a bed of marie that lies under them, without the farmer's taking any notice of it, tho' the prodigious fhooting and increafe of the grafs which is put forth by the marie thrown up upon the fides of the bank, might, one would think, be a./ne.ns of Covering it. Where the marie is thus, by accident, difclofed, it not only turfs the fides and tops of the banks, and thereby fecures them again ft all injuries of weather, but makes the E 2 grafs 28 OF. MANURES. Part I. grafs grow to iuch furprizing length and thicknefs, that, when beaten down by winds, it hangs along as if it thatch'd the earth which nourifh'd it, and carries off the rain, without permitting any considerable quantity to enter through it. The author of the New Syftem of Agriculture, p. 1 1 8. recom- mends, as a very eafy and infallible method of difcovering whether there is any marie in places it may be thought to lie under, to have three augers made, cf near an inch diameter, with an iron handle fix'd crofs-wife to each ; the bitts of thefe augers to be pretty large, and tenacious of what they pierce. One of them may be three feet long, the fecond fix, and the third ten. When you would try the place you have hopes from, carry thither thefe augers* and let a fervant take the firfl, and wring it into the earth, by twitting at each end of the handle. He muff, draw it out as often as it has pierced a new depth of fix inches, to cleanfe and examine the bitr, and obferve what he draws up in it. If you find nothing bat common earth within the reach of this firft auger, let him thruft the fecond down the hole which was made by the former, and pro- ceed in the fame manner, till he has wrung this alfo up to its handle ; and then let him do the fame by the third auger 5 always remembering to examine the auger bitt after each new progrefs of fix inches. By this means you will certainly, and without charge or hazard, difcover not only what marie is under your foil, but whether any other thing of value lies concealed there, fuch as chalk, coals, fuller's earth, or quarries- of ftone, many of which are hid, and quite unthought of, in places where their value, was it known, is ten times more than that of the whole eftate which covers them. Our author relates on this occafion, a (lory of a Dutchman who was caft away upon the coaft of Norfolk, and carried before a juftice of peace, who, underftanding that he had fkill in draining, took him one morning into a field in which he had begun a woik of that na- ture. The Dutchman perceived a whitifh kind of earth, which had been caft out of one of the trenches, and examined it with more than ordinary earneftnefs. The juftice afked him, if it were of any value in Holland ? The failor anfwered, that it was fold in his coun- try at an extraordinary rate ; that it came to Delft, and other places, down the Rhine, from a little village about twenty miles above Frankfort, and was ufed for making the fineft fort of earthen-ware. The juftice thereupon fent a fample of it to Holland, and finding the Chap. VIII. OF MANURES. 29 the matter exactly as it had been reprefented, became a merchant of this product of his own land, and in a few years got ten thoufand pounds by it. Though, as was obferved before, there is fcarce any fuch thing as exhauftinga marle-pit, there is however, now and then, an incon- veniency attending fuch as dig too deep in level lands inclineable to wetnefs in the winter : for the fprings will fometimes break in upon your pit, and much increafe the labour of your workmen, and your own expences. There are little engines to be made, which, turning in a femi-circular frame, will catch the wind at every point, and, by the force of their motion, pump up van: quantities of water, and, by that means, eafe this inconvenience, which, however, had much better be prevented ; and that may infallibly be done, by working wide and- mallow, in fuch places, as you fufpect to be watry. This author feems never to have feen fnell-marle, by his not mentioning it. It is often found under mofs, or that black earth ulually dug up for fevvel, or where there has been a bed of a river or running water ; the fhells in it having, probably, belonged for- merly to fome living creatures. Whoever finds this marie, finds a mine of great value. It is one of the bell and moft general manures in nature. It is proper for all foils, and peculiarly fo for clay, as already obferved. This effervefces ftrongly with all acids, which is perhaps chiefly owing to the fhells. There are very good marks which (hew nothing of this effervefcence : and therefore the above author judged right, in making its folution in water, the diftinguim- ing mark. The fame writer, fpeaking of the quantity of manure proper to be laid upon light Tandy foils, whether it be chalk, marie, clay, Jfreep's dung prepar'd with earth, not fand \ fea-owfe, of the clofeft, black, fat kind, mud, or the product of your jlercorary, lays, five and twenty load of the Ian; is the quantity moft proper; thirty of chalk-, of mark, at kafl an hundred ; and of clay, a little more : twenty load of fheep's dung, and ' as much of fea-owfe; and, if you uk mud, lefs than forty or fifty load will be too little. Whichever of thefe manures is ukd, care fhould be taken that the plowman turns it in, as fad as it is brought on, and fpread upon the furface. I cannot difmifs this article without mentioning an obfervation made by an ingenious gentleman, on reading Pliny's account (c. 6 ) of the ufe of mark in Britain, by the Romans. It may be worth while to obferve, favs he, that Pliny is very particular on the Hate of 3o OF MANURES. Part I. of agriculture in Britain in his days ; and whoever will be at the pains to read what he fays on that head, will have fufficient reafon to think, that, we are ftill far below the point, to which the Romans had then brought it in this ifland. And this, I believe, cannot be faid of anv other art or fcience, which, like this, is independent of what is called genius, or of the powers of the imagination. In all others of this kind, we excell, not oniy our neighbours, but every nation that has gone before us ; men of every rank and order lending a helping hand to forward and improve this art, or that fcience. But agricul- ture, which was the favourite employment of the greater! Roman fenator, in his retreat from bufinefs, has (till of late) with us been left to the feeble efforts of the poor and illiterate peafant. What elfe, for example, but their grofs ignorance and inattention, can account for the neglect of ufing marie in the improvement of particular foils ? Pliny fpeaks of it as a particular fpecies of improvement, which obtained in Britain and Gaul. He calls it the fat of the earth, and compares it to the glands in the human body, which are lapped in a coat of fat. And as this practice (as it would feem) had no place in Italy, it fhews how attentive the Romans were to agriculture, vvhere- ever their arms carried them, that in fpite of the continual alarms they lived in from the natives here and in Gaul, yet they found time to" difcover and perfect a fpecies of improvement in a particular manner fuited to the foil and climate, and, of all others, the cheapeft and moll: lafting. I muff farther obferve, with Dr. Home, that there is a body very fimilar to marie in its appearance, but very different from it in its effects, and often found in the fame bed with the beft marie. It is of a darkifh lead colour. Inftead of fertilizing the ground, it renders the beft foils incapable of bearing any kind of vegetables for many years. I have feen the fpots on which it was laid, entirely barren three years after. I have heard of its effects continuing in other places for a much longer time ; nor is it certainly known when its bad effects will end. A body fo very deflructive to agriculture, deferves to be well characterifed, in order to be ihnnned; and well examined, that we may know whence proceeds this noxious quality, and how to cure it when it has taken place. Marie takes a fmooth polifh from the inftruments with which it is wrought. A piece of this taken up, which has not been much ex- pofed to the influence of the air, differs greatly in tafte, from marie. Inftead of the fmooth unctuous tafte of the latter, it is acid, and re- markably Chap. VIII. OF MANURES. 31 markably aftringent. It agrees with marie, in crumbling in water ; but then it differs remarkably from it, in railing no effervefcence with acids, nor in the leaft deftroying their acidity. It turns the fyrup of violets red 5 which fhews that it contains an acid : whereas marie, like all abforbent earth, gives it a green colour. It appears from experiments made by the doctor, that this fub- ftance confifts of an earthy body like clay, about one eighteenth part of fait of fteel, and a fmall proportion of the vitriolic acid : and he concludes, that marie is the proper cure where this noxious earth has been inadvertently ufed, becaufe it corrects the acid, and decompofes the fait. III. Of Loam. r O AM, being free from the too great ftiftnefs of clay, and the too A-v little cohefion of fand, in order to its due culture, feems only to ftand in need of being kept in good tilth, and fupplied at proper fea- fons with fuch fubftances as the experience of ages has fhewn to con- tain in them matter fit for the nourishment of plants, or at leaft to be endued with the power of rendering the earth fruitful. Such fubftances we mall therefore call general manures. Of thefe, dungs of all kinds, putrid, vegetable and animal fubftances, afhes of vege- tables, and even of fea-coal and peat, foot, and lime, are the chief. Dungs, as Mr. Miller obferves, are defigned to repair the decays of exhaufted worn-out lands, and to cure the defects of land, which are as various in their qualities as the dungs are, that are ufed to me- liorate and reftore them. Some lands abound too much in coldnefs, moifture, and heavinefs ; others again are too light and dry ; and fo, to anfwer this, fome dungs are hot and light, as that of fheep, horfes, pigeons, &c. others again are fat and cooling, as that of oxen, cows, hogs, &c. And as the remedies that are to be ufed, muft be contrary to the diftempers they are to cure; fo the dung of oxen, cows, and hogs, muft be given to lean, dry, light earths, to make them fatter and clofer j and hot and dry dungs to meliorate cold, moift, and heavy lands. There are, continues he, two peculiar properties in dung: the one is to produce a certain fenfible heat, capable of producing fome confiderable effect, which properties are feldom found but in the dung of horfes and mules, while it is newly made, and a little moift : the other property of dung is, to fatten the earth, and render it more fruitful, The S2 OF MANURES. Parti. The dang of.horfes and mules is an admirable fertilizer : but care muft be taken not to lay too much of it on corn lands, becaufe it produces abundance of ftraw. Horfe-dung, being of. a very hot nature, is beft for cold lands, and cow dung for hot lands ; and being mixed together, way make, a very good manure for moil: forts of foils, and for fome they may be mixed with earth. The dung of pigeons and fowls is fo rich, that it is generally ufed for a dreiiing to plants whilft they are growing. That of pigeons, fays Mr. Miller, is the bell fuperricial improvement that can be laid on meadow or corn land: but before it is ufcd, it co-Jit to have lain abroad out of the dove-houfe fome time, that the air may have a little fweetened it, and mollified the fiery heat that is in thefe di^igs. The dung of poultry being hot and fill of falts, tends much to fa- cilitate vegetation : and is abundantly quicker in its operation, than the dung of animals which feed on herbs. To animal fubftances belong all parts of their bodies, as flcfb, blood, fhavings of bones, hoofs, rags of their wool or hair, &c. Mr. Evelyn fays, the blood and fiefh of animals is much mere powerful for the enriching of land, than their dung and excrements, and is computed at twenty times the advantage ; and to the fame ad- vance above this, is hair and calcined bones. Woollen rags are pecu- liarly ufeful for light foils. They fhould be chopt fmall, abou: an inch or two fquare, and fcattered on the earth at the fecond plowing ; for being thereby covered, they will begin to rot by feed time. They imbibe the moifture of dews and rain, and retain it long ; and, as Dr. Home obferves, therebv keep light foils in a moift ftate. The fame may be laid of the hoofs of cattle, wh.n fei upright in the earth, as Mr. Ellis directs. They hold the rain that drops into them, and it putrifies there, till, being worked out by fucceding fhowers, it falls upon the furrounding eanh, and communicates a great fertility to it. -—-Sea-fhells may likewife be included urfder this head : but we have already fpoken of them, in the article Clay. Vegetables afford great abundance of excellent manure. The cuf- tom of plowing in green fucculent plants, is very ancient. All the Roman authors fpeak of it particularly. Buck wheat and vetches are the two plants moil frequently fown in England for that purpofe ; and the time of plowing them in, is when they are in bloom, being then in their moft fucculent ftate. Some farmers plow in their fecond crop of clover, to enrich the land for wheat in the autumn. This Chap. VIII. OF MANURES. 33 This fhould be done early enough to give the plants fufficient time to putrify thoroughly before the grain is fowed : otherwife it might prove prejudicial, by bringing on a heat which would hurt the corn. Sea-weeds of all forts are a moft profitable manure to be plowed in. Rotten vegetables of moft forts, fays Mr. Miller, greatly enrich land : fo that, where other manure is fcarce, thefe may be ufed with great fuccefs. The weeds of ponds, lakes, or ditches, being dragged out before they feed, and laid on heaps to rot, will make excellent manure ; as will moft other forts of weeds. But wherever any of thefe are employed, they fhould be cut down as foon as they begin to flower : for if they are fuffered to ftand until their feeds are ripe, the land will be ftored with weeds, which cannot be deftroyed in two or three years ; nay, fome kind of weeds, if they are permitted to ftand fo long as to form their feed, will perfect them after they are cut down, which may be equally prejudicial to the land : therefore the fureft way is to cut them down juft as they begin to flower ; at which time moft forts of vegetables are in their greateft vigour, being then ftronger and fuller of juice, than when their feeds are farther advanced : fo that at that time they abound moft with falts, and therefore are more proper for the intended purpofc. In rotting thefe vegetables, it will be proper to mix fome earth, mud, or any other fuch like Aibftances with them, to prevent their taking fire in their fermentation ; which they are very fubjedt to, when they are laid in large heaps, without any other mixture to prevent it : and it will be proper to cover the heaps over with earth, mud, or dung, to detain the falts j otherwife many of the finer particles will evaporate in fermenting. When thefe vegetables are thoroughly rotted, they will form a folid mafs, which will cut like butter, and be very full of oil, which will greatly enrich the land. Another manure, greatly, and very properly recommended by this gentleman, is rotten tanner's bark. Oak-bark, fays he, after the tanners have ufed it for tanning of leather, when laid in a heap, and rotted, is an excellent manure, efpecially for ftifF cold land ; in which one load of this manure will improve the ground more, and laft longer, than two loads of the richeft dungs. It is better for cold ftrong land, than for light hot ground, becaufe it is of a warm nature, and will loofen and feparate the earth; fo that where this manure has been ufed three or four times, it hath made the land very loofe, which before was ftrong, and not eafy to be wrought. When this manure is laid on grafs, it fhould be done foon after F Michael- 34 OF MANURES, Part I. Michaelmas, that the winter rains may wafh it into the ground : for if it is laid on in the fpring, it will burn the grafs, and, inftead of improving it, will greatly injure it for that feafon. Where it is ufed for corn land, it mould be fpread on the furface before the lafi plowing, that it may be turned down, for the fibres of the corn to reach it in the fpring ; for if it lies too near the furface, it will for- ward the growth of corn in winter ; but in the fpring, when the nourifhment is chiefly wanted to encourage the Items, it will be nearly confumed, and the corn will receive little advantage from it. Aflm of all green vegetables contain an alkaline fait, of great ufe as a manure, but eafily diflblved in water, and carried cff Greater care fhould therefore be taken to keep fuch afhes covered from the air, till ufed. Peat-afhes are likewife of great fervice. We {hall here give Mr. Ellis's account of this manure in his own words, vol. II. p. 68. " If barley, fays he, is fown fo late as the beginning of May, lean peat-afhes in particular may be applied over it, or harrowed in with the grain : but afhes burnt from fat black peat, fuch as they dig at Newbury, are of fuch a fulphurous nature, that they are afraid to lay them on their barley ; and they do not drefs their wheat with them till the fpring is advanced, and then they are fown over it.- The great ufe of thefe afhes was found out about thirty (now fifty') years ago: but in a little time after they were brought into difreputi.tio:i, by their imprudently laying on too many at a time, which burnt op the corn. Afterwards they found that fix or ten bufhels were fufrlcient to be fown over an acre of wheat, peafe, turneps, clover, rape- feed, or St. Foyfie, as early as they conveniently could. But, as I faid before, they are afraid to fow it over barley, left a dry time fhould enfue, and burn it up j for thefe afhes are reckoned to contain three times as much fulphur in them, as there is in coal -afhes ; and this they reafonably imagine from their great brimffone fmell, fpark- ling and jumping, when they are ftirred as they are burning, and drying up the corn by their too great heat. Thefe peat-afhes, and likewife thofe from wood or coal, will help to keep off the flug from peafe and other grains, by the fait and fulphur contained in them, and very much conduce to their prefervation in cold wet feafons. But there is no fuch danger to be feared from the allies of that pea% which grows as a turf over fandy bottoms, as great quantities do on Leighton- heath in Bedfordfhire j for thefe are as much too lean, as the others are too rank." SCOfy Chap. VIII. OF MANURES. 35 Soot, either of vegetables or of coal, is reckoned a good improver of cold and moift grounds. Many find their account in ftrewing it early over their green wheat and barley : but Mr. Ellis fays, neither of them ought by any means to be footed after the 25th of April, becaufe the wheat, and generally the barley, have then done gather- ing and branching, and are upon the fp'ndle. He thinks it likewife proper to be fown over young turneps, that have all juft appeared. Care fhould be taken not to llrew it too thick ; for othervvife its hot nature might hurt the plants. Malt-duft is a good manure for poor clayey lands ; and will often- times go farther than dung. It is moft beneficial when rain falls upon it foon after its being ftrewed, and wafhes it into the earth be- fore it has loft its ftrength. In fome parts of Berkshire, they lay the malt-duft on at the fame time that they fow the wheat, and harrow them both in together. This they find turn to good account. Some hulbandmen hold it to be better for fummer corn, than for wheat, and the reafon they affign is, that the winter corn lies a whole year in the ground, and the malt duft will have fpent its ftrength by the time the winter is over, and not hold up the corn in heart all the fummer. They fow with the wheat two quarters of malt-duft to an acre, which makes four quarters of corn meafure. This manure is likewife a great improvement to cold grafs-grounds. All forts of fern, ftraw, brake, ftubble, rufhes, thirties, leaves of trees, or any manner of vegetable trafh whatever, fays Mr. Wer- lidge, either caft into the yards amongft the cattle or fwine, or caft into pools or places to rot in, or mixed with other foils, help very much, and make very good compoft. The lees of wine and the grounds and fettlings of beer, ale, &c. have the fame effect. Chalk is a lafting manure for lands that it agrees with. Pliny tells us it was the cultom of the Britons to chalk their lands, by which, fays he, they received a great improvement, which lafted their lives. It is a general faying, that chalking is better for the father than the fon ; but experience often fhews it to be as good an improvement as dung, for twenty years together: and that clay land has been always the better for it. There are feveral forts of chalk : fome of fo hard and indiffoluble a nature, that it is not fit to lay on lands limply as it is, but after it is burnt into lime, it becomes an excellent improver. Other forts of chalk, more unctuous and folublej being laid on lands crude as they are, and let lie till the frofts.and rain (hatter and diflblve them, prove F 2 a very 36 OFMANURES. Part I. a very considerable advantage to barren lands. Where any of thefe chalks are found, Mr. Worlidge advifes proving their natures, by laying them on fome fmall portion of land, crude as they are, or by burning them into lime, if fewel be plenty, or to half- burn them ; by which, fays he, you may experimentally know the true effects and benefits that fubjedt will yield. And although, continues he, chalk, limply of itfelf, either burnt or unburnt, may not prove fo advantageous as many have reported, yet it is of verv great ufe to be mixed with earth and the dungs of animals, by which may be made an admirable, fare, and natural fruitful com- pofition for almoft any fort of lands, and raifeth corn in abundance. Chalk ought never to be plowed in, either too loon or too deep. It fhould have time to crack and wafte on the furface of the earth, and not be turned down to the bottom of the furrow, left it ihould fubfide there in a mafs, and not be ftirred by fubiequent plowing-. Twelve or fourteen loads upon an acre will make fome lands produce extraordinary crops of corn for fourteen or fifteen years together. In the Ifle of Wight, they fometimes lay twenty- five waggon-loads of it on an acre. Their chalk is of a fat foapy kind, and they call it marie. The farmers in the hundreds of EfTex bring their chalk as far as from Gravefend, but lay not half fo much on an acre, as thofe of the Ifle of Wight. It fhould always be fpread as foon as pofhble after it is dug, becaufe it is apt to harden and grow ftoney in the air. Mr. Worlidge fays, you may deal with chalky land as with clay land, though in a moderate way : for chalky land is naturally cold, and therefore requires warm applications. It is alio fad, and will therefore the better bear with light comports ; which is the reafon that chalk is fo great an improver of light, hot and dry grounds, ef- pecially after it has fuffered a calcination. If chalk be laid on clay, fays Mr. Lille, vol. I. p. 66. it will in time be loft, and the ground again return to its clay : and if clay be laid on chalk, in time the clay will be loft, and the ground return again to its chalky fubftance. Many people, continues he, think the land on which the other is laid for a manure, being predominant, con- verts the manure into its own foil : but I conceive in both cafes the chalk and clay is, in time, filtrated through the land on which 'tis laid, and being foluble by rain into fmall corpufcles, is wafhed thro' the land on which 'tis laid ; for neither of thefe manures is able to unite in its fineft corpufcles, with the corpufcles of the land on which it is Chap. VIII. OFMANURES. 37 is laid, fo as to make fo frricT: an union and texture with it as the land doth with itfelf, and is therefore liable to be borne downwards with rains, till no fign of it be left. Chalk, laid upon meadows, will enable them to give a great crop for three or four years, but it is thought afterwards to impoverish them. Mr. Liile is of opinion, that the contrary is the cafe with refpecl to pafture lands : becaufe the grafs being thereby greatly fweetened and increafed, keeps conftantly fo much the more ftock, by which it is maintained always in the fame vigour. The fame gentleman aftigns the following reafons, why chalk is good for fandy and clayey foils. " I do fuppofe, fays he, that chalk, " laid on fandy or wood-feary ground laid up for pafture, may wafh *' and fink in, and fill up the interftices, and thereby confolidate and " mend the texture of fuch ground, and fweeten it, as it is a great " alkali : and tho' by time moft of the chalk may be warned down- " wards, fo that the ground may lofe the virtue, yet I do fup- " pofe the ftrength of the ground may full continue much the " better, by reafon that fuch manure having made the fword of " the grafs come thicker and fweeter, the good pafturage on both " accounts enlarges the quantity, and betters the quality of the dung " the cattle leave on it, which in return maintains a better coat and " furface to the ground : and as chalk fills up the vacuities of fandy " or wood-feary ground, fo on the contrary, it infinuates its particles " into obftinate clayey and ftrong land, and divides it, by making " in a manner a failure, thereby hollowing and mellowing it j fo " that the two contrary extreams are cured by chalk." . As loam may be inclined either to clay or fand> the hufbandman may colled: his manure accordingly, either of dry opening ingredients, fuch as afb.es, lime, dung of fheep and hoifes, rubbifh of old houfes, &c. for the former ; or of things which give cohelion and fatnefs, fuch as dung of cows and hogs, putrid, animal and vegetable fub- ftances, marie, &c. for the latter. Our farmers, collecting the manures they find neceffary from time to time, as they come to hand, generally heap them together in what they call dung-hills. Thefe dung- hills mould be placed where there are no running waters or fprings, that their rich juices may not be warned away. They are greatly negligent in this care. Mr. Evelyn, and the author of the New Syftem of Agriculture, call thefe aggregates of comports ftercoraries. Such mould by no means have a communication wifh any of the offices, as adviftd by the latter -, for the 38 OF MANURE S. Part I. the vapours arifing from the putrid dung, muft prove hurtful to the health of horfes or other cattle expofed to it in a confined place. Mr. Evelyn difapproves of laying dung in heaps in the field, expofed to the fun, rain, and drying winds, whereby all its fpirit and ftrength is carried away ; and advifes the following, as a better method of managing our dung-hills, or fiercoraries. Let the bottom or fides of a pit, fays he, be about four feet deep, paved with fmall chalk. or clay at the bottom, that it may hold water like a ciftern : direct your channels and gutters about your houfe and (tables to it. The pit muft be under covert, ib that the down-right rains may not fall into it. Lay a bed of dung in it a foot thick, on that a bed of fine mould, on that another bed of cyder-mere, rotten fruit, and garden offal, on this a couch of pigeons and poultry dung, with more litter, and beds of all variety of foil, and upon all this caft water plentifully from time to time. The directions of the author of the New Syjlem of Agriculture, for making a Jiercorary, and which we much approve of, barring its being lb near the ftable as he feems to intend it, are as fol- low. " Along the back of your ftable caufe a pit to be dug, to the depth of the foundation, or a pretty deal below it : let it be as long as the ftable, but its breadth fhould be according to the quantity of dung you have conveniencies for making : let this pit be arch'd with brick, but very (lightly, and an entrance left at one end, which may be fhut up, or open'd, by a wooden door : let the fides and bottom be firmly lin'd with ftone, and clcfely plaifter'd over with a cement, which will by no means admit moifture. Through the wall of this itable, and about a foot or mor'e from the ground, let there be made fquare holes, which, opening into the ftercorary, from within the ftable, muft be of fufficient largenefs ior the paflage of the dung, that is, from time to time, to be fhuvell'd through them. The ftable floor fhould be made as finooth and hard as pofiible, that the urine of the horfes may not foak into it, but descending from them to a little gutter, clofe along the wall, thence run through paffages, which are purpofely to be made, into the fter- corary. Pipes of. earth, which coft but little, fhoald belaid, from this place, to the cow-houfe, hog-fties, and privies, that all urine of man or beaft, of any kind whatfoever, may immediately be conveyed to Chap. VIII. OF MANURES. 39 to mingle with the other. Into which muft be cafl all ox dung, cow dung, hogs dung, and dung of fowls ; all afhes, whether of wood, or fea-coal; the duft and lweepings of your yard and houfej all weeds, .old litter, rotten ftraw, and fpare earth, which you can get ; as alfo the wafhing of barrels, all foap-fuds, water which meat has been boil'd in, dull-water, and every fuch kind of thing, which is now thrown down the common fink, and render'd uielefs : and for the more convenient performance of all this, there may be left a pretty large fquare hole, in the outward declivity of the arch which covers the ftercorary. This hole muft have a wooden door fitted to it, which, lifting up and down, will, as occafion offers, not only ferve for taking in the things above named, but, whenever more moifture may be thought wanting, it will admit as much as is con- venient, by being left open in rainy weather, and, as foon as fhut, forbid the entrance of any more. The other door, which I fpoke cf, in one of the ends, is only to ferv'e for carrying out the dung, when it is to be made ufe of. In fuch a fkrcorary as is here defcribed, the charge is a trifle, not worth naming, in comparifon with the profit. The dungs and other things, incorporating, and fermenting thus together, mellowed, and enriched by the fpirit of the urine, and unimpaired by the fun, rain, or wind, attain an excellence, which is befl known by the prodi- gious increafe they make in your crops ; and which demonftratively proves, that one load thus managed, is- of more effect than twenty after the common manner." We leave to experience to determine, whether a flercorary with only a fhade thrown over it, would not nearly anfwer all the ends propofed by clofing it up, and have none of the dangers attending the other. The method of making lime is fufficiently known. It's ufe and application, as a manure, is all that appertains to our fubjedf . Liming of land, fays the author of the ILnglifo Improver , is of mod excellent ufe ; many barren parts of this kingdom being there- by brought to fo fertile a condition for bearing moft forts of grain, that as good wheat, barley, and peafe, as England yields, has, with the help of that manure properly diitributed, been raifed upon land, before not worth above a fhilling or two an acre. He adds, that twelve or fourteen quarters will lime an acre. Another writer fays 1 60 bufhels. The difference of the land may require a different proportion. The 4o OF MANURES. Pari: I. The moft natural land for lime, fays Mr. Worlidge, is the light and fandy ; the next, mixt and gravelly : wet and cold gravel is not good, and cold clay is the worft of all. A mixture of lime, earth, and dung, together, adds he, is a very excellent compoft for land. Mr. Evelyn advifes, for lands that want heat, to mix lime with turf and fwarth, laying them alternatively, turf on lime, and lime on turf, in heaps, for fix months, by which means it will become fo mellow, and rich in nitrous falts, as to difiblve and run like afhes, and carry a much more cheriftiing vigour, than if ufed alone in a greater quantity, and without danger of burning out and exhaufting the vegetative virtue which it mould preferve. Lime, a little flack'd, continues he, is excellent for cold wet grounds and ftiff clays, but it over-burns drier foils. It is the very deftroyer of mofs and rufhes, as quick-lime is of furzes, being firfl extirpated. Mr. Lifle thinks it is bift, efpecially in lands that work mellow, to fpread and plow the lime in as foon as it is flacked, rather than to let it lie long covered with the earth in heaps. Chalk-lime is not, in his opinion, fo beneficial to land, as ftone- lime ; becaufe a greater virtue muft be attributed to the ftone-lime for its burning quality after it is laid on. Lime, being laid on meadows or paftures, flacks and cools by flow degrees, fo as not to undergo fuch a heat and fermentation, as when it is covered with the hillocks of earth flung up in arable ; therefore, fays he, it cannot be of that great advantage to paf- ture. The lighter the land is, the more lime it will require : the ftronger, the lefs. In forne places they lay twenty-four cr thirty quarters on an acre. The nature of the foil mufl; determine the pro- per quantity. In Leicefterfhire they fow or fcatter the lime on wheat-land when they fow the wheat, but on barley-land the laft earth but one ; and fo plow it in, left, if they fhould fow it with the barley in the fpring, it might burn it. They lay five quarters to an acre of each, according to the meafure as it comes from the kiln, for after it is flack'd thofe five quarters will make near ten. As the intent of liming land, is to bind it, Mr. Lifle thinks it fhould not be limed late in the year, becaufe the land being then cold and moift, and but a weak fan to confolidate it, the defign of liming Chap." VIII. OF MANURE S. 41 liming is fruftrated j for if it does not confolidate at firft liming, it will not afterwards. In Shropfhire they lay dung and lime together, viz. about twenty load of dnng, and only twenty bufhels of lime on an acre. Mr. Lifle gives it as a rule to all huibandmen, to be cautious of liming ground, and then plowing out the heart of it. I limed, fay* he, fome years ago, inWiltfhire, feven acres for an experiment, and laid down one acre to its own natural grafs in two years time, the grafs of which is to this day 40 millings an acre. The third year I laid down another acre, which is to this day worth 30 millings per acre. The reft I plowed five or fix years farther, which is not worth fifteen groats per acre. The like experience, adds he, 1 have had in burn-beaking ground. We fhall now give our author, Mr. Duhamel's account of liming, as pradtifed in the lower Normandy. Lime is ufed there chiefly on freiTi broke up lands. After hav- ing plowed them up, not very deep, they lay on the lime in the fol- lowing manner. They carry on the lime as it comes from the kiln, and lay about one hundred pound weight in a heap on every fquare perch, fo that the heaps lie at a perch diftance from one another. Then they raife the earth all round the heaps, like fo many bafons : the earth that forms the fides of thefe bafons, fhould be a foot thick : and laftly, they cover the heaps, half a foot thick, with earth, in form of a dome. The lime flacks under this covering of earth, and is reduced to powder: but then it increafes in bulk, and cracks the covering of earth. If you do not carefully flop thefe cracks, the rain will get through them, and reduce the lime into a pafte which will not mix with the earth, or make a fort of mortar which will not anfwer the end propofed. The farmers are therefore very careful to ex- amine the heaps from time to time, and ftop the cracks. Some only prefs the top of the heaps with the back of a fhovel : but this prac- tice is fubjedt to an inconvenience , for if the lime is in a pafte with- in the heap, by this means you beat it fo together that it will not eafily mix with the earth ; for which reafon it is better to ftop the chinks by throwing fome frefh earth over the heap. When the lime is thoroughly flack 'd, and reduced to powder, they cut the heaps with a fhovel, and mix the lime as well as poffi- ble with the earth that covered it, and then, throwing it up in heaps G c gain, 42 OF MANURES. Part I, again, leave it expofed to the air for fix weeks or two months ■ for then the rain will do no harm. About the month of June, they fpread this mixture of lime and earth upon the land j but not by throwing it about unequally, and at random : on the contrary, they take it up by fhovelfuls, and di- ftribute it in little heaps at equal difbnces on each perch of land : they obferve that thefe little heaps promote vegetation, more than if it was fpread uniformly all over the field, and they don't mind leav- ing little intervals unlimed between each fbovelfui. They afterwards plow the field, for the laft time, very deep: then, towards the end of June, they fow buck-wheat, and cover it with the harrow ; and if anv clods remain, break them with a hoe. Euck-wheat occupies the land about an hundred days ; fo that this grain fown about the end of June, is gathered about the end of September. When the ftalks and roots of this plant are dead and dried, they plow them up, and immediately fow wheat, and cover it with the harrow. About the month of July or Auguft, after the wheat crop, they plow as foon as poflible : they plow for the laft time in February or March, in order to low oats, or in April for barley ; but in this cafe they ftir the land two or three times to, make it fine. They harrow in ail thcfe different grains, and when they are come up, they pafs a roller over the oats, and if there remain any clods in-' the barley, they break them with a hoe. The next February or March, they plow the land again, in order. to fow it with grey peas or vetches. After thefe pnlfe have been reaped, they give one or two plowings to prepare the land for wheat the enfuing autumn. The year after, they fow cats, mixt fometimes with a little clover,, and then lay it down to paiture tor three or four years. In fome new broke up lands they fow no buck- wheat, but let it: lie fallow from the moiith of March, when it was firft broken up,, till October, when they low it with wheat ; making ufe of the in- termediate time to give it feveral plowings : thefe lands being by this means much finer, they ufe little more than three-fourths of the quantity of lime above prefcribed, and generally have a better crop than when they begin with buck-wheat. Some farmers think a perch too great a diftance for the conveni- ence of fpreading the lime; therefore they make the heaps lefs, and increafe Chap. VIII. O F M A N U R E 5. 43 increafe the number in proportion. Being perfuaded that lime is moil efficacious when it lies fliallow in the ground, they flrft plow it in, and then give it a feccnd plowing before they ibw, which brings it up again near the furface. Others lay the lime in a ridge from one end of the field to the other,; which makes it eafier for them tofpread. Mr. Duhamel relates the following fad;, as a farther inftance of the ufe of lime-ftone. " The ftone which is ufed, for building " at Deneinvilliers, fays he, is very hard, and bears polifhing like V marble. It is intermixed here a,nd there with fhells, fome of " which are filled with a kind of oker, and others contain a cryfta- " line fubftance. Thefe {tones are fit to make lime of. Some V workmen who were building about our houfe, cut pieces of this " ftone upon a grafs plot. When they had done their work, the " rubbifh was cleared away, and nothing left upon the grafs but the " dull: and very fmail fragments which had fallen from the ftones " in cutting them. The year following, the grafs grew furprifingly " thick in all the places where thefe ftones had been cut, was much " taller and greener than any where elfe, and preferved its vigour " for feveral years. One would fcarce have thought that fo hard a " ftone, reduced to powder, would have produced an effect like " that of marie. The goodnefs of lime, as a manure, is, perhaps, <: chiefly owing to the finenefs of the powder to which the lime- " ftones are reduced by calcination." Burning, or, as fome call it, burn-be aking of land, may be reckoned among manures, becaufe it is a very great improvement, and only pra&ifed upon fome old pafture, or heathy, rufhy, broomy, and fuch like barren grounds, which are confiderably enriched by it; though, as the: author of the Jslew Syjlem of Agriculture juftly re- marks, lands fo improved are, for want of one obfervation, general- ly ruined, in the common practice of plowing them three or four crops fucceffively ; by which means theii;, whole fertility is moft al- furedly exhaufted, and the foil becomes incapable of vegetation, ■though affifted by the richeft .dung, or other manure, in the world. Nothing but ten or fifteen years repoie, will reftore the abufed vi- gour of -nature ; whereas, were thefe grounds ftrengthened by a little marie, chalk, or dung, between their firft harveft and their fecond feeding, the improvement would be made complete, and lading. ;No method would be more eafy ; nothing poffibly more advanta- geous. G 2 The 44 OF MANURES. Part K The manner of burning land is generally known to be a paring off the fibrous turf, to a confiderabls depth, in a hot feafon, which be- ing made into little hills, raii'd hollow, and at equal diftances, are fet on fire, as foon as they are dry enough to kindle, and fo burnt ia a kind of red afhes, and thofe afhes lcatter'd over the whole Air- fare : the ground is then plowed up very dial low, and the feed im- mediately fown. This burning of ground is very coftly, and not a little tedious, becaufe the turf is raifed in a laborious manner, by the force of a man's arms and bofom, pufhing againft a thing they call a breaf;- phio. 1 will prefent you, continues our author, with a much neater invention, and which faves, at leaft, two thirds of the charge. Let fome fmith in your neighbourhood, who is a ready workman, make a hollow plow-fhare, of a double form, that is, one which rifes with a fharp edge in the middle, from' the point to the top, and has z fin both ways; which fins muft alfo begin at the point, and fo run back to the fhare end. The dimenfions of this fhare wilf be two feet broad, from the extreme points of the fins behind ; one foot long, and a foot high, fomewhat like a three-edg'd fword, if it were cut off a little above the point. The three fins, or edges, mull be very well fteel'd, and the whole made as thin, and as fmooth, as you can get it done. Into the hollow of this fhare muft be fattened a light ftrong piece of afh, fharpen'd Joricard, to fit the bofom of the fhare, but behind, as fquare and fturdy as may be. Into this laft part muft be fix'd a ftrong piece of wood, like a Aver; not perpendicd'ar, ' but 'fomewhat hanging backward. It muft be about two feet high; and on the upper end, fhoulcr have a crofa ftaff, or other contrivance, to which muft be faftcn'd the harnefs of iuch cattle as your team confifts of. The handles of the plow, and the earth-beards to turn the turf, are alfo fix'd into this Square head; and there is no other inftruction neceflary for the ufe of this- plow, but that, when you begin upon the edge of a field, and turn one turf to the hedge, and the other to the field, the laft will cover one of the breadths you muft take at your coming back, and the point of your fhare muft, therefore, run clofe along the edge of this length of turf; by which means one fide of your plough will raife two lengths, and, throwing back the higheft, lay that uppermoft, which had before lain under. By this one obfervation, you cannot mifs the manner of plowing. But, Chap. VIII, OF MANURES. 45 But, as this would only raife a long unwieldly rope of turf, which it would be neceffary to cut into many hundred pieces, before it would be fit for pilings you will find the following invention of ad- mirable ufe and expedition. Chufe the body of a fhort thick tree ; the heavier, and more fblid, the better: let it be neatly rounded, and work'd into a roller, like thofe that are ufed for leveling barley lands. This roller mufl be hoop'd round, in fix feveral places, each two foot diflant from an- other: the hoops mufl be of flrong iron, and nail'd very firmly on. The middle part of every one of thefe hoops mufr. rife into an edge, to about five or fix inches above the level of the hoop itfelf r thefe edges muft be very fharo, flrong, and well fteel'd, that the weight of the roller, as it goes round, may not fail to prefs them all into the earth, as deep as they can go, and yet not damage them, either by blunting, bending, or breaking. One horfe will very well draw this roller, with which you mufl: go over the ground you intend to burn, the contrary or crofs way to that which you defign to take with your plow, before defcribed ; which will by this means turn up the turf in pieces of two foot long, and one broad, the exact fize they ought to be to form the: httle hills above named; 1 have nothing to add upon this head, but, that thofe who pradtife it had need be careful how they over- burn the turf, which would, in that cafe, be robb'd of much of its fertility. A gentle fire, not flaming out, but mouldering inward, is the fureft means of hitting the perfection of this work. In like manner Mr.Worlidge cautions us againft over-burning the turf; and. the reafon is, that, in the burning of any vegetable, a gentle, eafy, and fmothering fire, does not wafte the volatile nitrous fpirit fo much as a quick fire would do,- and caufes more of it to fix and remain behind. MofTy grounds are peculiarly benefited by being burr. t. Where much long mofs grows thick, fays Mr. Lille, tho' the ground be never fo fandy in its nature,, yet the ground underneath mufl be of a moft cold and four nature, by being kept from the fun, and the wet more fogging in it than if it had been folid earth upon it; for nothing retains moiflure longer than fuch a fpungy body, nor breaks the rays of the fun more from penetrating. " Therefore fuch ground ought to be burn-beak'd ; or the mofs harrow'd up before feeding, and burnt in heaps; but rather burn-beak'dj to deftroy the feeds of weeds* 46 OF MA.NURES. Part I. weeds. If any do appear afterwards, the firft year, it can be only fome few-that lay deeper in the earth than the fire went. We fhall conclude this article with M. Duhamel's account of bum-beaking in France. With refpucl to lands which are plowed up but once in eight or ten years, it is the cuftom to burn them, in order that the fire may divide the particles of the earth, and that it may be fertilifed by the afhes of the roots and leaves. This operation is performed thus. They raife the furface with a hoe, or crooked pick-ax, the iron of which is very broad and thin, cutting each turf as regular as pof- iible, about eight or ten inches fquare, and two or three inches thick. As focn as thefe turfs are cut, they employ women to pile them fhelving one againft another, with the grafs fide inward. When the weather is fine, the air will dry them in a couple of days, fufficiently for making the furnaces and burning them : but if it ihould prove rainy, you muff be careful to turn the turfs, for they mult be thoroughly dried before you make the furnaces we are going to fpeak of. In forming the furnaces, they begin with raifing a fort of cylin- dric tower, of betwixt three and four feet diameter. As the walls of this little tower are made of the turfs, their fize determines the thicknefs : but in building them they always lay the grafs down- wards j and they make a door, about a foot wide, on the windward fide. On the top of this door they lay a large piece of wood, which ferves as a lintel. Then they fill all the infide with fmall dry wood mixt with ftraw ; and finifh the furnace by making a vault of the fame turfs, like the top of an oven. Before the vault is entirely finifhed, they light the wood that fills the furnace, and then immediately clofe up the door with turfs, and ftop the opening that was left at the top of the vault ; taking care to lay turfs on all the places where the fmoke comes out too plenti- fully, juft as the charcoal-makers do: for without that precaution, the wood will confume too faft, and the earth not be fufficiently burnt. If you were to cover the furnaces with earth, all the crevices being too clofely ftopp'd, the fire would be extinguifh'd : but by ufing only turfs, Chap. VIII. OFMANURES. 47 turfs, and always laying the grafs downwards, there is air enough to keep the fire burning. * When all the furnaces are made, the field feems covered with little hay-cocks ranged in quincunx's : but you muft watch the fur- naces till the earth is red hot, to flop with turfs any cracks that may happen, to repair fuch as may be in danger of falling, and to light again fuch as may be extinguifhed. When the earth feems all on fire, they want no farther care : even rain itfelf, tho' before much to be feared, will not hinder their being fufficiently burnt: fo you have nothing more to do but to let them go out of themfelves. At the end of twenty-four or twenty-eight hours, when the fire is extinct, all the heaps are reduced to afhes, except fome of the tops which will remain not fufficiently burnt, they not being enough ex- pofed to the action of the fire: and 'tis for this reafon that we advife not to make the furnaces too big, becaufe, the walls being pro- portionably thick, the outfide of the turfs will not be dene enough, when the infide is overdone : for if ycu burn them like bricks, they will not be fit for vegetation. Befides, in making large furnaces you will have too far to carry the turfs. You might even make them lefs, but that it would confume too much wood. You will therefore find it neceffary to conform pretty nearly to the proportions we have prefcribed. When the furnaces are cooled, they wait till it rains, and then fpread the burnt earth as even as pofiible, leaving none on the fpots where the furnaces flood, which ncverthelefs will produce finer grain than the reft of the field ; for which reafon they leave only fuch turfs as are not burnt -enough on thole fpots. They immediately plow it very lightly, to begin to mix the burnt earth with the furface j but they go' deeper in the following plowings. If you can give the firft plowing in June, and rain follows, it is pofiible to reap fome advantage from the land immediately, by fow- ing turneps, radifhes, or millet; which will not prevent your lowing wheat or rye the autumn following. It is however beft to lofe the advantage of fuch a firft crop, that you may have the whole time to prepare the land well for the recep- tion of wheat. Some chufe to fow rye rather than wheat, becaufe the firft pro- duction being very vigorous, wheat is more apt to be laid than rye. 1 Some 4S OF PLOWING. Part I. Some do not fpread the burnt earth till juft before the lafr. plow- ing for wheat. They content themfelves with plowing well between the furnaces, which they take care to fet exactly in a line, in order to leave a free paflage for the plough. But this is a bad method : for, fince wheat is always apt to be laid the firft year after burning, it is better to fpread the burnt earth early, before it lofes part of its heat, and for the convenience of well preparing the land : for it is very material, that the burnt earth fhould be perfectly well mixt with the foil- It muft be owned that this method of burning is very expenfive, becaufe the labour muft. be performed by men, and that it con- fumes a great deal of wood : but it is very advantageous j for after this fingle operation, the land is better prepared than it would be by many plowings. CHAP. IX. Of P L O W I N G. MR. Duhamel, in the firft part of his eighth chapter, enters into a detail of the French method of plowing, which, not being io good as what is generally pradtifed in this kingdom, we fhall pafs over, and give inflead of it what appears to us the fimplefr. and mofl rational practice here. We join with the author of the New Syftcm of Agriculture, la thinking that there is no occafion for more ploughs than two ; one for hard or heavy foils, and the other for light or mellow. There are, fays he, in England, above an hundred different forts of ploughs, and all bad- It is furprizing to fee the toil and charge fome people put themfelves to, for want of a compleat knowledge in the make and management of this ufeful inftrumeiit. 1 have feen, continues he, eight oxen tack'd to a plough, which the weakeft beafr. in the team would have eafily drawn in a much heavier foil. He then diftinguifhes the only two ploughs he thinks worth uling, by the names of the jirong and the light. The flrong plough is to be ufed on all hard clays, ft iff binding foils, and ftony grounds, or any lands of that nature. .It is drawn by two oxen, nor are any more at any time necefTary. ■ ■ The following is his description of it. Let the length of your fhare be a foot and a half; the point in- differently fharp, but very flrong : let the fhelving fide be work'd thick, Chap. IX. OF PLOWING. 49 thick, and without a fin, but fteel'd all along its edge, from the point to the hinder part, where its perpendicular height muft not ex- ceed fix inches. The breadth muft be juft fufficient to carry a furrow feven or eight inches broad. In this plough, the place of the breaft-board muft be fupplied by an iron plate, which, joining to the fhare, and being part of it, is, in a bellying manner, carried back, and gradually brought to ivhebn, as if it would fall upon the furrow. This plate, being made as thin as its ufe will permit, is fupported by a pin from the plough-head, which is, in all refpects, the lame with that of the plough I before recommended for paring up the turf of lands to be burnt. -This breaft-iron, with all the neatnefs and facility imaginable, takes the earth, as it rifes on the fhare, and, without labouring under the load of a long furrow, turns it over as it runs along, and neither toils the oxen nor the driver. One man is enough in all reafon to manage this plough. He guides his oxen by a goad, as ufual ; and holds the handles with a great deal lefs fatigue than in other ploughs, for they are to be fet at a large Hope, and their ends ftanding wide from each other, they have the greater power over the going of the plough. If the fhare is apt to bite, or run too deep into the ground, his leaning a little harder than ordinary, on the handles, will raife the point to what pitch he pleales ; as, on the contrary, when he lays no ftrefs upon them, the team will of courfe draw the point downward. The light plough is properly to be ufed on fandy mellow grounds, and all fuch as are diredtly oppofite to thofe for which the Jlrong plough is recommended. It is drawn by two horfes, with no manner of difficulty j or with one, if you pleafe, for many have tried it. The fhare of this plough, is, in a manner, the fhare of the turjing- plougb, divided into two equal parts. The fhare of the light plough fhelves only one way, as not being double, and has a breaft-iron ex- actly like that of the Jlrong plough. In all other refpecfs, it is the very fame with the /z/r/feg-plougb, even in dimensions, and therefore needs no farther defcription. One man will hold and drive this plough, with more eafe than the ftrong one, becaufe the loads are more manageable. The reins, whereby he turns and checks the horfes, pafs through two long flits, in each handle one, and being juft of length enough to hang down five inches, or more, are prevented from being drawn back H through 5o OP PLOWING. Part I. through the flits, by two pieces of wood, to which their extreme ends are fattened. Our opinion with refpect to ploughs is, that the beft is that which is the moft Ample in its make and tackle ; that requires the Jeaft ftrength to draw it, in proportion to the ftifFnefs of the foil ; and by the fhape of the earth board, is beft adapted to turn the turf, or furrow, upfide down. The wheefd ploughs are too complex : the weight of the fore-carriage, and the fri&ion of the wheels, greatly increafe their draught. The completeft plough is the Rotheran or patent plough. One man, with two horfes, will do as much in a day with that plough, and in ft iff land, as a plough with wheels, two men, and fix horfes can do in a moderately light foil. The principle of the Kentiih plough with the fhifting mould-board, is very good, where the land is dry and will admit of it. The anonymous author of the New Syjiem of Agriculture makes a very good and ufeful obfervation, which it may not be improper to inlert here. 'Tis this : " When the land you are to plow, is the " fide of a very fteep hill, as it often is, 'tis downright madnefs to " proceed, as moft countrrymen do, by plowing directly up and " down the flcep. In this cafe, 'tis pity the driver is not in the place " of his team : he would then, perhaps, difcover, that 'twould be <{ the wifeft way to plow crofs the hill, by which means, the cattle cC would not only draw with the fame cafe as if they work'd on plain tc ground, but the furrows, lying athwart, would prevent the rains " from wafhing down the fatnefs of the foil, with every flood ; a ct misfortune, to which, at prefent, all thefe lands are yearly liable, " and often ruin'd, and impoverifhed by it." M;. Tull,.for the fame reafon, advifes plowing hills nearly horizon- tally : and as a farther advantage, he obferves, that their parting fur- row , lying open, may each ferve as a drain to the ridge next below it. We fhall now give our former author's directions, as the beft we know of in fo An. 11 a compafs, for the farther management of lands according to the old hufbandry, which we have hitherto been chiefly fpeakitg of. Common and indifferent lands, fays he, I diftinguifli into heavy and light, and comprehend, in this diftinction, every particular dif- ference of foil, which is known in this kingdom. All deep, hard clays, of what colour foever ; all ftiff, chalky, binding earths, and fuch, as after being expofed to the fun, or froft, grow hard and ftonyj with fuch as, in the violent heat of fummer, chop and cleave upon their Chap. IX. O F P L 0 W I N G. 51 their furface ; all thefe I call heavy lands, not only becaufe of the clofenefs and firninefs of their nature, but as they all hang heavily on the labour of the plowman and his team. On the other hand, all fandy, mouldering, gravelly, warm, mel- low foils, all loofe and open earths, of what nature foever j all fuch as are not fticky, but will prefently dry after rain ; and, inftead of lying in huge clumps after plowing, are eafily apt to diffolve, and crumble into mould, not being fubject to bind by the heats in fum- mer and frofts in winter j all grounds of this kind, I diftinguifh by the name of light lands. I fhall take each, of them from their firft breaking up in the turf. Let us fuppofe then, that, at Lady-day you begin your hufbandry, and that the quantity of land you are about to break up, is an hun- dred acres. The firft thing neceffary is, carefully and judicicufiy to obferv; both the furface of your ground, and the depth of it. If you find it a good deep mould, and covered by a thick, ftrong, fibrous turf, fuch as by long lying, is become firmly rooted ; in this cafe it will be much th-. ■,'ifeft way to burn and fpread the afhes, by the rules be/or 'en, nut, by any means, omitting to manure, be- tween the '■'•'£' and the fecond foiving ; after which you may proceed iv . .., as if the turf had been plow'd in, inftead of being" burnt. But if, on the contrary, you find your upper mould fhallow, or thin turfd, it wiil by no means be proper to burn it: you muft> therefore, take notice, whether your foil be of the light kind or the heavy. If, upon examining it by the marks above-mention'd, you find it of a heavy nature, you muft prepare your flrong plough and ox team, and take care that, in the firft breaking up, as they call it, your plowman turns the turf fide neatly downwards, and lays his furrows fo fmooth and clofe together, that, at a little diftance, a man can fcarce fee where the plough went. An acre and a half may eafily be plow'd in one day, by the ufe of this plough ; fo that, be- ginning by the firft of April, and allowing for Sundays and acciden- tal hinderances, the hundred acres will be all broke up by the middle of June at fartheft. Between this firft plowing and the fecond, is the only proper time for laying on your manure of what kind foever. The feveral forts proper for lands of this nature, are fea-fand, common-fand, fea-owft of the lighted: kind, not fuch as is black and greafy ; fkeeps -dung, H a mix'd. 52 O F P L O W I N G. Part I. mix'd with fond under a cover'd fold, as before defcribed ; or, for want of any of theie, the compojl in your ftercorary. Whichever of thefe you lie moft convenient for, you may make life of, in the following proportions : of fea-fami you muft lay uoon every acre five and twenty loads ; of common (and never lei's than a hundred, which quantity you may double, if it lies com- modioufly : twenty load of fea-owfe is fufficient ; and fifteen of freep's dung (o mingled : and if you are obliged to rely upon the af- fiftance of your ftercorary, you muft lay about twenty load upon an acre. According to the manure you are obliged to ufe, your charge will be more or lefs confiderable in the number of carts and teams ne- ceflary : for this rule you muft be fure to obferve punctually, that the manure be all laid on- by the laft day of July ; in which time, the plowman, a labourer being employ'd to fpread the manure, as it is daily brought on, does, with the fame plough he ufed before, give the fecond ftirring to the ground, in order to turn in the rich- nels of thofe helps you have bellowed upon it. By this means the fun, high and powerful in this feafon, will be prevented from exhaling the virtue of your manure, as it always does in the com- mon way of letting it lie in little heaps in the field for a great while together. You may obferve, that, I allow a fhorter time for this plowing, than for thejirft ; and the reafon is, becaufe the ground having been broken up before, and the turf now rotten, it is become more mel- low, and the draught fo much eafier, that a team may difpatch almoft a double quantity in a day. It is now the time to harrow over your ground, with a heavy wide- tooth'd harrow, and a great weight laid upon it; by which means more mould will be rais'd, the clods broken into fmaller pieces, and the manure mingled with the foil in every part. It is not enough to harrow once and away ; you muft go over the fame ground again and again, till you have made it as fmooth and crumbly as is requisite : and this work will very well employ your team, from the end of July, to the middle of Auguft : about which time fhould be begun the third and laft plowing. I come now to your lands of a light temper, and, for method's fake, will begin at Lady-day upon this land alfo. Here the light plough is to be ufed ; and as to the turning down the turf, and lay- ing Chap. IX. O F P L O \V I N G. 53 ing foiooth the furrows, the fame care is to be obferved on one land, which is recommended on the other. Of this work, two holies, with the plough afore-mentioned, will conftarttly break up two acres a day ; and beginning with April, and allowing, as before, for Sundays, &c. the hundred acres will be very well plowed* for the fkft time, by the latter end of May. Betwixt the firjl arature and thzfecond, thefe lands are alfo to re- ceive the annual recruits- which you think fit to give themj and that may be either chalk, marie, clay, Jljeep$-dung, prepar'd with earth, not /and; fea-oufe of the clofeft, black, fat kind ; all forts of mud, or, for want of either of thefe, 'your /lerccrary may fupply you. Five and twenty load of the laft is the quantity moil proper ; thirty of chalk; of marie, at leaft a hundred j and of clay, a little more. Twenty load of prepar'd fheeps-dung, and as much of fea- owfe ; and if you ufe mud, lefs than forty or fifty load will be too little. Uie either of theft manures as your beft conveniency invites you, and, as was directed before, take care that your plowman turns it in as fall as it is brought on, and fpread upon the furface. But here comes a neceffary caution, that your men begin to bring on the manure on that end of your hundred acres which your plow- man flrft began to break up, that the turf may be rotted before it is turned up the fecond time. Be regardful of this rule, or you will find the neglect of it produce a great deal of confufion. When the manure is all turned in, bring on your heavy harrows, and go over the land fo often, as till the whole mafs is exquifitely mingled, and the mould becomes fine and dufty. You muft be doubly careful in this operation upon your light lands, which ought by the harrow to be laid as fmooth and level as a table. About the beginning of Auguft will come on your J>>ed plowing, properly fo called upon thefe light lands, becaufe you mull here plow and yew together. Authors give directions for plowing lands into many different forms, moftly ariling from the different natures of foils, but too often from the particular long eftablifhed cuftom of countries, without fufficiently entering into the reafon of it. Light foils are always plowed into broad lands, unlefs a very flat fituation renders it neceffary to plow into narrow flitches for wheat. Strong foils are, without exception, advifed to be plowed into narrow ridges. It would be moft advifeable, always, to lay the ground level, and without J4 OF PLOWING. Part J, without ridges, where practicable. In fummer fallowing, it might be ufed to great advantage even in clay lands. In plowing wet land, for winter fallowing, I am not certain whe- ther the beft, way would not be, inftead of fingle bouts or narrow ridges, to make the ridges very broad, and lay them up very high : for if the ground is level, the water will lie in the parting thoroughs, and by foaking into the fides of the ridges, make it fo poachy, as to render it very unfit to be worked, till late in the fpring, unlefs the fezfon is very dry ; or, if there is much defcent, great part of the beft foil will be carried off. We now return to Mr. Duhamel, who proceeds thus : Mr. Tull fays, the produce of the earth is increafed by raifing the- ridges high, becaufe the furface is thereby enlarged. As he infifts greatly on this point, we cannot help mentioning his reafons, and thofe which induce us to differ from him. He was fenfible it would be objected to him, that the produce of a Hoping furface is not greater than that of a plane equal in extent to the bafe of the flope : for the plants growing perpendicular to the horizontal bafe, there is no point of the flope, which does not an- fvver vertically to a point of the horizontal bafe. But he maintains, that the produce of the earth is in proportion to the inclined or Hoping furface ; becaufe the roots have a greater ex- tent of earth to draw their nourifhment from ; and becaufe the ears of corn rifing one above another, in the manner of an amphitheatre, are better enabled to receive the influences of the air, which certainly is of fervice to vegetables. I-fhall not infift on the perpendicular growth of the ftalks of plants, though I believe it real. But to fhew Mr. Tull, how incon- fiderable the advantage of what he recommends would be, I will fuppofe the furrows of a piece of ground plowed in broad-lands to be fix inches deep, and the ridges fix feet wide. The flope from the" bottom of the furrow to the middle of each ridge will be one foot in fix, which is confiderable : but ftill the furface of the ridges will be to that cf their horizontal bafe, only as 76 to j$. This is a fmall ad- vantage, compared to a fixth of the ground, which is taken up by the furrows, and in which no corn is planted. But, as in all this we confider lands only relatively to the common ^method of culture, it muft he owned, that Mr. Tull might full as well not have entered into this queftion, which is quite foreign to the purpofe in hand, fince, even according to his own principle^ it is Chap. IX. O F P L O W I N G. 55 is beft not to fow above one third of the furface of any land. The defign of tillage is, to deftroy weeds, and to reduce the earth to very fmall particle?. The fpade is very fit for thefe purpofes, be- caufe, by turning the ground upfide down, the weeds are covered with a quantity of earth, under which they rot. Befides, it ftirs the mould eight or ten inches deep. But this operation is tedious, labo- rious, and expenfive ; fo that it can be ufed only in gardens. The plough is more expeditious ; but, in general, it does not ftir the earth fo deep, and often turns it over in one great clod, without breaking it into pieces ; for the coulter cuts the turf, the fhare which follows opens and raifes it up, and the mould-board turns it over all in a lump, Mr. Tull has endeavoured to improve this tillage ; and to that end he has invented a plough with four coulters, inftead of one. Thefe coulters are placed in fuch a manner as to cut the earth which is to be opened by the fhare, into flips of two inches breadth ; fo that when the plough opens a furrow of feven or eight inches wide, the mould-board turns over a well divided earth, which does not fall in large clods, as after the common plough. The con- fequence of this is, that, on a fecond plowing, the plough turns up an earth already confiderably broken, inftead of meeting with clods, and even turf, which, having taken frefli root fince the former plowing, is as difficult to break, as if the earth had never been plowed. Mr. Tull fays farther, that his new plough can ftir the earth ten, twelve, or fourteen inches deep ; and as this plough makes deep furrows and very high ridges, a larger furface of the earth is expofed to the influences of the air. When a field is intended to be broke up, which has not been plowed of a long time, the earth fhould be very moift, especially if it be a ftiffland ; for otherwife it would be fo hard, that the coulter would not be able to cut it, nor the fhare to turn it up. But when lands are in tilth, care muff be taken not to plow them when over wet ; becaufe the trampling of the horfes and the (hare itfelf will poach and as it were knead ftrong lands, almoft equal to what potters do when they prepare their clay for ufe j and thus the land is da- maged, inftead of being improved. The four-coulter'd plough kneads the earth lefs than the common plough; becaufe the fhare of the latter raifes it up by prefTure, whereas the coulters of the former having firft cut it into fmall pieces, the fhare turns it over without hardly prefling it all. 1 Mr. 56 OF PLOWING. Part I. Mr. Tull recommends putting all the horfes length-ways, when a foft ground is plowed ; that, by their treading all in the furrow, the earth may be lefs poached. If the land is in good tilth, it may be plowed in dry weather: but the beft time is when it has been a little moiften'd by rain, efpe- cially for the new plough, which would not eafily go deep, if the earth was very dry. 'Tis true that as the four-coulter'd plough enters deep, and turns up a great deal of earth, a greater ftrength is required to draw it ; fo that it will be necefiary to ufe three horfes inftead of two, and four inftead of three. But the excellence of this tillage will make ample amends for that additional ex pence. The four-coulter'd plough is ufed only for the flrft plowings, to break up frefh grounds, or give a good tilth to thofe that have not been plowed before, or that have been ill plowed for a long time. It is likewife very fit for winter plowings ; and I think Mr. Tull ufes it fometimes to make deep furrows in the middle of the alleys between the rows of corn. But he does not pretend that all plowings mould be made with this plough. He approves of the common plough, as far as I un- derftand him, for the fummer plowings, tho' he generally employs for that ufe a lighter plough with one coulter and without any wheels, which he calls the borfe-boe -, becaufe he performs with this, what bears fome refemblance to the common hoeing. 'Tis chiefly with this that he plows the alleys, or cultivates plants while they are growing. Mr. Tull has not only contrived inftruments to bring the earth to a proper tilth, and others to preferve it fo ; but, convinced that in the common method of fowing, the feed is neither diftributed equal- ly, nor buried at the proper depth each kind of feed requires, he has likewife invented a fowcr, or what he calls a drill-plough, which makes the furrows, drops each grain at its proper depth and diftance, and, filling up the furrow again, covers the feed. As this in- ftrument does not feem to us fufficiently complete, we fhall give de- fcriptions of other /ewers } which we think preferable to his, in the laft part of this work. CHAP. Chap, X. CULTURE OF ANNUAL PLANTS. Sy CHAP. X. Of the advantage of cultivating annual Plants while they grow, as the Vine and other perennial Plants are cultivated. TH E earth is generally prepared to fit it for receiving the feeds of annual plants ; and, fome few leguminous plants excepted, all others are left to fliift for themfelves, till they have yielded that part for which they are cultivated. But we propofe tilling the earth during the growth of annual plants, as is done with the vine and other perennials in different fea- fons of the year. This propofition is a natural confequence of what we have faid before : for as we have fhewn that tillage is of very great fervice to plants, it is proper to make ufe of it when they are in the greatefl need of food. Tho' land be never fo well tilled in autumn, it hardens or faddens in the winter, its particles approach one another, weeds fpring up, which rob the ufeful plants of their nourishment; and at the end of the winter, the ground is in nearly the fame condi- tion as if it had not been plowed at all. Yet it is at this feafon that plants ought to fhoot with the greatefl: vigour. They confequently now ftand more in need of the plow, to deftroy weeds, to lay frefh earth to their roots in the room of that which they have ex- hausted, to break the particles of the earth anew, to enable the roots to extend themfelves, and gather that ample provifion of food of which they at this time Stand in the greateir. need. In the common hufbandry, the whole attention is to provide a great Store of nourishment for wheat, at a time when it fcarce con- fumes any, as it then produces only a few leaves. But when the winter rains, and the firft drying heat of the fpring, have rendered the earth almoft as hard as if it had never been plowed, the wheat is abandoned to itfelf, at a time when it might, and ought to be, af- filed by proper culture. Our farmers, in this, act as. prepofteroufly, as it would be to give a child a great deal of food, and diminish it gradually as he grows bigger. The great advantage of having land in fine tilth before it is fowed, is univerfally allowed : but we muft not (lop at thefe firft preparations. Plants require a due culture whilft they grow, and mult not be abandoned till they come to their full maturity. I Some 58 CULTURE OF ANNUAL PLANTS. Parti. Some garden plants acquire great fcrength by being tranfplanted j becaufe, after having been -confined in the nurfery, they are put into large beds, where they find a new and loofe mould. The' plants of corn may be equally benefited by the plowings which Mr. Tull pro- pofes, that is to fay, by ftirring the earth near them. If any of their roots are difplaced or broke, the plant does not fuffer by it, becaul'e it fhoots out feveral inftead of one ; and moil: of the roots not having been difplaced or hurt, they continue to fupply the plant with nou- rishment, till the difplaced or broken roots have taken frefh hold of the earth ; and then the plant becomes more vigorous than before : for I have found by experience, that when a root is cut, it fails not to fhoot out feveral new ones, which are more proper to draw nourishment from the earth. The breaking of a root is therefore a means of multiplying the mouths, or rather fuckers which collect the nourifhment of plants. Thofe who are againft thefe frequent plowings, are afraid of dry- ing the earth too much : for they fay that the moifture efcapes with greater difficulty from a hard earth, than from that which has been well ftirred by plowing. It may be granted, that the moifture which is in the earth, does not evaporate lb eafily whilft the earth is hard, as when it is in a loofe ftate : but, in the firft place, it is certain, that that moifture will be rather hurtful than ufeful to plants. 2. Our adverfaries muft allow, that well plowed land will more readily admit the moifture of rain and dews, than land which is not fo. The following experiment proves the truth of this affer- tion. If feveral rows of wheat are fown in a poor but well plowed land, the blades of the corn will turn yellow in fpring, efpecially in dry weather. If the ground bordering upon thefe rows be plowed deep, in fome places near, and in others at a confiderable diftance from the rows, the corn will recover its verdure firft in the places that are neareft to the new plowed ground, and afterwards gradually in the others, according to their diftance ; which proves that the wheat recovers its verdure, in proportion as its roots reach the loofe earth. This holds equally true in all plants : for Mr. Tull affirms, that he never faw a plant in a languifhing ftate, when the furround- ing earth has been well plowed ; and that, on the contrary, he has feen plants fo fituated, grow to a prodigious fize. He inftances, among Chap. XL CULTURE OF ANNUAL PLANTS. S9 among others, a fta'.k of mufbard, which grew fo high that a man of a common fize could not reach the top of it with his hand. In fhort, ftirring the earth about plants while they are growing, is fo ufeful, that in fome parts of Berkshire, and in fome diftricfs of the Gatinois, they hand-hoe their wheat; and tho' this operation is expenfive, it is affirmed that the crops amply repay all the charge and trouble. How much more profitable would it be if this labour could be done at a lefs expence ? The methods propofed in the fol- lowing chapter, will fhew that it may. CHAP. XI. General dcfcription of the drill and horfe-hoing Hufbandry, f$r the culture of annual Plants. AS we fli all hereafter give a particular defcription of the chief inftruments ufed in this new hufbandry, it may fuffice to fay at prefent, for the better underftanding of what follows, that the drill, which is drawn by one or two horfes, forms furrows of what depth, and at what diftance is defired, drops into the furrow the exact quantity of feed thought proper, and immediately covers it. With regard to Mr. Tull's plough, the large one, which has four coulters, plows and breaks the earth better than the common plough : the other, which is lighter, requires lefs flrength to draw it, and yet is fufficient for (lighter work. This he calls the horfe-hoe. We {hall now examine the three following queftions, each of them in a feparate article, viz, i. At what depth the feed ought to be fown : 2. The quantity of feed proper to be fown : and 3. The diftance at which the rows fhould be fown. ARTICLE I. At what Depth the Seed ought to be fown. HP HE feeds of all plants fhould not be fown at the fame depth. -1 To fatisfy myfelf of this, I dug a trench twelve feet long, Hoping it gradually from the furface at one end, to the depth of two feet at the other. I fowed different feeds in this trench ; and having put the earth in its place, I obferved, 1. That hardly any feeds rife when buried deeper than nine inches: 2. That fome feeds rife ex- tremely well at the depth of fix inches : 3. That other feeds do not rife at all when they are above one or two inches deep. Expe- I 2 rience to CULTURE OF ANNUAL PLANTS. Part I. rience (hews that the fame feeds may be buried deeper in a light, than a heavier foil ; and that feeds which lie too deep in the earth to fpring up in a dry year, may rife in a warm moift year. Expe- rience like wife teaches, that feeds which are buried too deep in the earth, will remain there ten or twenty years found and unaltered; fo that if by moving that earth they chance to be brought to the fur- face, they grow extremely well, and produce their proper plant. It appears from hence, that each kind of grain fliould be fown at its proper depth, which is beft known by experience. Mr. Tull therefore propofes having twelve gauges or flicks, to be ufed as fol- lows. Bore a hole in one at the diftance of half an inch from the end, in the fecond at an inch, and fo on increafing half an inch to each of the twelve. Drive a peg into each of thefe holes : then, in that fort of ground where you intend to plant, make a row of twenty holes with the half-inch gauge; put therein twenty good feeds; cover them up, and ftick the gauge at the end of that row; then do the like with all the other eleven gauges : this will determine the depth at which the raoft feeds will come up, and the drill muft be lit ac- cordingly. ARTICLE II. Of the quantity of Seed f roper to he fcivn. "IT frequently happens in fowing by hand, that one handful is larger ■*• than another ; that the grains being fmaller, the fower takes a greater number of them into his hand. If the field is rough and full of clods, the greateft part of the. feed is collected in the hollows, whilft but little remains on the higher parts. By this means the feed is distributed very unequally. Befides, too much feed is employed in the common way of fow- ing : becaufe, as it is buried at different depths, what is buried tco deep, does not rife at all ; whilft that which remains uncovered, is eat by birds. Thefe inconveniences are prevented by the drill. For, i. It makes the furrows at any diftance you pleafe, and at whatever depth expe- rience has Shewn to be moft proper for the feed that is fown. 2. As the drill fills all the furrows with earth, none of the grain remains uncovered. 3. The drill drops into each furrow the exact quantity of feed that is found to be moft proper. Every feed is therefore placed fo properly in the earth, by means of Chap. XL CULTURE OF ANNUAL PLANTS. 61 of the drill, that we may depend they will all do well, unlefs they are hurt by infers. But as the drill fows only the quantity of feed that is abfolutely neceffary, one ought to be certain of the growth of every grain ; becaufe it often happens, that part of the feed is imperfect, and does hot fprout at all. As the eye cannot diftinguiih its quality, we fhould affure ourfelves of it by. experiment, by fowing fifty or an hundred grains taken by chance, but exactly numbred ; and, when they fpring up, the number of plants will fhew whether a tenth, a fixth, or a third part be deficient, and the quantity of that which is fown fhould be increafed accordingly. It is farther propofed to fow the feeds in rows. Thefe rows fhould be fingle, double, triple, or quadruple, according to the different kind of plant intended to be cultivated, as we fhall fhew hereafter. A fpace of feven or eight inches, which Mr. Tul'l calls partition, is left between thefe rows. The fpace occupied by the rows, we fhall, with Gardeners, call the bed; and the large intervals between the beds, we fhall call alleys. We have fhewn that the drill ought to diftrihute more or lefs feed in the rows, according to the nature of each plant. To know the fpace that fhould be left between the feeds in the rows, it is ne- ceffary to obferve how much ground a ftrong and vigorous plant of each kind takes up, that the drill may be fet fo as to drop each grain, at the diftance that a very thriving plant requires : for we may be affured that all the plants will arrive at their greateft perfection, when cultivated according to the new hufbandry. ARTICLE III. Of the diftance at which the rows JJ:ould be fown. WHAT may at firft fight feem to be a confiderable objection againft the new hufbandry, is, the width of the alleys or fpaces between the beds. Many will be furprifed that fo much land fhould lie, as they think, loft. But a trial of the new method will foon remove this prejudice. At harveft, it will be found that moft of the grains of wheat have produced twenty or thirty ftalks a-piece ; whereas, in the common hufbandry, they feldom exceed two or three. If it were poffible to diftribute each of thofe twenty or thirty ftalks in the alleys, the earth would appear as well covered as when the whole is fown in the ufual broad- 62 CULTURE OF ANNUAL PLANTS, Parti. broad-caft way. But as the ears are likewife larger, and filled with better grain, it follows, that, the crop is, in fact, more plentiful. In the common way of lowing, the earth appears at ficft fight well covered with plants. But as all thefe plants cannot find Sufficient nourishment, and it is impoilible to aflifr. them by culture, many of them periSh before they ripen, the greatefl part of them remain poor and flinted, and the feed is almoft entirely loll : whereas by the new method, all the plants find fufiicient nourishment, and being affifted from time to time, by proper culture, become Strong and vigorous ; infomuch that I have Teen land cultivated in the common way, not yield the fifth part of the produce of lands fown and cultivated ac- cording to the new method. A quick-hedge, planted between two plowed fields, of only a foot thicknefs at bottom, and eighteen feet in length, will yield at the end of fourteen years,, as much wood as a ccpfe of the fame wood, which Should be eighteen feet fquare. Yet if both be cut down every year, the copfe will yield perhaps ten times the quantity of wood that hedge would do. Why does a fpace of eighteen feet fquare planted in copfe-wood diminish in the quantity of wood it yields, more than a hedge does, after each of them has Hood feveral years ? It is evident that the difference confifts in the copfe lofing every year a great number of branches for want of air and nourish- ment, and by its not being affifted by culture. This companion Shews the great benefit that may be expected from the new huf- bandry. If it be faid that plowing will break the roots of the plants ; I an- fwer, that fome of thefe roots will only be removed to another place and into a frefh earth, and that thofe which are broken will be fo only at their extremities, which, as we faid before, will make them fhoot out a greater number of new roots, fitter than the old ones to draw the nourilhment of plants from the earth. There is no doubt but that one of the chief advantages arifing from hoeing, digging, or plowing, is this cutting of the roots. The plough has perhaps this advantage over the fpade, that the latter cuts all the roots it meets with; whereas the plough often does no more than remove them from one place to another, from an ex- hausted, to a frefh earth. Befides, when land is fowed according to our method, it is lefs exhauftcd than in the common way ; or rather, it will be in a con- dition to fupply feveral crops of wheat, which will become better and better Chap. XII. CULTURE OF ANNUAL PLANTS; 63 better every year, becaufe the corn is fown in beds made in the middle, of the former alleys, where the earth has been thoroughly and deeply plowed. This will be more fully proved hereafter. In the mean time we (hall mention an experiment of Mr. Toll's, which confirms what we have been faying. Half of a poor field, 'but we'll dunged, was planted in the common way with potatoes.. The other half of the fame field was planted in beds, according to the new husbandry, and plowed four times while the potatoes grew. The potatoes feemed, at firft, to thrive beft in the part that was planted in the common way ; but afterwards thofe planted in beds throve exceedingly, and yielded a moft plentiful crop, whilft the others were, fcarce worth the digging. As it is propofed to plow the ground whilft. the plants are growing, the alleys mould be wider for large plants than for fmall ohesj for fuch as remain long 8ri'th6 erarm, 'as wheat; than for thofe which are but a fhort time on it, as barley. The breadth of the alleys mould likewife be varied, according as the earth is ftiffer or lighter. But, in general, when land is fowed with wheat, the alleys ought to be four feet, or four feet and a half wide. CHAP. XII. Of Change of Species. BOTH the Englifh and French have moft of their flax feed from Flanders 3 and it is obferved that When they fow that feed, the crop of flax is much finer 'than When 'fhey fow their own. Cauliflower feed was for a long time brought from Malta, ' melon- feeds from Italy, the feed of luferhe from Lang'uedoc j and, good farmers are very careful in changing part of their feed corn every year. There feem to be many reafons why this practice fliould ftill be continued. Some plants agree better with one climate than another. Such will thrive befl in the climate that may be called moft natural to them. Sickly plants never bring their feeds to perfection j and to this it is undoubtedly owing, that the feeds which are gathered in a climate that does not agree with the plant, produce that plant lefs perfect than thofe which are gathered in a climate that is natural to it. With all the art the French make ufe of to raife melons, they fall ftlOFt 64 OF CHANGE OF SPECIES. Parti. fhort of thofe of Italy, where this plant grows almoft without culture*. If they did not take care to fave the feed of their beft melons, they would foon have no goodones left. But as their beft melons are inferior to thofe -of - Italy, fo their heft feed may be compared to the middling feed of that country. This ihews fufiiciently how right it is to bring the feeds of plants from thofe countries where they thrive beft. It is evident that in the fame province, the quality of the foil may have the fame effect on corn, a^the climate has : for when plants grow ftinted and fickly in a poor foil, it is natural to believe that the feeds muft partake of the weakly diipofition of, t,he plant which produced them; and that their productions cannot be fo fine as thofe which grow from the feeds of ftrong and .healthy plants. For this reafon Mr. Tull advifes to take the feed corn from a richer foil than that in which it is to be fowed, and rather from well cultivated land, than from land that is not lb. I cannot fay I think him wrong ; tho' the contrary opinion is almoft generally received: becaufe, the firft pro- ductions of a fine good feed, being ftrong and well conditioned, more may reafbnably be expected from them, than from a poor weakly plant. Another advantage in changing the (e^d, is, that there are fome weeds which delight in particular fpots, and do not thrive fo well elfewhere. If a farmer fows wheat of his own growth, he increafes the weeds which thrive particularly in his land ; whereas, by chang- ing his wheat, the weeds which he brings into his ground, not being in the foijl that agrees beft with them, will do lefs damage to his corn. However, Mr. Tull thinks, that change of feed may be difpenfed with, by the means of the new hufbandry ; becaufe, by his method of culture, almoft all weeds are 'deftroyed, and the plants be- ing very ftrong, their feed ought to be preferred to any other for fowing; efpecially when they are hot foreigri"pIahts,' which" borrow their quality from the ciimate they are raifed in. What is here advanced may admit of fome difficulty, for it is known (and Mr. Tull allows it) that fmall wheat produces as ftrong plants as the largeft. If fo, wheat that has grown in bad land, would be as good for fowing as the very fineft, provided it were well conditioned in other refpects. * This, fays Mr. Duhamel, is difputed : for though in hot countries all melons are eatable ; yet fome pretend that there are few lo good in Italy, as at Paris and in Touraine. Dr. Chap.XII. OF CHANGE OF SPECIES. 65 Dr. Home, p. 136. accounts very rationally for the advantages arifing from changes of crops, from the different effects of their roots. " The fibrous rooted divide directly into fmall fibres which run in all " directions, but moftly horizontally. The carrot-rooted fend one " great ftem directly down, which has lateral fibres. The former, the growth of the plant is ftopt, the blade becomes no larger, the ftalks grow no higher, nor the ears any bigger. " The juices, fays " he, ftill rife in the plant : they muft therefore be turned to fome " other ufe ; and it appears probable to me, that they are converted " into this brown powder, which daily increafes in quantity as long " as the diftemper lafts. I cannot think it a fubftance foreign to the " plant, brought .there by any external means.. " I have never feen corn muck with the ru/l, but in very dry weather, " and (which is of importance to be obferved) never but when there " has not been the lealt dew for feveral days. May not the want "■ of that moifture, fo friendly to vegetation, dry the furface of the " blades and items fo as to make them crack, and the veflels, being . " broke, pour forth their contents ? " This opinion, continues he, is fupported by an experiment which " I made ; and which likewife teaches us how to flop the progrefs " of this diltemper, when it feizes corn before it fpindles. " On the 6th of July, 1753, I planted 159 grains of the wheat' " which I intended to ufe for feed. They did not begin to fpring " up till the 20th.. On the 1 8th of the fame month, I fowed 104 " grains more. They fprouted foon, and had very large blades of a " deep green. About the end of Auguft, the blades changed their " colour, and the ruji foon appeared. It made an aftoniihing pro- " grefs. The earth, for two feet diftance from the rows, was co- vered Chap. XVI. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. 83 *c vered with the rufty powder, and towards the rows of the plants it " lay at leaft one-twelfth of an inch thick. The blades were almofl; " entirely deftroyed, and the lofs of the plants feemed to me in- " evitable. " As I was perfnaded that this powder was the extravafated juices ** of the plants, I was in hopes that if I could turn the courfe of the " juices from the diftempered blades, the plants might produce new " blades and ftalks ; as I obferved that they were perfectly found " wherever they were covered by the earth. " The experiment was eafy to be tried. It was only plucking off " all the blades clofe to the earth ; which accordingly I did on the " 28th of September, from one half of my plants. *•' New blades began to grow in a few days after this operation. " The plants throve greatly, and before the beginning of winter, " were again in full vigour. In the fpring, they branched aburi- " dantly, and produced large ears, which ripened kindly. " The ruft continued its havock on the plants which I had not " flapped of their blades, till they were entirely killed. They did *c not produce a fingle ear. " This remedy can only take place when the diftemper happens " in the autumn or fpring: but if it happens later, when the ftems " are grown, and the ears are ready to break forth, it feems to me " then incurable. " I have often obferved, that the corn which is fown very early is " more fubject to this diftemper than what is fown later. " If we were acquainted with the caufes of this ruft, it might " be more eafily prevented. In order to acquire this knowledge, " the lovers of husbandry fhould collect every obfervation they make " on this diftemper, whence fome ufeful hints may arife. u I obferved, that when the wheat was rufted in the autumn of the " years 1753 and 1754, the fecond crop of hay was fo too. The " grafs turned, from a beautiful green, to that rufty colour which " the corn had : it was covered with the fame kind of powder, and " diminished fenfibly every day j and, as the whole of a field of ,c wheat is not, ufually, affected at the fame time, fo it extended " only to fome parts of the meadow. " This diftemper in grafs, is .undoubtedly owing to the fame caufe cc as it is in corn, tho' its effedts are different on each. It entirely " deftroys annual plants, as in my experiment ; but in grafs, which " is a lading plant, it deftroys only the leaves, and the roots after- M 2 " wards *4 DISTEMPERS OF CORN. Part I. " wards produce new blades ; or perhaps the plants are preferved, by " the blades being taken off in cutting them for hay. This is only " conjecture : but as it is a matter of importance, I fliall be more *' careful in my future obfervations. " It is well known that bread made of rye which has been attacked " by the diftemper called ergot, is unhealthy, and caufes very trou- " blefome difeafes. Is there not fome reafon to fear the fame c< bad effects from feeding cattle with fodder which has been rufted I " May not this be the caufe of deadly difordei s which fometimes cut " off whole herds, and for which no remedy has yet been found ? f Thefe difeafes are fometimes reckoned contagious j perhaps on too ** flight an inquiry. " This fear of the pernicious effects of diftemper'd fodder, may be 4< groundlefs, though it is founded on plaufible appearances. It " were to be wifhed for the public good, that where fodder is any ** way diftemper'd, by ruft, fmut, &c. fome part of it, the moft di- " ftemper'd, were fet apart, to feed fome cattle with, that we might " be allured whether their health is affected, or difeafes are brought *' on by it. If cattle fed with it for two or three months, continue " in good health, it may afterwards be made us with confidence. " If we find them droop, the remedy is at hand : they muff, be fed " with good wholefome hay, which will carry off the difeafe, then •' known to proceed from the bad quality of their food." OF BLIGHTS. WHAT we exprefs in England by the general term, blighi, our author divides into different kinds, appropriating a parti- cular name to each. The firft he fpeaks of, he calls Coulure, i. e. Empty-ears. /^•ORN is faid to be coule, when the ears, inftead of being full of ^ plump grains, are entirely deftitute of any in their extremities, or contain only a few fmall grains, in which there is fcarce any flour, and which pafs through the fieve, with the dud and feeds of weeds. This may be owing to feveral caufes. i. Heavy and cold rains, when the corn is in bloom, may pre- vent the grains being render'd pregnant, as it happens to grapes, in the fame cu'cumftances,. which remain fmall and without juice. 2. Others Chap. XVI. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. 85 2. Others impute this evil to lightning, which feems probable from the known and great effects of electricity, with whicn the air is fo abundantly ftored in ftormy weather. I have feen trees lofe all their leaves after a ftorm, and others die entirely, which could be imputed only to the lightning : but as the next neighbouring trees are not hurt when any thing of this kind happens to corn, it can fcarce be of any great extent. 3. The ears are fometimes hurt by froft, juft as they come forth. In this cafe, the ears which are entirely frozen, contain no grain \ and if only the extremity is frozen, that part is without grain. 4. If, by accident, the growth of the plants is interrupted whilft the grain is forming, that in the extremity of the ear, which is formed laft, will fuffer mod. The frequent ftirrings given the mould in the new hufbandry, keeping the corn always in vigour, the grain will be formed more perfectly through the whole length of the ear ; and therefore corn raifed in this manner, will be lefs fubject to this di- ftemper, than any other. I collected fome handfull's of fuch fmall grains of wheat found in the extremities of the ears, and having fowed them, they almoft all fprouted, and moft of them produced very fine corn. This mews that the fmallnefs of the grain is not always owing to its want of being impregnated. What M. Aimen names barrennefs in com, may be included in this diftemper. He fays that when, by froft or any other caufe, the male or female organs in plants are rendered incapable of performing their functions, the plants yield no fruit, tho' they otberwife look well : and he confirms his opinion by a quotation from Theophraftus to the fame purpofe. A bright fun, after heavy rains, he fays, pro- duce this effect ; and he thinks it is but feldom, though fometimes, caufed by infects. Bleds echandes et retraits : i. e. Parched and firivelt 'd corn. /^•ORN is faid to be parctid and Jbrivel/ed, when, inftead of being ^^ plump, fmooth, and full of flower, it appears wrinkled in the outward furface. It is true thefe grains yield good flour, which makes pleafant bread : but the flour is in fmall quantity, fo that two facks of this fhrivell'd wheat fhall yield perhaps no more flour than cne fack of found plump wheat. Yet, if the corn is not greatly diftemper'd, it fprouts very well, and may do for feed-corn. This appearance in corn is occalloned by whatever prevents the ' free 86 DISTEMPERS OF C 6 R N. Part I. free afcent of the nourishing juices into the grain when it is almofl formed. The following feem to be the chief caufes. While the corn is yet green, if great heats come on, the flalks dry, and the grains ripen too fuddenly, without being filled. This is frequently the cafe when heats fucceed a rainy feafon, which fills the plants with too much moifture. Sometimes the grain contains no flour at all. By the new hufbandry, wheat preferves its verdure at leaft a week longer than in the common way, which is a great advantage, becaufe the grain has time to be duly formed, and to be filled with flour. Corn fown according to the new huthandry, being later in bloom than that which is fowed in the common way, is fo far more liable to the danger of great heats. This is therefore a good reafon for fowing earlier, that it may bloom as foon as in the common way. It is not pofllble to prevent the effects of lightning or of froft, nor to alter the caufes which hinder the grain's being impregnated. But by means of the new hufbandry one confiderable caufe of this fhri- velling of the wheat may be guarded againft. When corn is lodged whilft the grain is yet milky, the juices can- not flow freely through its flalks which are then either broken or greatly bent. The grain which receives no more nourilhment, ripens without being filled with flour. It is not the weight of the ears which makes the corn lodge. If the ftalk is large and ftrong, it will fupport the ear, be it ever fo full of grain. But to give it that Strength, it is neceffary that the air and fun fhould have free accefs to it, and that the plant have fufficient nourilhment while it is in the earth. In the common hufbandry, the plants have lefs nourilhment ; and as the (talks (land thick together, fmo'thered and covered from the fun, they are tender and brittle. But in the new hufbandry, every ftalk receiving abundant nourishment during the whole time of its growth, and being always expofed to the air and fun, it becomes large and ftrong enough to fupport the ear. It is agreed, that corn which grows in a rich foil, is tall, and more liable to be lodged, than what is ftinted in its growth. But this is owing to the weaknefs of the fhraw, and not to the weight of the ears. We frequently fee that tufts of wheat which grow in vine- yards and other places, expofed on all fides to the fun and air, are lefs fubjedl to be laid than tufts which grow in the middle of large fields. Farmers finding that their corn on the richeft land is moft liable Chap.XVI. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. 27 liable to be laid, caufe it to be eat down when it is very rank, or mow it in order to bring it to a level with the weak and fbort, and prevent' its being lodged at harveft. This practice is very wrong ; fer the farmer thereby leffens his crop, or brings it on the level of a f^ond crop, where the ears are always fmall and light. They are amid of the grain's fhrivelling, if the corn is lodged j and, to avoid that inconvenience, they have recourfe to means which will certainly rendu the ears fmall and lefs ftored with grain. Betides, the grain is geierally good when it ripens in due feafon : but by feeding or cutting down the corn, its growth and ripening are retarded by which means it is expofed to all the inconveniences of a late har- veft. . .. ,. It will hereafter appear by many repeated experiments, that if the plowman is careful to turn the earth towards the rows of corn, at the laft hoeing, thereby to give greater liability to the ftalks when they have attained their height, the corn will be lefs liable to be lodged. . . , Mr. Tull obferves, that in cold countries there are infects which prick the items of wheat before the grain is full of that milky fub- ftance which forms the flour. . Thefe infects lay their eggs on the outward covering of the ftalks, and when thofe eggs are hatched, they feed on the pith, and deftroy many of the veffels, whence the grain, being deprived of part of its nourishment, remains light and fhriveU'd. The attack of thefe infects may be known by the black fpots, thought to be their excrements, which are feen on the ftalks. When thefe infects do not damage the ftalks till the grain is well filled, they do little hurt. For this reafon, early corn is lefs fubject to be attacked by them, than that which is late ; and as the wheat that is firft fown generally ripens the fooneft, this. is another reafon for fowing early. As it is obferved that thefe infects chiefly attack the moft thriving corn, perhaps becaufe its ftalks are the moft juicy, one would ima- gine that as the wheat which is cultivated according to the 'new hufbandry is more vigorous than any o.her, it fhould like wife be more fubject to be injured by them. Mr. Tull fays, that in this ^afe. a deep furrow may be cut near the wheat, about the middle of Tune, m order to cut the roots of the plants, and thereby kffen their luxuriancy. . It does not appear that he ever tried this Jemedy, which feems very dangerous. As' the ftraw is expofed to the air and fun. $B DISTEMPERS OF CORN. Parti. fun, in the new hufbandry, it may probably contract a hardnefs which does not fuit thefe infects, fince they are never feen in drv feafons. Mr. Tull advifes a better fafegu'ard againft thefe infects, viz;' to fow the white bearded wheat, the ftalk of which is not hollow, Jut towards the foot, the reft being filled with pith. It is fufpected ;hat they fometimes attack this corn too, by the black fpots whicl are obferved on the ftraw : but it is known by experience, that the grain never fuffers thereby, being always plump, hard, and heavy. As I have never feen any of thefe infects, I can fay nothing farther concerning them. Bled glace, i.e. Glazed Com. TV/I EN fkilled in wheat require that it be heavy, of a fmooth fur- J-yA face, and bright yellow colour. If it is of a dead white, they judge it to be watry, mouille j and if of a deep yellow, and inclining to be traniparent, it is faid to be glace', glazed. This fault happens to corn that has been ripen'd by great heats, which have come be- fore the flour was formed. This wheat fprouts well, yields plenty of flour, and makes good bread. I guefs that this flour does not take fo much water to knead it, as the flour of the beft wheat does. This is the only difadvantage attending it, if it really be one. Bled arcorte. i. e. Abortive, or Rickety. Corn. /"\UR author fays he did not know this diftemper in corn, till he ^ had feen M. Tillet's memoir on that fubject -, but that he has fince obferved it. The following is the fubftance of that memoir, being a differtation which gained the prize given by the academy of Bourdeaux. i. The abortive ears grow on rickety fialks, of a white colour, with curled leaves. 2. The ftalks appear rickety as foon as they are three or four inches high. 3. Whilft the rickety fialks are yet low, they are weak, and of a yellowifh hue : their blades are of the fame colour, and fomewhat crimped or curled, as if they were blighted j and towards the root, the rickety ftalks look ftronger than others. 4. As the rickety ftalks grow, they become of a green colour, and afterwards change to that blueifh hue which is their di- ftinguifhing Chap. XVI. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. So ftinguifhing character : their blades remain curled, become like- wife blueilh, and never have the ftrength and coniiflence of found blades. 5. This is not a diftemper peculiar to corn growing in a poor ground. M. Tillet has obferved it in corn growing in a rich foil, and even in the middle of a tuft of fine wheat. He has fometimes fearched for it in vain in poor foils, where the corn was but in a languishing condition. 6. The roots feemed to partake of the fame diftemper. They were not entirely covered with their foft fpungy coat, and in fome parts they were grown hard like wood. 7. Rickety ftaiks feldom bear ears, either entirely good or entire- ly bad. When the ears are good, they grow on unright ftaiks, with blades a little curled. 8. The abortive grains refemble very young peas, and have fome- times one, two, or three fpots in thofe which are quite formed, ib that they look like two or three grains joined together. 9. Abortive grain, which ufually grows on rickety ftaiks, is fometimes mixed in the fame ear with fmutty grains, which laft generally grow on upright ftaiks, whole blades are not curled. Of fmut hereafter. 10. Rickety ftaiks carry ears which fometimes contain found grain, and at other times abortive grains. 11. The abortive grains are feldom at the bottom of the ear; for which reafon they fhed eafily when the hulk or chaff is opened. 12. The bloffoms of abortive grain are feldom duely formed. 13. The plants are fometimes render'd quite abortive, before the corn fpindles. 14. After the abortive ears have been fome time expofed to the air, they grow white, and the grains become black and dry. 15. We fometimes meet with ftaiks of wheat, which, tho'ofthe rickety kind, are ftrait and tall, and have only the blades of the third or fourth joint fhrivelled or curled. All thefe fymptoms do not unite in the fame fialk, but where the diftemper is. at the worft. When the grain is ripe, or rather when it is dried, it turns black, and looks (o like the feed of cockle, that many farmers, who are unacquainted with this di- ftemper, confound the abortive grains with the feeds of that plant. N M. 9o DISTEMPERS OF CORN. Parti. M. Tiller, fufpects, that this diftemper is occafioned by infects. He has found infects on the diftemper'd ftalks, where he faw drops of a very clear liquid, which he took to be the extravafated fap. ACCIDENTS occafioned by INSECTS. BESIDES infers, which are properly the fubjeft of this article, there are feveral other animals which do confiderable damage to corn. Field-mice eat not only the grain, but oftentimes the plant itfelf. Rooks alfo deftroy great quantities of corn with their ftrong beaks, and hares and rabbits eat it whilft green, and weaken the young plants, fo that they branch but little and produce weak ears. Pigeons have not bills ftrong enough to root up the grain when cover- ed with earth, nor do they feed upon the young corn : they only pick up the grains that are not covered, and which muft infallibly become the prey of other animals, or be dried up by the fun. Par- tridges do no more harm than pigeons, for they do not fcratch. They only eat the green corn, which can be of little confequence, unlefs they are in great numbers indeed, and in a place where but little corn is fown. Sparrows make great havock at harveft time, by the vaft quantity of corn which they eat, efpecially near hedges or villages. Bearded wheat, and rye, are lefs their prey than any other grain. This is worth knowing: for it is better to have a full crop, even of rye, than to have half a crop of wheat eat by them, after being raifed with great care. Small fnails deftroy a great deal of wheat in fome foils. But the loffes occafioned by fuch creatures, are not what we pro- pofe to treat of here : we mention them only by the bye, and now proceed to the infects. There is a fmall kind of worm, which gets into the roots, chiefly of oats, and, working upwards, deftroys all the infide of the plant, which perifhes foon after. I fufpect it to have been an infect of this kind that deftroyed fo much wheat in the neighbourhood of Geneva, and which M. de Chateau-vieux defcribes thus. " Our " wheat, in the month of May 1755, fuftain'd a lofs, which even " that cultivated according to the new hufbandry did not efcape. " We found in it many little white worms, which afterwards be- ** came of a chefnut colour. They poft themfelves between " the blades, and eat the ftems. They are ufually found be- " tweea Chap.XVI. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. 9r " tween the firft joint and the roots. Every ftalk which they at- " tacked, grew no more, but became yellow, and withered. Ths " fame misfortune happened to us in the year 1732. Tbefe in- " fects appeared about the middle of May, and made fuch havock " that the crop was almoft deftroyed." We too often find, in our kitchen-gardens, a fort of vermin called vine-jretters. They fix upon the roots of leguminous plants, which gradually turn yellow, and die. M. Tillet fays he has obferved the fame infect in the roots of wheat. Meffrs. de Reaumur and Tillet have likewife obferved fmall caterpillars which are hatched in the ears of wheat. I have myfelf long ago obferved, and made drawings of fmall infects, fome of a bright red, and others black, which arc found in great numbers in the ears of wheat. I fufpect that theie infects feed on a fweetifh juice, which is in the ear whilfr. green. As M. Tillet was at firft of opinion, that they might do confiderable damage to the grain, he followed with great attention all their me- tamoi phofes, of which he has given a full account in the before mentioned memoir. Though infects, and other enemies to corn, whilft in the granary, do not properly belong to the prefent fubject, I beg leave to give the following account, which was fent me by a gentleman of An- goumois. " The great lofs, fays he, which we have fuffered in this pro- ie-g '-a, hd powder of flack d lime, fweep it up and down, and mingle it with the corn, till every grain leaves clinging to another, and becomes, as it were, candied with the lime : and in this condition let it be lowed, never entertaining a moment's doubt of the infallible increafe of your har- veft." Several farmers vary this fteep, by adding to it a mixture of pigeons or other dung. In moft of the provinces of France, they make no ufe of fait ; doubtlefs becaufe it is too dear : but they fteep the wheat in lime- water. For this purpofe, they put it into bafkets, and carefully fkim off all that fwims on the top, moft of which would not fprou't, and is only fit to feed fowls. Other farmers pretend that the fureft way to be free from fmut, is, to change the feed every year ; and that the feed which comes off a itrong foil, is the beft. A farmer in whom Mr. Tull had great confidence, told him, that, for feveral years, he had his feed corn from another farmer, who alfo changed his feed every year, and that he was free from fmut, though the neighbouring farms were always infected with it : but above all, he affures us, that the drill hufbandry is the moft effectual cure. M. Aimen, after giving an account of the feat and caufes of this diftemper, enumerates the remedies recommended by authors: Ives of lime, falt-petre, allum, verdigreas, vitriol, common fait, and the afhes of plants, are recommended by Mr. Pluche. A mixture of water and urine, or a decoction of cyprefs leaves, are recommended as fpecifics by Columella and Pliny. The farmers boaft much of the juice of houfe-leek and other cold plants ; and Virgil recommends lees of oil. As weak plants are moft fubject to fmut, M. Aimen recommends good tillage, as a fure means of giving them ftrength and vigour. Tis Chap. XVI. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. 99 'Tis probably for this reafon that corn is very feldom fmutty when managed according to the new husbandry. He obferves that all the lyes generally made ufe of, preferve the plants from mouldinefs : and of all of them, lime feems to him the mod effectual. On the whole, he advifes that the bed: wheat be chofen for feed ; that it be reaped in fair weather; that it be threfhed out imme- diately, and that it be fprinkled with lime the next day after it is threfhed. He adds, that every method he has tried to make corn fa prepared grow mouldy, has been ineffectual, and that he has never known it produce fmutty ears. M. de St. Mefmin de Ligncrolle fays, that the fureft means of avoiding fmut, and which he has practifed with fuccefs ever fince the year 1739, on near 300 arpents of land, is, to change the feed every year, to be very careful that the feed corn be well dried and thoroughly ripe, and that it be not fmutty, nor have any fmutty pow- der flicking to it. He then pours boiling water on quick-lime, in a large tub ; and after the ebullinon is over, as much cold water as there was hot, and ftirs it all ftrongly together, in order to diffolve and thoroughly mix the lime. The quantity of wheat intended to be fowed, is fprinkled with this lye, and then well flirred with a fhovel, and laid in as high a heap as poffible. It is beft to keep tho grain for a week after this preparation, turning it every day j for otherwife it would heat fo as to deftroy the germ. By thefe means, M. de St. Mefmin has had no fmutty wheat, tho' all around him is very liable to that diftemper. . M. Donat, near Rochelle, writes, that, thinking the ingredi- ents generally employed in fteeps, too dear for the ufe of farmers, he had Itudied for fome years to find out fomething cheaper, which might be eafily had in every province of the kingdom, and would therefore be of general ufe, not only to France, but to all Europe. I have had, fays he, the good fortune to accomplifh what I wifhed ; for I now ufe only pigeon's dung, quick-lime, afhes, or fea-falt, where it can be conveniently had. I have fometimes made with thefe ingredients, fteeped jn water, fo ftrong a liquor, that it has even deftroyed the germ of the grain. But there will be no danger of that, if the following directions are obferved, which are the refute of feven years fuccefsful experience, even at times when farmers who have neglected to follow my example, have had fuch wretched crops as have not paid the charge of reaping. ioo DISTEMPERS OF CORN. Parti. The following receipt will be found of great fervice to preferve corn from fmut. Take quick-lime and pigeons dung, of each twenty-five pounds ; forty pounds of wood-afhes, and twenty-five pounds of fea-falt, or falt-petre. Put all thefe into a tub large enough to hold half a hogfhead of common water added to them. Stir them all well, with a ftick, till the lime is quite difTolved. This lye will keep fome time without fpoiling. When the corn is to be fteeped in the lye, it muft firft be ftirred. The grain is then put into a bafket, and plunged into the lye, where it remains till it has thoroughly imbibed it; after which, it is taken out, and laid in a heap, till it is drained of all its moifture. Or, which is ftill better, take a mafhing-tub, fill it with grain to within four inches of the brim, and then pour in the lye well ftirred before- hand. When the tub is full, let the lye run out at the bottom, into fome other veffel, in order to ufe it again for more corn. Let the grain be then taken out and laid in a heap to drain ; and continue in this manner to fteep all your feed corn. The wheat thus prepared, may be fowed the next day, and muft not be kept above five or fix days, for fear of its heating. This I fay from experience. The quan- tity of lye above prefcribed, will ferve to prepare twelve or thirteen, hundred weight of wheat. Le Charbon. THE French feem to give it this name, from the grain's ap- pearing as if burnt. We fhall therefore tranflate it burnt- grain. Mr. Lille calls it ajiilngo, or burnl-ear. The ears attacked with this diftemper, are not, at firft, readily di- ftinguifhed from the found : but after they have paft blooming, they become of a brown green, and afterwards turn whitifh, by which they are then eafily known. The burnt grain is fometimes larger, and at other times lefs than found grairt. It fwims on water. This diftemper affects only the grain. The ears remain in a found ftate: only they are white, and drier than found ears. Though all the ears which proceed from the fame plant are ufually attacked with this diftemper, yet we now and then find found ears 'en the fane pi the infected: nay, we have fometimes feen ;he gfjfrns of one ba'f of an ear found, whilft tbofe of the other half were burnt; and at other times only a few found grains in a diftem- per'd Chap. XVI. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. ior per'd ear. We have likewife ten, though very feldom, one part of a^rain found, when the other part was burnt. M. Aimen has fre- quently cut all the ears off a flourishing plant, and others have grown in their ftead ; but the grain was burnt. This, fays he, ac- counts for our fo frequently meeting with burnt grain in fields, where fome of the ears have been broken down by hail, m When a burnt grain is crumbled, as it generally may, with eafe, betwixt one's fingers, the infide is of a dark brown colour, and the fubftance contained within it, ftill retains fome degree of firm- We have faid, that fmutty grains being often carried off by wind, or wafhed away by rain, do no great damage to the found grain. It is not fo with the burnt grains ; for many of them are fometimes fo firm, as not to be cruflied to pieces by-the flail, (hovel, or -fieve j. but one of them ground to powder in the mill, is fufficient to alter the colour of a confiderable quantity of flour. The burnt grains have a bad fmell, and retain a good deal of moifture : two qualities which render them very unfit for keep- ing. • As the burnt grains are lighter than the found, many of them are •Separated by throwing the corn to a diftance with a -(hovel, or by winnowing, or fifting it in the wind : but it is very difficult to get quite clear of them.. When they are broken, they infect the found grains, and flick to them, as we obferved of the fmut. The French farmers give the fame name to both the diftempers we have been fpeaking of, faying that the corn is mouchete, /potted, or colour' d at the end. This lad is eafily rubbed off with, a cloth, and is .like- wife lod by long keeping after the corn has been frequently lifted, efpeciaily in cylindric fieves. Some farmers wafh it off in fair water ; which (hould always be done before fuch corn is put into any (teep. M. Tillet's memoir relates chiefly to this diftemper. we (hall pafs over his accurate and curious experiments, and, as before, give only the refult of his inquiries. He found, iff. that no kind of dung had any fenfible effect in producing burnt grain or fmut. The infected feed produced .as much burnt grain in places not dunged, as in others that were. No kind of dung quickened or retarded the progreis of this diftemper. Sound ica DISTEMPERS OF CORN. Parti. Sound feed-corn produced no more burnt grain in places that were dunked, than in thofe. that were not dunged. 2. The ftraw of diftemper'd corn, putrified, did not produce burnt grain : but fiich ftraw, not putrified, feem'd to produce it. The fame may be faid of the powder of burnt grain, when mixed with the earth. 3. In every trial of fowing corn /potted or coloured at the end, whether gather'd on the fpot, or brought from a diftance, the di- ftemper prevailed to that degree, that fometimes three-fifths of the ears were bad. 4. Chofen wheat, taken grain by grain out of pick'd ears, in order to be certain that there were no diftemper'd grains among it, being fowed, fome in dung'd and fome in undung'd land, fome with snd fome without preparation, produced little or no burnt grain. The fame chofen feed, fprinkled with the powder of diftemper'd grain, produced as many diftemper'd ears, as grain originally infected with it. This powder does not lofe its contagious quality in a great degree of heat, nor indeed unlefs it be quite burnt. It keeps it for years as ftrongly as at firft. 5. This chofen feed fteep'd in a lye with quick-lime and fea-falt, gave fewer diftemper'd ears, than when fown without being fteep'd. It produced ftill lefs of them when falt-petre was ufed inftead of fea-falt. 6. The circumftance of fowing late or early, feem'd of little con- fequence. Many farmers think it a very neceffary precaution to wafli the facks into which they put their feed corn, becaufe they think that even the fmell may infect the found feed. M. Tillct thinks that if the fower has any of the powder on his hand, it will infect part of the corn he fows. The fame gentleman thinks he has remarked, that diftemper'd plants of wheat are more eafily affected by froft, than found ones. If fo, ftrong frofts are of great fervice, becaufe, at the fame time that they deftroy thole diftemper'd plants, they render the earth better able to afford fuffkient nourishment to the found ones. By M. Tillet's experiments, the contagious powder of wheat does not affect rye, or four row'd barley or bigg : but the powder of cockle or darnel is pernicious to wheat. M. Tillet tried many experiments to difcover the moft effectual cures Chap.XVI. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. 103 cures for this diftemper ; from which he draws the following con- clufions. 1. The effect of the black powder is only fuperfkial, and does not affect the internal parts of the grain before it is fown in the earth. 2. Whatever therefore removes this powder from off the outer furface, will greatly conduce to preferve corn from this di- ftemper. 3. Grain perfectly free from all infection of this powder, will not produce diftemper'd grain. 4. Grain blackened with this contagious powder, may be render 'd found, by clearing it entirely of the powder. 5. The action of fitting, and the precaution of warning the grain in feveral waters, leffen the effects of the contagion : but they are not fufficient to cure it; for we have found feveral ears with burnt grain, tho' the feed had been warned in feveral waters. 6. Lime, tho' of greater efficacy than plain water, is not alone fufficient. It may be remarked here, that the manner of liming corn, was formerly different from what is practifed now. They then put the grain into bafkets, which they plunged into warm lime- water. They ftirred it ftrongly in the bafkets, and carefully fkimm'd off all that fwam on the top. By this means, they got rid of all the diftemper'd grain. This was much better than fimply pouring lime-water on a heap of grain, as is the practice now-a-days, and then turning it with (hovels j or mixing with the grain lime flack'd in the air, and reduced to powder. 7. Warning the grain touched with the powder, in feveral waters, is a very good precaution : but it muft be afterwards fteep'd in brine till it is thoroughly penetrated therewith, and then have powder of lime ftrewed upon it. 8. A ftrong brine of fea-falt is good, and may be ufed to great advantage where fait is cheap. 9. Salt- peter is better than fea-falt, and fhould be made ufe of where much nitrous earth abounds. 10. Strong alkaline lyes are ftill better. Pot-afh, fait of tartar, a lye made of any vegetable afhes abounding in fait, urine of men or cattle, become alkaline by putrefaction, &c. Of thefe, the eafieft come at in every place, may be chofen to make a lye for feed corn. Near the ka, they make ufe of the afh.es of fea-weeds. Thefe afhe&, rejected by dyers and others who ufe lyes, becaufe they have too much jo* DISTEMPERS OF CORN. Part L much fta-falt in'them, may, for that very reafon, be employed to greater advantage for feed corn. As men generally love to raife objections, feme may peVKapsfay, that if this diftemper is fo contagious as has been here repreiented, it would make iach . progress from year to year, that at laft we mould reap nothing, but burnt grain : but this is net the cafe ; for frequently 'a year in which this diftemper prevails much, is fuc- ceeded by a year in which fcarce any of i: is feen, Such was the year 1754. M. Tillet's obfervations are an anfwer to this objection : for hard frofts kill fo many of the diftempered plants, that its progrefs is happily ftopt . It may be again afked, if the contagious powder is the only caufe, how comes there to be burnt grain in a province where it never was before ? It may be anfwered, that other caufes may produce it; par- ticularly, as Mr. Aimen obferves, whatever prevents the grains being impregnated while in bloffom. M. Delu boiled two pounds of fait of tartar in a quantity of water fufficient to fteep an hundred pound weight of wheat, which he put into it while the lye was warm, and afterwards fprinkled it with quick-lime. This grain was fowed the nth of October 1755, in part of a field of three arpents. The reft of the field was fowed with fome of the fame wheat, only fteeped in lime-water. No difference ap- peared in the plants of thefe grains, during their growth ; but fome days before they were reaped, M. Delu, with an experienced far- mer, examined them very carefully, and found a good deal of burnt grain in the part fowed with the wheat which had been fteeped in the lime water ; but much lefs in the other part where the grain fteeped in the lye was fowed. This confirms M. Tillet's ex- periments. Of the dijlemper in rye, called Ergot. S I know no word in our language anfwering to what is meant here by the French word ergot, I muft retain it. According to Mr. Aimen, the ergot in rye is the fame diftemper as the charbon in wheat. If there be any difference, it is owing to the different organization of the two grains. 1. The diftempered grains of rye are larger and longer than the j found, A Chap. XVI. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. 105 found, and come out of the chaff, appearing fomet'imts ftrait, and at other times more or lefs crooked. 2. Externally, they are dark coloured or black : their furface is rough, and frequently three furrows may be perceived in them, which run from end to end. Their outward end is always larger than that which adheres to the chaff. That larger end is fometimes fplit into two or three parts. It is not unufual to perceive fame cavities on their furfaces, which look as if made by infects. 3. When the diftempered grain is broke, there is in the middle or centre of it a whitifh flour, which is covered with another kind of flour of a redifh or dark colour. This diftempered flour falls to pieces between the fingers. M. Aimen has fometimes found it al- moft as black as the powder of fmutty wheat. 4. Thefe grains being put into water, fwim at firft, and after- wards fall to the bottom. If chewed, they leave a bitter relifh on the tongue. 5. The chaff appears found, though what is outmoft is of a darker colour than when the. grain is lound. 6. All the grains in an ear are never diftempered at once. They ftick lefs to the hufks, than found grains do. 7. M. Aimen imputes this diftemper to the grain's not being impregnated ; and therefore what is faid of the charbon in wheat, may be applied to the ergot in rye. Both M. Tillet and M. Aimen are of opinion that other plants, befides rye, are fubject to this ergot. M. Tillet aflerts that he has found fome grains of wheat attacked with this diftemper. If fo, they are two different diftempers, not to be confounded together. What feems ftill more to eftablifh this difference is, that, by M. Tillet's experiments, the diftempered fubftance of the rye is not contagious. M. Tillet feems to think that the ergot is occafioned by the fting or bite of fome infect, which turns the rye into a kind of gall. Several phyfical writers give many in fiances of people who have been feized with difeafes, by eating, for their conftant food, in iome years, bread in which there was much of this diftempered rye. As the diftempered grains are larger than the found ones, it is eafy to feparate the greateft part of them by fifting. It is what the coun- try people do, when corn is not dear : but in times of great Icarcity or dearth, they are loth to lofe fo much grain. It is then that they are apt to be attacked with a dry gangrene, which mortifies the ex- P treme io6 O F S T E E P S. Parti. treme parts of the body, fo that they fall off, almoft without caufing any pain, and without any hemorrhagy. The Hotel-Dieu at Or- leans has had many of thefe miferable objects, who had fcarce any thing more remaining than the bare trunk of the body, and yet lived in that condition feveral days. As it is not every year that the diftempered rye produces thefe dreadful accidents, Langius is of opinion that there may be two kinds of this difeafed rye ; one which is not hurtful, and another which occasions the gangrene. It is however probable, that there is but one kind, and that it does no hurt, firft, when fufficient care is taken in fifting the grain ; and, fecondly, when only a fmall part cf the rye is diftempered. It is alfo faid, that the rye lofes its bad quality by keeping : in which cafe, the reafon why the peafants are attacked with the gangrene in years of dearth, may be, becaufe they confume their crop as loon as the harveft is over. CHAP. XVII. Of S r E E P S. STEEPS were brought very early into ufe in hufbandry ; not only as prefervatives againft the feveral diftempersof corn which we have been fpeaking of, in which they are demonstratively of great ufe ; but alfo with a view to render the feed more fruitful. The Romans, as has been already obferved, had their lees of oil, decoction of cyprefs leaves, juice of houfe-leek, Sec. Lord Bacon was the firft who feems to have beftowed any attention on this fub- ject in England. What he did, was rather pointing out the path to others, than determining any thing pontive on this head himlelf. "I do not know any author who has yet given us a fet of experi- ments with this view, which have been long enough- continued to determine what effects any fteeps have towards rendering grain more fruitful. Van Kclmont, and fince him the authors of the maifons rujiiques, have given many receipts for fteeps, which they boaft greatly of, as increasing the fruitfulnefs of the feed that is fteeped in them, Thefe who recommend thefe receipts, advife fowing the corn thinner than ufual ; generally one third lefs. All the experiments in this work will (hew evidently, that this one circufnftance of fowing thin, will add greatly to the crop. That the comparifon may be juft, all cir- Chap. XVII. O F S T E E P S. 107 circnmftances fhould be alike, as to the goodnefs of the foil, the quantity and quality of the feed, -See. To fatisfy myfelf whether or no any benefit does arife from the ufe of fteeps, by way of giving the feed a greater degree of fruitful- nefs, I tried the following experiment. I infufed fome good wheat in a lye of dung, mixed with lixivial falts, nitre, and fal ammoniac. I fowed with this grain two beds in my kitchen garden, dug with a fpade. One of the beds was fowed very thick, and the other very thin. At the fame time I fowed two other beds, exactly like the former, with fome of the fame feed, not fteeped, one thick, and the other thin. At harveft time, the beds fowed with the fteeped feed, were {o exactly like the others, that it was impoffible for the eye to diftinguifh between them. A gentleman in my neighbourhood followed exactly the directions given in the maifons rujHques, in the ufe of one of their boafted re- ceipts, which is there faid to be of fuch efficacy, that the land need be plowed but once for wheat prepared with it. He did fo ; and his crop was fcarce worth reaping. Mr. Peyrol, many years fecretary to the intendant of Auvergne, acquaints me, that he had made feveral experiments in imitation of thofe mentioned in the Abbe de Vallemont's book. In the month of May 1755, he planted in his garden, which is a hot indifferent foil, four fmall cabbages, which had only four leaves. In Septem- ber following, the fame cabbages were fix feet and a half in cir- cumference. Some plants of red wheat, tranfplanted into a bed dug very fine in his garden, bore J30 ears a piece, which contained each of them from 40 to 80 grains. Some plants of white wheat, tranf- planted at the fame time, produced 120 ears, each of which had from 30 to 40 grains. Two grains of red wheat, fowed in the fame bed, and not tranfplanted, produced each of them 140 ears, which contained 6000 grains. Five plants of red wheat, diftant from one another fix inches, did not branch fo well, being too clofe together: but each of them producedfrom 40 to 50 ears, which contained from 40 to 60 grains. Rye, which branches lefs than wheat, produced from 30 to 3 <; ears, each containing from 60 to 70 grains. The barley of that country, which branches little, has however produced from 60 to 80 ftalks, tho' the feed was not fteeped in any liquor before it was fowed. The author of thefe experiments P 2 judicioufly "io8 OF STEEPS. Parti. judicioufly obferves, that they mull be repeated and varied, to make it appear that the great increafe is owing to the fleep. This liquor of the Abbs de Vallemont is as follows. Ptn into a tub, expofed to the fouth, one bufhel of hcrfe-dung, the fame quantity of cow-dung, half a bufhel of pigeon's dung, as much fheep's dung, as much afhes, three gallons of fmall prick 'd wine, two pounds of falt-petre, and as much water as will fuffici- tntly dilute the whole, fo as to make it thin enough for ufe. Every time that any of this liquor is taken out tofprinkle the plants, it is filled up again with water ; and as it may be too ftrong at firft, it may be weakened accordingly, M. Peyrol added to this infufion, frequent digging; for the ground was dug five times between the plants of wheat: and he obferved that each digging fenfiblv gave frefh vigour to the plants, and that the ffalks, which were fix feet high, were not laid. M. Donat fays, he has made trials of thefe mixtures, from the ufe of which fo much is promifed : but he acknowledges that he thinks them of no other fervice, than to amufe the curious, who do not regret expence. As they boaft that alL kinds of foils, whe- ther good, bad, or indifferent, whether well. or ill plowed, whether refted or not refted, will produce ten times more than in the conir mon way, M. Donat fowed a large extent of ground, feme good, fome bad, fome well, and fome ill plowed,. &c He made the lye himfelf, was prefent when the feed was fowed, and took care that no circumfhnce was neglected; Bat notwithftanding. all his cars, his crop was far from aniwering their promifes. The good,, well. cultivated foil, produced fine wheat; but not e:ir- traordinary in point of quantity. The only advantage was in the daving of the feed. The poar ill cultivated land, and that which had not been refted, ©reduced very little grain: and the very bad foil, nothing at all. Thefe experiments convinced M. Donat, that the fureft means of obtaining good crops, is, to have the grousd in good condition. This is the principle on which the new. hufbandry is founded. It offers nothing marvellous, or contrary to the moil ancient precepts cf good hufbandry. Thefe experiments of M. Donat's feem fufficient to prove the incfikacy of thefe pretended fecrets. However, experiments of this kind fhould be continued on a.double account ; firft, to take off a prejudice: Chap. XV 111. O F W E E D S. 109 prejudice which feems to gain ground, though it be not founded on any rational principle ; and next, to be well affured whether thefe preparations do produce any fenfible effect. Experiments feidom prove ufelefs to careful accurate obfervers. If they do not always anfwer the end propofed, at lead they fometimes lead the way to other important difcoveries. CHAP. XVIIL Of W E E D S.. PLANTS that grow in any ground, different from thofe which are intended to be cultivated in it, are called weeds. They exhauft the earth, as much as the moft ufeful plants : nay, they fometimes get the afcendant, and multiply to fo great a degree, that a field will almoft feem never to have been fowed with' corn. The weeds which are feared moft,. are, 1. Cockle or darnel. Its feed is black j but being heavy, and nearly of the fame fize as the •grains of wheat, it is not eafily feparated from them. Sifting, and throwing the corn at a diftance on a large floor, are the beft ways of clearing the wheat of it. If ground with the corn, it makes bread; look black. 2. Fox-tail, the feed of which is fomewhat like wheat. This gives bread a bitter tafte.. 3. Wild poppy, or red-iveed, the feed of which is very fmall, and fometimes multiplies fo prodigioufly that it choaks the wheat. 4. Wild fitch, which covers the corn when, it is laid, hinders it from rifing again, and makes it rot.. 5. Dog's grafs,. and colt's foot, which multiply by their feeds, and extend themlelves by their creeping roots, and even by the pieces of their roots which are broke off by the plough. 6. Melilot, which gives bread a bad tafte ; and 7. Thifiles, and many, other, weeds which greatly exhauft the earth. 8. Charlock, the young plants of which it- will be of advantage to the farmer to be able to diftinguifh from young turneps, efpe- eially in weeding the latter, left they be reared or plucked up indif- criminately. This can fcarcely be done but by the tafte, the char- lock being hot and bitter, and the turnep mild. To prevent the increafe of weeds, it is proper to deftray them before j io O F W E E D S. Parti. before their feed is ripe. But that is not pofiible in lands which are plowed in the common way; becauie they grow with the gocd com, and mod of them ripening fooner than the wheat, their leeds low themfelves, and the weeds multiply. Neither mull we expect to deitroy them by retting the land ; for their feeds will remain found feveral years in the earth. If a field that has a great many poppies in it, is fowed with fainfoin, fcarce a poppy will appear the fecond year: but when the fainfoin is plowed up at the end of even nine years, the poppy frequently appears anew ; which can hardly be owing to any other caufe, than that its feeds have remained found in the earth all that time ; for very few of them can have been brought from the neighbouring grounds, or in dung. An experiment which I made, confirms this. I ordered the earth with which a ditch had been filled fifteen or twenty years before, to be dug out, and fpread on a piece of plowed land. Several plants, of different kinds from any that were in the reft of the field, fprouted up in the place where this earth was laid. Confequently they were produced by feeds which had remained found in the earth, during the fifteen or twenty years that the earth had laid in the ditch. It is partly for this reafon, that lands which are fallowed, are plowed thoroughly ; and it is certain, that as numbers of feeds (hoot up during the fallow, repeated plowings deffroy many of them. But there are feveral kinds of plants, fuch as wild oats and fox-tail, the feeds of which do not fprout, till they have remained two or three years in the earth j nor will culture make them grow fooner. Some experiments have been made, which feem to contradict our author here. From them it feems to appear that the feeds of thofe plants which he fays require to remain three years in the ground, were only buried fo deep that they remained found for many years, and that they will not fprout till they happen to be laid at fuch a depth as is convenient or -fit for their fprouting. Though the in- creafe of weeds may be prevented for feveral years, by plowing, cutting, pulling them up, 6cc. Yet fome of their feeds may be thus brought up by each plowing, till all of them have fprouted, and then the field may be kept quite clear, by care. It is evident that the repeated plowings of fallow lands, far from deflxoying thefe kinds of weeds, ferve perhaps only to help their feeds to grow more certainly, when the time of their fprouting .is come. Far- Chap. XVIII. O F W E E D S. in Farmers have not yet thought of a more effectual method to de- ftroy weeds, than by lowing the ground out of feafon ; that is to fay, by fowing oats the year that wheat mould be fowed. It has been experienced, that, by this means, fome kinds of weeds have been deftroyed, which, appearing only every third year, never fhew them- felves but amongft wheat. But the farmer lofes a crop, and has ftill a great number of weeds to dertroy ; which obliges him to weed his corn. This is done two different ways. A number of women place themfelves in a row ; and holding in their hands a hoe properly made, they cut all the weeds they fee, fuch as thirties, blue bottles, poppies,' £?c. If thefe weeds are very young, they frequently efcape the eye of the weeder ; ;and in that eafe the hoeing muft be repeated when they grow bigger. But the fmaller weeds, which are at leaft as hurtful, fuch as wild- fitch, wiid-oats, cockle or darnel, knot-grafs, fox-tail, and all young poppies, remain in the field. Befides, in cutting the weeds, it is fcarce poffible not to cut down the corn ; and the roots of the thirties and other biennial plants which are cut, produce two or three new rtalks inrtead of the old one j by which means the evil is increafed. The other method of clearing corn, is, hand- weeding it. This is feldom pra&ifed by farmers, becaufe it is too expenfive. In vineyards in- deed, women who have cows to feed, are glad to have leave to pluck up the weeds for them. But in pulling up thofe Weeds, they likewife pull up a great deal of corn, and, what with that, and with their trampling, and dragging their bags of weeds over it, they do more hurt than good ; efpecially if the earth is moift. The fureft way to deftroy weeds, is, to continue plowing whilrt the corn grows : but this can be done only in the new hufbandry. Weeds may be diftinguifhed into four kinds : i. Into fuch as have creeping perennial roots. 2. Such as grow in cold wet foils. 3. Such as are of a large fucculent body ; and 4. Such as having fmall feeds, or that ripening before the corn, fow themfelves. Each of thefe require different methods, to dertroy them. The firrt can only be deftroyed by repeated fummer fallows, by which their roots are cut, and turned up to be withered by the fun and winds j after which they are dragged out by harrows, and fhould be burnt. This repeated as often as the farmer can conveniently during a dry feafon, or repeated another feafon, can fcarcely fail to j complete. 1I2 OF WEEDS. Partt complete the cure. Colt's foot, which is propagated by the root, may likewife be deftroyed by fowing the ground with rye-grafs, on any plant which, coming up early in the fpring, fhadows and /mo- thers it, whereby it dies in a few years. The fecond are deftroyed by draining the earth of its fuperfluous moifture, and by warming it with lime, afhes, gravel, fhelly fea- -fand, &c. The third are deftroyed by cutting them down when in full fap and vigour : for the fudden interruption which this gives to the motion of the fap, caufes it to ftagnate in the roots, and putrify there. Some few and weak lateral fhoots may be made; but they too being cut in the fame manner, the roots are entirely putrified by degrees, and, inftead of annoying, become a manure. The fourth can be deftroyed only by frequent fallows, and con- ftantty cutting, or rather plowing them down before they run to feed. Some, for inftance the wild oats, may be mowed for hay, but it is much more beneficial to the land to have them turned down ; for by that means, inftead of being exhaufted by frequent crops, it is ma- nured by thofe enemies to ufeful grain. Banks and hedges fhould be preferved free from weeds ; not only to preferve their bottoms thicker, but alfo to prevent the feeds ot weeds from being carried into the adjacent fields, by winds, by which means the corn muft be conftantly peftered with them. ■ A PR AC- PRACTICAL TREATISE O F HUSBANDRY. PART II. Experiments and Reflections relative to the NEW HUSBANDRY. C H A P. I. Experiments en Wheat. SECT. I. Experiments made at Denainvilliers and Acou, in the Tear 175Q. R. Duhamel begins his account of the advan- tages of the new husbandry, with experiments made on fmall pieces of land. The two firft which he mentions were made with great care, one under his own eyes at his brother's eftate called Denainvilliers, and the other under the eyes of his neighbour, M. de St. Hilaire. The more eafily to compare the produce of the new hufbandry with that of the old, fays he, I fhall here take- the extent of two Q^ arpents \ u4 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, PartIL arpents ; each containing an hundred perches, and the perch twenty- two feet. The two arpents lay in the fame field, and were plowed as ufual for wheat. They were divided into two equal parts, by a furrow, fp that the quality of the foil in each was perfectly alike. One ot thefe arpents was ■ fowed in the common way with 10 bulhels of dry grain, weighing 210 pounds, which, after being fteeped,, and fprinkled with lime, filled 12 bufhels, and weighed 52 pounds. The other arpent was fowed with the drill plough, in the following manner : firft, a border of two feet was left unfowed ; then three rows of wheat were fowed in a bed two feet wide : after which. another fpace four feet wide was left unfowed. This fpace we call the alky.. The beds, of three rows of wheat each, and the alleys, were thus continued alternately till the whole was finithed. As the grains of wheat were fowed in the rows at the diftance of four, five, or fix inches from each other, two buihels, or forty two pounds of wheat fteeped and limed, were more than furhcient to fow this arpent ; by' which a faving was already made of ten bulhels or two hundred and forty pounds of wheat, which would have been ufed in the common hulbandry. This arpent was fowed lb thin, that during the winter and the be- ginning of the fpring it had more the appearance of ground only plowed, than of a field which had been fowed ; whereas the other was green as a meadow. In the fpring, we vifited the rows, and pulled up the plants where, they grew too thick, fo as to leave at leaft four inchr.s diftance be- tween each. The alleys were firft ftirred with the horfe-hoe. The horfe-hocmg had a wonderful effect: the wheat became of a deep green, pulhed forth large blades, and branched greatly; fo that by the middle of May the earth between the rows was quite covered, and the wheat was higher than that of the other arpent, which, in comparifon of this, was of a yellowilh green. When the wheat of the rows began to fpindle, it was a'moft as high again as the other. The alleys then received their fecond hoeing. We plucked up at this time fume of the moft thriving plants of the wheat lowed in the common way, and found that each grain had produced no more than two, three, and very rarely four ftalks capable of yielding ears. Many grains had even produced but one ftalk, of which, numbers were very weak, and feemed choaked by the reft. Each grain of wheat in the rows, on the contrary produced eight, twelve, Chap. I. AT DENAINVILLIERS AND ACOU. 115 twelve, fifteen or twenty flalks, almoft all of them ftrong and able to produce large ears. The wheat in the common way was in full ear, before one ap- peared in the rows, in which neverthelefs the wheat was taller, and ltill of a deep green. As foon as the wheat of the rows was in ear, it was horfe-hoed a third time, and continued growing taller as the ears appeared. It bloffomed, and the grain formed extremely well : but it was flill very green when great heats came on, which ripened it fuddenly, and prevented its farther increafe, which would othcrwife have been con- fiderable. The crop would certainly have been more plentiful, had it not been for this untimely heat : yet, contrary to our expectation, the grain was not parched ; but proved larger and better filled than that of the other arpent. The wheat was fowed at Acou, as at Denainvilliers : the hoeings were repeated in the fame manner ; the progrefs of the wheat fowed in both ways was alike ; and laftly, the great heats accelerated too much the ripening of the wheat in the rows, at Acou, as at Denain- villiers. Refult of the Experiment at Denainvilliers. The arpent which was plowed and fowed in the common way, had been very well dunged ; and the other, which was cultivated according to the new hulbandry, had received no dung at all. This fhould make fome difference in their products. Let us compare them. The arpent which was cultivated according to the new hufbandry produced 284 fbeaves : the other 476. It is proper to obferve that the quantity of fodder was not in proportion to the number of (heaves ; becaufe the ftraw which grew in the rows was much longer than that of the other arpent. The arpent fowed in rows, yielded 70 bufhels of large wheat, weighing 1470 pounds. The other yielded 98 bufhels of fmaller wheat, which weighed 2058 pounds. Thus the field which was cultivated in the common way produced 28 bufhels or 588 pounds more than the rows. But it muff be re- membered, that only two bufhels or 42 pounds of wheat, were em- ployed to fow the rows ; whereas 12 bufhels or 252 pounds were Q_2 ufed n6 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. ufed to fow the other arpent. Ten bufhels, or 240 pounds, fhould therefore be deducted from the produce of this laft, which will then exceed that of the rows only by eighteen bufliels, or 372 pounds. The expence of dunging an arpent, is equal to the value of twenty bufliels of wheat when it bears a middling price. This already brings the produce of the arpent fowed in rows, at leafl: to an equa- lity with that of the other arpent. But a very confiderable advantage of the new huibandry, yet remains to be confidered. The value of the produce of an arpent in the common way, can, in three years, be only equal to the value of one crcp of wheat and one third of a crop ; becaufe a crop of oats is reckoned equal to but one third of a crop of wheat : therefore the produce of three years will be only 130 bufhels and two-thirds ; whereas the arpent, cul- tivated according to the new huibandry, will yield three crops of wheat, which, fuppofing them equal to that of the firf! year, will amount to 210 bufliels in the fame fpace of time. The increaic is thus one third greater, befides the faving of dung. RefuJ t of the Experiment at Acou. In this experiment, both the arpents were dunged; as well that cultivated in the old, as that in the new way. The arpent cultivated in the new way produced 150 bufliels or 31 ^o pounds. The arpent cultivated in the old way produced 133 bufliels and one-third, or 2800 pounds. Thus the produce of the former, exceeded that of the latter by 16 bufliels and two-thirds, or 350 pounds ; which make a clear gain of one-eighth : to this mull be .idded eight or ten bufhels faved in the feed : the profit will then amount to 24 bufliels and two thirds j or 518 pounds. On cal- culating the produce of the two arpents for three years, it will be found that the arpent cultivated in the old way will yield but 177 bufhels and feven-ninths ; whereas the arpent cultivated in the new method will produce in three years 450 bufliels. Thus, befides the faving of the feeds for oats, there will be in three years a clear profit of 272 bufhels and two-ninths. Avail advantage in favour of the new huibandry. As we have already, in treating of the difeafes of corn, mention- ed the caufcs which make it moft liable to be lodged, we fliall here pafs them over, and only obferve, that, in confirmation of the opi- nion already given, Mr. Duhamel faw with pleafure, that tho' the corn Chap.I. AT DENAINVILLIERS AND ACOU. uy corn was lodged in feveral fields near that where the experiment was made, the wheat which grew in rows efcaped being laid, notwith- standing the length of the ftalks, and the largCnefs of the ears which were very full of grain: We may therefore hope, that by following the new method, there will be lefs danger of this accident, which fometimes robs the farmer of the fineff. part of his crop. I wifh I could promife as much for its preventing the blight in wheat: but this feemed to affecl: equally both that which was lowed in the com- mon broad cart-way, and that which was planted in rows. 'Tis true, that fewer of thofe blighted plants remained in the rows, be- caufe the hufbandman, by means of the alleys, eafily picked them out. A farmer at Acou, feeing us place our greateft hopes of fuccefs on the frequent ftirring of the ground while the wheat was in it, and our allowing each plant fufficient fpace to extend its roots, and collect the more nourishment, tried an experiment which appeared to him very proper to difcover the truth of our reafoning. He carefully cultivated a grain of barley, which grew by chance in his vineyard. This plant, faid he, grows byitfelf; it can extend its roots every way ; it is in a rich foil, and cannot want for food : by joining frequent culture to thefe advantages, this plant of barley, according to the principles of the new husbandry, ought to yield a lurprifing increafe. His reafoning was juft, and was confirmed by the experiment ; for this fingle grain of barley produced two hundred ears, and about thirty ftalks which had no ears. Some of the ftalks were four feet high, and moft of them three. I counted 24 grains in a middling ear. Thus one grain, planted in a good foil, and well cultivated, produced 4800 grains ; and the ftraw of this fingle plant of barley, makes of itfelf a fheaf, which I keep by me.* It is proper to obferve, that 1 have computed the weight of a bufhel -f of wheat at 21 pounds, tho' its Weight varies every year. * The reverend Dr. Hales informs me, that a grain of barley, which Mr. Hallier fowed in his garden in the year 1720, produced an hundred and fifty-four ears, which contained 3300 grains : thefe he fowed the next year, at the diftancc of three inches from one another : they yielded him fomewhat more than a bufhel • which, being fowed again, produced the third year, forty-five bufheis and a quarter. t" The French bufhel : vid. Tabic of weights and meaiures. SECT,' u8 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT,. Part II. SECT. II. Conti}iuaticn of the Experiments at Denainvilliers and Acou> in the year 175 r. I, At Denainvi liters. ,ATHE alleys, of the arpent cultivated in the new way, and of -*• which we fpoke in the foregoing fedtion, were fowed in Oc- tober 1750, with wheat, in rows, as before ; and the beds on which the wheat grew the former year, were now turned into alleys. The other arpent cultivated in the old way, not being in a condition to bear a crop of wheat in 1751, the owner, fatisfied with the produce of the other arpent, fowed this with fpring-corn, in beds, in order to prepare the ground for wheat in October following. He dunged the beds before the fpring-corn was fowed, and the -crop was a very good one for the year. Both thefe arpents, which were now cultivated in the new way, were bordered on each fide by two pieces of ground of equal extent and like quality of foil. They were both in fine tilth, well dunged, and fowed with wheat in the common way. By this means we were properly enabled to carry on our ccmparifon, the owner hav- ing promifed to keep the crops of each of thefe fpots feparate, and to give us an exact, account of their produce. I muft indeed confefs, that of thefe two pieces of ground, that which I chofe to make my companion by, was fomewhat better than the other, which may of courfe feem to diminish the advantage of the new culture. The cold rains which fell during all the fpring and fummer of this year, greatly damaged every production of the earth, and efpe- cially wheat. It> is therefore no wonder if the produce of our ex- periment was much lefs this year than the laft. It is enough for our purpofe, that the new culture ftill preferved the fame advantage over the old, that it did the year before. At the end of fpring, and during the whole fummer, the wheat of the rows was much taller, and of a livelier green than that which was cultivated according to the old hufbandry; and tho' the grains produced but 3, 4, or 5 (talks a-piece, inftead of 8, 12, 15, or 20, which they yielded the year before, yet they branched more than what was railed in the common way. At harveft, the rows were free from weed?, and tall enough to be reaped ; wbilft the wheat which was fowed in the common way, was Chap. I. AT DE'NAINVILLIERS AND ACOU. n9 was fo fhort and full of weeds, that it was obliged to be mowed, and the weeds to be dried, like hay. Each of thefe fields produced 336 fbeaves. This is very different from what it was the year be- fore, when a fingle arpent cultivated in the fame manner,- yielded 476 fheaves. In our experiment, the arpent which yielded 70 bufhels, or 1470 pounds of wheat in the year 1750, yielded this year but 40 bufhels or 966 pounds of good wheat free from fmut. The other arpent which was cultivated in the old way and had been well dunged, and which produced 98 bufhels, or 2058 pounds of fine wheat in the year 1750, yielded this year but 38 bufhels and a half, or 808 pounds and a half of final 1 wheat, above a third of which was blighted and fmutty. We fee by this account, 1. That the arpent cultivated in the . new way yielded this year 504 pounds lefs than in 1750. 2. That the arpent cultivated in the old way, produced 1249. pounds and a half lefs than in 1750. 3.. That the arpent cultivated according to our principles in 175 1, produced 157 pounds and a half of fine clean wheat, or near one fifth more than the arpent cultivated in the common way, which yielded only a fmall grain, mixed with a great deal of fmut. 4. We muft not forget that 12 bufhels of wheat were employed to few the arpent which was cultivated in the common way, and that not quite two bufhels were ufed in fowing that which was cul- tivated according to our principles. The 10 bufhels, or 210 pounds of wheat thus fowed, muft confequently be added to the 1 57 pounds which this arpent produced morfthan that with which it is com- pared. The gain is therefore 367 pounds. 5. This is not all. The wheat of the rows was choice corn, very fit for feed, and fold for a third part more than that which was cultivatedun the common way, which was of a very fmall-grsin, , extremely fmutty, and full of feeds of weeds.. Where I faid that the wheat of the rows was not blighted or fmutty, I would not be thought to impute that wholly to the new culture. The care which the owner took from time to time to pluck up the faulty ears as fa ft as they appeared, contributed greatly there- to ; though it is certain that even if he had not taken that pains, his wheat would have been much cleaner than that of the. neighbour- ing field. Mr. Du Hamel mentions a flip of land which was too narrow to J be 120 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. be formed into beds, and on which the owner was notwithstanding willing to try the new culture. He made it into one large bed, in which he lowed fix rows of wheat, and horfe-hoed the vacant ground on both fides. He hoped that fix rows would be as much benefited by the hoeing, as three : but he was naiftaken j for at har- vest, the two outfide rows were very fine, the next to them were lefs, and the two middle rows were no better than the wheat in a common field. II. At Accu. TH E fpot of ground, which was cultivated at this place ac- cording to our principles in the year 1750, yielded, as we ob- served before, 150 bufhels an arpentj and the other fpot which was cultivated in the common way, yielded at the rate of 133 bufhels and a half. The firft fpot, which was not dunged, pro- duced 83 bufhels and one third in 1751. This year's crop fell con- fequently 66 bufhels and two thirds fhort of the preceding year's. The owner was however well Satisfied with this crop : for the land in the beft tilth and belt dunged in the common field?, having pro- duced but 48 bufhels an arpent, he had a profit of 27 or 28 bufh- els, including the laving in the feed. SECT. III. Continuation of the experiments at Denaini-illiers and Accu, in the tear 17:2. I. At DMaimi/liers. *~T* HE fame arpent which was at firll cultivated in our new way, was again lowed with wheat this year, and without being dunged. It now produced but fixteen bufhels. This may be partly im- puted to the hail that fell on the loth of July, which greatly da- maged this fpot as well as all the neighbouring fields. But, inde- pendent of this accident, it mull be owned that the corn never pro- mifed well. It was rufted whilft in blade, like that of all the other fields; but the rains which fell towards the end of July, and the hoeing which it received at that time, quickened the vegetation : the plants which had not branched at the proper feafon, made frefh fhoots, and produced fmall ears, which were tco backward to ripen, becaufe there was a necefiity of cutting down the whole when the grain Chap. I. AT DENAINVILLIERS AND ACOU. 121 grain in the principal ears had attained its full growth. We think we can aflign feveral reafons for this accident. 1. The feed was fowed late : and we think it is neceffary, according to our method, to fow it early. 2. As the alleys were cultivated by hand, the owner contented himfelf with deftroying the weeds by a flight hoeing, as is done in gardens : hence arofe this double inconveni- eney ; that the wheat then growing was not well cultivated, and the foil was not fufrkiendy prepared for the enfuing crop. This will happen no more; becaufe the ground will be well plowed for the future. 3. The variety of bufinefs neceffary to be done in the common field, frequently prevents many things being performed at the proper feafon ; and the not being able to horfe-hoe this fpot early enough in fpring, hindered the plants from branching fo much as they might otherwife have done. This obfervation fhews the im- portance of hoeing at the propet feafons ; and will more fully appear hereafter, from M. de Chateau-vieux's experiments. II. Experiments made at Denainvi/Iiers, in order to knew whether it be mofl profitable to few in two rcws} or in three. TT is not yet determined whether it be moft profitable to fow, as we ■*■ have hitherto done, three rows at feven inches diftance from one another, leaving the alleys four feet wide ; or to fow only two rows in each bed allowing but three feet for the alleys. To know by experience which of the two ways would be beft, we fowed a field, partly in three rows, and partly in two. This field was reaped the 8th of Auguft, tho' the corn was not quite ripe, becaufe it would otherwife have been eaten up by birds. We cannot therefore fay whether the two rows or the three would have produced moft in proportion. All that could be done was to make the following observations. An equal number of fheaves, and equally large, was gathered off from each. The ftraw of the two rows was much longer than that of the three rows, and the ears of the two rows were much the biggeft and longeft. All who faw the field, believed there was at leaft as much corn, if not more, on the beds which had but two rows, as on thole which had three. R HI. ,22 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. III. Continuation of the experiment made at Acou in the years 1751 and iJS2' THE fame fpot of ground continued to be cultivated according to our principles, without dung, and yielded this year after the rate of 70 bufliels an arpent. Inftead of fovving, according to the ufual way, twelve bufliels of wheat fteeped and limed, only two bufliels were ufed to an arpent: The crop may therefore be eftimated at leaft 80 bufhels of very fine wheat. The owner of this fpot had no ground fowed this year in the old way, with which a comparifon could be made : but he was well fatisfied with his crops, which yielded him at leaft forty for one. SECT. IV. Experiments mode at Denainvilliers in the year 1753. THIS ground was badly cultivated in the year 1752, as we ob« ferved before, and the crop fuffered by it. It was then fowed, part with common wheat, and part with Smyrna wheat. Our intention was to try whether this laft grain, which requires a great deal of nourishment, and which for- that reafon does not anfwer well in the common hufbandry, would do better when cultivated after our method. But this corn, which was fowed too thin at firft, fuf- tained a considerable lofs before it could be reaped. The Angularity of the grain drew numbers of curious people to fee'it, each of whom gathered at leaft fome ears, and others a quantity, in- order to low it in their gardens. Notwithstanding all thefe lofies, the common and the Smyrna wheat together produced 76 fheafs and one-fourth, an arpent, which yielded 500 pounds of fine corn. Forty-fix bufliels, weighing 960 pound5, is reckoned a good return from an arpent of the fame kind of foil cultivated in the common way; from which mud: be deducted at leaft four bufliels, or 84 pounds, for the extraordinary quantity of feed employed in that way. The produce of an arpent cultivated in the- common way is hereby reduced to 876 pounds: but none yielded near fo much this year. However, fuppofing the crop of the arpent cultivated according to our principles, to be lefs than that of the other, by 38© pounds ; ftiil it will be found that the produce of the field cultivated in the common way will amount to no more than 1173 pounds in three years; whereas even on the footing of our diminiflied crop, the arpent cultivated in the new way will produce 1488 pounds of wheat in that fpace of time. SECT. Chap. I. AT DENAINVILLIERS AMD ACOU. 123 SECT. V. Experiments made at Denainvilliers in the year 1754. THE alleys having been very well ftirred laft: year with the hoe- plough, we had reafon to exped a plentiful crop this year, though the feed was fowed fomewhat late. It produced about 50 bufhels and a half, or 1060 pounds of wheat an arpent ; which is a good return for the kind of foil on which the experiment was tried ; efpecially if we add to it at leaft 6© pounds faved in the feed. What I ought not to omit is, that half the crop confifted of Smyrna wheat, and that it has not degenerated in the three years that it has now been cultivated according to the new hufbandry. SECT. VI. Experiment made at Denainvilliers in the year 1755. OF the two fields which have been cultivated thefe feven years paft according to the principles of the new hufbandry, one, which was badly plowed in 1754, yielded but an indifferent crop. That of the other field was good. In 1755, we had reafon to be fatisfied with the products of both thefe fields, compared to the other crops of wheat in this country, which, in general, yielded but very little grain. SECT. VII. Experiments made by M. Diancourt, captain aid-major to the regiment of French Grenadiers, in the years 1753, i754> and iysS' I N the beginning of November 1752, M. Diancourt fowed, ac- cording to our method, fix perches of land, at 22 feet to the perch, with Flanders wheat. As only three or four grains of it came up, he fowed the fame fpot again, towards the end of November, with common wheat, which rofe well and throve perfectly. As M. Diancourt had fowed only two rows of wheat, which took up about fix inches in breadth, and had left alleys fix feet wide be- tween his rows, he juftly regretted that only a thirteenth part of his ground was occupied ; and, in order to employ it to more advantage, he refolved in April to fow a row of barley in the middle of each of thofe wide alleys. R 2 It 1*4 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. It is proper to obferve, that this ground had not had any winter plowing, becaufe it is not of fuch a nature as to retain wet. Nor was it plowed in the fpring, becaufe the alleys feemed to be clear of weeds: but as M. Diancourt himfelf acknowledges, this laft plowing. is of confequence, becaufe it gives the corn frefh vigour, and begins to prepare the earth for the next fowing. However, the barley grew very well; but there was a neceffity for pulling it up towards June, in order to plow the alleys; becaufe the wheat had branched fo much, and its blades were grown fo long, that, covering the ground from 1 8 to 24 inches round, the horfe was obliged to go almafr in the middle of the alleys, that the fhare, which followed in a parallel direction, and at a fmall diftance from the rows, might turn the earth', up towards them, and lay new mould about the plants. The tufts of wheat had from 20 to 93 ftallcs ; and moft of them from 40 to 72. What made thefe plants fo very fine, was, that their, roots could extend themfelves freely in the alleys which were very wide, and in the rows where the feed had been fowed very thin : but at the fame time a great deal of ground was loft, as M. Diancourt-, obferves. I return to his experiment. The- evening before St. John's day, a violent hurricane beat down all the plants of this experiment, without breaking fcarce any of the ears. A fpot often perches, which could not be cultivated with the plough, but had been dug twice with thefpade, and looked very fine on the 15th of April and 10th of May, was hurt mora than any^ other part. But the damage -was repaired in 24 hours, by band-hoe- iag frefh earth round about the plants, which had fo good an effect. that they were not at all injured by .a very, high wind which blew lome time after. I ought not to omit obferving, that, from- the beginning of ''fpring,, I always turn the earth up towards the rows. It is attended with three advantages. 1. This new mould gives additional nourishment to the wheat-. 2. It fupports the plants, and- prevents their being laid fo eafiiy as otherwife they might. 3. This operation forms a large furrow in the middle of the alleys, whichbeing filled up after har- veft, and the bed then -made over that furrow being raifed high and- arched above the level of the ground, the next fown plants have an- excellent depth of mould to Strike their- roots in. The wheat of this fpot had begun to bloffom before the hurricane- on the eve of St. John; and within a week after it. was hoed, M.; Diancourt was greatly furpriled to fee it all in full bloom, and fo full of Chap. I. B Y M. DIANCOURT. 125 ef fap as to nouriili and bring to maturity feveral little ears from which nothing was expected, and which neverthelefs grew four inches long. Unluckily thole lmall ears did net ripen till after the large ones, many of which were feven inches long, and one of which con- tained 101 grains. One perch of 22 fquare feet produced 18 pounds 13 ounces of fine wheat. If we multiply this quantity by 10, to have the produce of the .whole, fpot of ground, or by 100, to have that of an arpent, we (hall be furprifed at the plentifulnefs of this crop, reaped from a field in which fa much ground feemed to lay ufelefs. M. Diancourt fays, that, the lands of his farms produce one with another, from five to eight fiptiers an arpent, that is to fay, from 60 to 96 bufheh; (the arpent of 100 -fquare perches, and the perch of 22 feet;) and as the fepticr weighs about 260 pounds, it follows that the common produce of a perch is at moft 20 pounds, which is much lefs than lands cultivated in the common way fometimes produce. M. Dian- court, having* cut down a fquare perch of wheat, lb extremely fine that it was the admiration of every one, it yielded him 32 pounds of grain. As the farmer had fowed this perch with two pounds and . a half of wheat, and M. Diancourt fowed at moft but half a pound, the real produce of the perch was 30. pounds. Now as all that this farmer can expect from his land in three years is, one crop of wheat, . and one crop of fpring corn, which is valued at a third of the crop of wheat; he can have in three years no more than the equivalent, of 40 pounds of wheat: whereas M. Diancourt, who reaped but 18 pounds thirteen ounces, deducting the feed for three years, after the • 1 ate of 8 ounces a year, which is one pound eight ounces in all, will < have remaining neat for his three crops 51 pounds 15 ounces, which ■ is 1 1 pounds 1 5 ounces more than the farmer's crop. To judge- rightly of the advantage of the new btfoandry, it muff be obferved, . 1. That M. Diancourt fays he cbofe the finefi perch in forty arpents of laud, to make his companion by. 2. That he tells us his alleys- were too wide. 3. That the feed of the oats is not reckoned) in this calculation. If, with all thefe advantages on the other fide, the profit was one fifth in his favour, how much. greater would it: have been fuppoling a parity of circumflances ?. M. Diancourt likewiie lowed three other fpots of wheat, ntiz* one of 12 perches and a half, another of 10, and the third of four. The alleys c>f thefe three fpots were plowed in the beginning of May. . The plants here fuffe red much lefs by the hurricane, tfcmthbfe we 1 {poke. 126 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, PartIL fpoke of before : their ftalks were only bent ; but fo much indeed as to hinder the plough frcm paffing in the allevs. To remedy this, M. Diancourt ordered them to be earthed-up with a fhovel, and then the plough was able to work. 'Tis true this did not re-inflate them fo well as the hufoandman had done thofe in the lalt mentioned piece of ground : but however, they kept upright till the third and hit. plowing, which was given towards the end of July. The finelr, tufts on thefe grounds had not above fixty ftalks ; but on the other hand very few had lefs than twenty. M. Diancourt fays nothing farther of thefe three fpots : but he infifts ftrongly oh the following experiment which he made with fpring corn. In March, M. Diancourt lowed fpring wheat in fingle rows, three feet afunder, and the grains in the rows at the diflance of eight inches from each other. The farmers of that coun- try, lurprifed at what he was doing, allured him that his crop would never yield above a few pints. To convince them by their own expe- rience, M. Diancourt propofed to one of them to fow in his own way, a fquare bordering on, and exactly like that which he had fowed in this new way. From the time of fowing, till within a month of harveft, the far- mer's field promifed infinitely more than M. Diancourt's, who could hardly perfuade himfelf that he fhould have even tolerable fuccefs, when he compared his 1 8 little fingle rows, three feet diftant from one another, with the farmer's field which was covered like a mea- dow. But a little before harveft, the ears of the rows appeared from four to fix inches long and very thick ; whilft thofe of the farmer, which fullered by drought, were very poor, and not above an inch or two in length. In fhort, the farmer who had fowed 34 pounds of grain, reaped neat 126 pounds and a half; and M. Diancourt, who had fowed but an ounce, reapdi betwixt 92 and 93 pounds. Thus, the farmer's crop in three years would amount at moft to the value of 169 pounds of wheat, whilft M. Diancourt's would be 279 pounds; which is almoft double the other. In March 1753, M. Diancourt prepared two arpents of ground in his park, in order to fow them with wheat the next September : and that this ground might not be ufelefs during the fix intermediate months, he laid it out in beds, in June, and planted them with beans, fome in fingle and others in double rows ; the beans being a foot afunder in thofe rows. In the beginning of October, an immenfe quantity of beans was gathered oft this fpot. The fingle 1 rows Chap. I. BY M.D IAN COURT. 127 rows produced as many as the double ones. Some ftalks had up- wards of 180 pods. This prodigious fertility can be afcribed to nothing but the good culture of the ground : which, to me, is a ftrong proof that the great fuccefs which many have imputed to the effect of certain myfterious fteeps or infufions, has, in fact, been owing folely to the goodnefs of the foil and the proper culture of it. In order that plants raifed according to our principles may enjoy the benefit of the culture of the alleys, their roots muft be able to extend themfelves to a pretty confiderable diftance. This reflection made M. Diancourt take up carefully fome of his plants of beans and wheat, to examine their roots. The roots of the beans extended, in general, upwards of three feet from their flock. Almoft all the roots of a grain of wheat which- had produced 93 fine ears, were from 15 to 18 inches long; but in-- ftead of fpreading horizontally, like thofe of the beans, they fhot down perpendicularly. From hence it may be concluded that it is needlefs to make the alleys fix feet wide; but highly proper to give the beds the greatefl depth of loofe mould that the ftaple of the foil will admit of, either by plowing deep, or railing the earth high where the rows are to be planted. M. Diancourt fowed eight perches of land, with oats, in double rows, and alleys fix feet wide. The mod prejudiced againft the new hufbandry were forced to own, that two of his rows produced more grain than the whole eight perches would have done if fowed in the common way. There are two kinds cf infects in M. Diancourt's grounds, which Chap. I. BY M. DE LA CROIX. 129 July, and fent it in September to Hermeville, a village about nine miles from Verdun. I agreed with the farmer of an eftate which I have there, for three arpents of land, on which I purpofed to make my trials. This fpot had received the ufual plowings in the common way. I divided it into four almoft equal parts ; one of which I deftin'd to be fowed in the old way ; the fecond, to be fowed in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough ; the third, to be laid out in beds five feet wide ; and the fourth, in beds of fix feet. I was prefent whilft the firft four or five beds were made ; and after marking out the others, left the finishing of them to my far- mer, not imagining he could miftake : however, he did j fo that I had in all twenty-five beds, viz. but three of fix feet, and twenty- two of five feet. We fowed the next day, which was the fifteenth of September, the weather being very fine. We began with the beds, twenty-two of which were fowed with three rows, and three with fix. Thefe beds took up an arpent and an half of ground, and 21 pounds, 1 ounce, and 2 pennyweights of feed. Immediately after, I fowed in the common way the fpot pre- pared for that purpofe, with 63 pounds, 4 ounces, and 2 penny- weights" of feed. Whilft this part was harrowing, the third fpot was fowed in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough, and took up 25 pounds, 5 ounces of feed. All thefe operations were performed in three hours and'an half. I was furprifed at the eafe with which we did them, confidering that this was the firft time we had ufed, or even ktn a drill-plough. The only fault I found in it, was, that it bruifed and ground fome of the grains. However, my ground was fufficiently ftock'd with plants, excepting the part that was fowed in equally diftant rows, in which there were here and there fome chafms, occafioned by our not having kept the drill in a parallel direction in fome places. Some time after, I gave directions for making a fmall plough with one wheel, to turn up my alleys. Unfortunately, this inftru- ment could not be got ready before the rains which began in Octo- ber ; fo that I could not give the latter plowings which I intended. However, only two or three of my beds fuffcred at one end, where the ground had not flope enough for the water to run off. The month of March being likewife very rainy, and not having S leifure i3o EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. leifure to go into the country, my alleys ftill remained without cul- ture, which they received for the firft time the twenty-firft or twenty- fecond of April, with my fmall plough. A month after, that is to fay, about the twentieth of May, my alleys were plowed again with the cultivator. This was of great fervice to the ground, by breaking the clods which my fmall plough had left in April. From this time, I conceived great hopes : my plants branched out confiderably j their blades grew very large, and of a deep green j whilft the wheat in the neighbouring fields was poor and ftinted, and of a yellow green. I could not poffibly give my alleys any other plowings after May, by reafon of the rains which were almoft continual. In the beginning of Auguft I vifited my corn, which did not yet feem thoroughly ripe; efpecially that of the beds: but it was incom- parably finer than the neighbouring wheat ; the ftalks were much ftronger, taller, and more vigorous than any in the common way, and the ears at leaft twice as long and well filled. I judged that they would require a fortnight more to ripen them : but a few very hot days made them turn yellow, and they were reaped at the fa'me time as the other wheat of the country. I fay nothing of the rains which hurt the harveft, nor of the quantity of weeds which the wetnefs of this year produced in all lands, and particularly in the beft. Like others, I had a great many weeds in my ground ; but the ftrength and tallnefs of the wheat in the beds, and in the part that was fowed with the drill-plough, got fo far the better of thofe enemies, that the crop fuffered little by them. The part fowed in the common way, and for which 63 pounds, 4 ounces, and 2 pennyweights of feed was ufed, yielded 480 pounds of grain, after deducting the tythe : confequently the neat produce was 417 pounds. The products of other parts of this field (the tythe likewife deducted) were as follows. The fpot fowed in equally di- ftant rows, with the drill-plough, and with 25 pounds 5 ounces of feed, yielded at leaft 500 pounds of grain, and would certainly have produced more, had it not been for the mifmanagement of the drill- plough, which I mentioned before. The neat produce here, was therefore 474 pounds, 1 1 ounces. The beds which were fowed with 21 pounds, 1 ounce, and 2 pennyweights of feed, yielded 660 pounds; and for their neat produce, 638 pounds, 14 ounces. I fupprefs all the reflections which naturally occur in favour of thefe Chap. I. BY M. DE LA CROIX. 131 thefe trials, imperfect as they were : but to prove frill more how ad- vantageous it is to fow the feed at fufficient diftances, I fhall men- tion a little experiment which I made in my garden. I planted in a bed, about thirty grains of wheat, feven or eight inches diftant from one another. Each grain produced its plant, which I cultivated carefully at the proper feafons, and particularly in the fpring : that is to fay, I gave the earth round thefe plants a good ftirring, before they branched, before they fpindled, and before and after they had bloffomed. They grew Co prodigioufly, that one would fcarcely have taken them for common wheat. The ftalks were upwards of four feet high, exclufive of the ear ; the blades were above two fingers broad; and they remained thus beautiful till the beginning of July, when they were feized with the rufl. The very day on which I perceived this accident, was excefiively hot and fultry, and had been immediately preceeded by a very thick fog. This, doubtlefs, occa- sioned an extravafation of the fap. I let thefe plants ftand till the grain was thoroughly ripe, and then I plucked them up. Their roots were much longer, and fpread a great deal wider than thofe of any wheat in the common way. I reckoned the number of ears upon each plant, and found that the pooreft of them had produced from 35 to 40, and that many had from 80 to 90 : three, in par- ticular, had 102, 104, and 105 ears. I counted 42 grains in one car. SECT. IX. Experiments made near Guignes, in the Province of Brie, under the Direction of M. Roussel, in 1755. MRouffel prudently began, as we would a'dvife every one to • do, with fmall experiments. His firft trial of the new hufbandry was upon a little fpot : but being prevented from attend- ing to it in perfon, many faults were committed during his abfencc. On his return, which was towards the end of November 1754, he inquired after his crop, and learnt, with pleafure, that fome grains had produced upwards of 60 ears a-piece, and that many of thefe ears contained 64 grains. This was fufficient to (hew him the ex- cellence of the new culture, which he immediately determined to extend to larger objects. He had no time to lofe. Two contiguous pieces of ground, con- taining 20 arpents, had been folded, and were jult going to be S z - plowed i32 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. plowed for the lafl time, in order to be lowed according to the ufual pratti :c of the country. Thefe were chofen for the farther trial of the new hufbandry, and were accordingly ibvvn with our drill-plough, between the ninth and twenty-fiift of October, with 27 bufhels and 4 pounds of wheat, including 10 pounds and an half, which were ufed to fill up feme fpaces where the feed had milled. At the fame time, an adjacent piece of ground which had been folded like the former, and of which the foil was equal to the beft part of the field fowed in rows, was fown in the common way. This laft contained three arpents and three quarters, and took, up 23 bufhels of feed j which is feven bufhels and one-third to each ar- pent. The corn came up finely in both fields : but that which was fowed in rows happened to be near a wood, from which numbers of rabbits came and entirely deftroyed the plants of four arpents : the roots which they left, were eaten up by worms ; and the dung of the fheep-folds produced a great quantity of weeds. This was not all : as the furrows did not run in the direction of the declivity of the ground, the water lodged in them, fo that the fiift plowing, which ought to have been given in March,, could not be performed till April, when it left a great many clods. Thefe clods were grown hard by the time of the fecond plowing, which was performed with a plough with two mould-boards, which inftead of breaking and lcofening the ground, and laying frefh earth to the roots, only turned thofe hard clods over upon the rows. The third plowing, which was given with a plough with two ihares, and in more favourable weather, had a better effect. Notwithstanding the accidents which had reduced this piece of wheat to fo wretched a condition, that the plowmen told their ma- ilers they were fure it never would produce a crop worth reaping, and that all their labour was thrown away : yet, reckoning upon the footing of 20 arpents, though it would be but juft to deduct the four which were abfolutely deftroyed by the rabbits ; and fuppofing too, the crops of 17156 and 1757 to be no greater than that of 1754; M. Rouifel's calculation proves, that even then thefe three crops will ftill be better than what the fame field would produce in the com- mon way. But, fays M. RoufTel, if we do the new hufbandry part of the juftice it deferves ; and, inftead of including the four arpents which the rabbits deftroyed, we reckon only the produce of 16 arpents, I pre- Chap. I. BY M. ROUSSEL, 133 prepared in a hurry, and badly plowed ; and even fuppofe them to be no better managed in the following years, and the whole extent of the 20 arpents, to be only of the fame quality ns the 3 arpents and three quarters with which it was intended to be compared ; the produce of both, in three years, will be as follows. The 16 arpents produced 552 buihels of wheat, which was pre- ferred to any other for feed, not only becaufe it was finer, but like- wife becaufe it was quite free from all feeds of weeds. This is after the rate of 34 bufhels and an half for every arpent. From this, we are to deduct the feed, which is, for each arpenf, one bufhel and feven pounds and an half. The neat produce of each arpent, will then be 33 bufhels and three pounds of wheat, free from ail feeds of weeds. Suppoiing the crops to be no greater in the following years, tho' • what we mall fay hereafter will fhew that they certainly will, each arpent will have produced at the end of three years, 99 bufhels and nine pounds of wheat. The other piece of ground, which was cultivated in the old way, in order to make the comparifon, produced 60 bufhels an arpent, from which we are to deduct 7 bufhels and 19 pounds, for the feed. The remaining neat produce is 52 buihels and 2 pounds. The fecond year's produce of this fame arpent, fowed with fpring-corn, can be reckoned at only half the value of the firft year's crop of wheat j and the third year produces nothing, being the year of fallow. Thus the total neat produce of the arpent cultivated in the com- mon way, will be, at the end of three years, only 78 bufhels and 3 pounds j whilft that in the new way, will be 99 buihels and 9 pounds. M. Roussel gives the following Account of his Experiments in 1756. TN October 1755, I chofe, in the middle of a fallow field which A had been well plowed, and was not expofed to any of the acci- dents I met with laft year,* 10 arpents of ground, at 20 feet to the perch, and 100 perches to the arpent. This was fet apart for the new hufbandry : and that I might be able to make a juft comparifon, I mea- * This change of ground was far from being an advantage to the new hufbandry. as M. du Hamel obferves. i34 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. I meafured out 10 other arpents of the fame field, and the fame kind of foil, to be fowed broad caffc in the old way. Thefe laft ten arpents were extremely well dunged by folding of fheep upon them. With regard to the ten arpents which were to be cultivated in the new way, and which compofed 93 beds five feet wide, including the alleys ; only eight of thefe beds were dunged by fheep, and that at the fame time, and to the fame degree as the ground by which the comparifon was intended to be made : of the other beds, 76 had no fort of dung or amendment whatever; and nine were dunged more or lefs, in the manner and proportion hereafter mentioned. Moft of thofe who pra&ife the new husbandry, ufe no dung at all. I fuppofed that their reafon for rejecting this manure was, the difficulty of finding a proper time to apply it ; for whilft the alleys receive their feveral flirtings, no wheel carriage can be admitted with dung without hurting the beds which are fown, and hardening the loofe mould of the alleys : to carry it on the backs of cattle, would be at befl: a very difficult, tedious, and expenfive way, where any conliderable fpace is to be tilled : to fpread it upon the earth only the moment the feed is going to be fowed, is a fure way to clog up the drill-plough and hinder its operation, if the dung be not tho- roughly rotten ; and to breed weeds, which by no means fuit this culture. To remedy thefe inconveniences, I contrived the following method. I opened in each of the alleys one of thofe large furrows which muff, always be every year at the end of the fummer hoeings, in the place where the three rows of feed are afterwards to be fowed ; and by drawing the plough with two mould- boards once through it, I made it 14 or 15 inches wide ; which is the breadth that the three rows of feed require. The fpace between two of thefe deep furrows, is exactly the breadth of a cart, the wheels of which going in them, hurt no part that has been plowed, and do not prefs down or harden the loofe mould ; nor do the horfes do any damage, becaufe they necefTarily tread upon the flubble of the late reaped beds, in the middle between thofe two furrows. This was the me- thod I ufed to dung the 9 beds in queftion. * The dung was well rotted : it was fpread at the bottom of the furrows, and immediately covered over by the fame plowing that made the beds which were fowed feme days after. Perhaps this manure may be of more fer- vice * This, fays M. Du Hamel, is a contrivance of great importance, and I confeffr, add? he, that I have always been puzzled how to fpread dung in the n:w hufbandry. Chap. I. BYM. ROUS3EL. 135 vice to my lands than to many others, becaufe the foil is naturally cold and backward. The grain is by this means fowed upon a kind of gentle hot-bed, the warmth of which promotes the branching and vegetation of the plants. The winter rains and frofts, raife a fermentation. The firft fpring plowing, by giving it a little air, re- vives that fermentation at the very time when the fap is raoft active, and the plant begins to branch. As the dung rots, a kind of mo- tion is cauied in the earth, which la fome meafure anfwers the end of a flight plowing, and brings frefli nourishment to the roots. The fame heat which confumes the firaw, likewife confumes the little feeds that are in the dung, which might otherwife produce num- bers of weeds. When this dung is brought up again to the furface of the earth, by the next year's plowings, it will no longer have thofe hurtful feeds. It will indeed have loft its heat ; but it will ftill have retained all its fatnefs, which will mix with the earth ; and land thus conftantly dunged, will in time become a perfectly fine mould. But if thefe layers of dung fhould be fpread too thick, or the dung itfelf be of too hot a nature, the roots of the corn might perhaps be endangered thereby. It was to determine this, that I tried the following experiments, to know the effects of different dungs, and what quantity it is proper to employ. Three beds were dunged, in the above manner, with horfe- dung : the firft, which was 184 toifes long, had three loads of dung; the fecond, of 185 toifes, had but two and a half; and the third, of 187 toifes, had but two. Three other beds were dunged with cow-dung: one of 137 toifes, with two loads and a half; the fecond, of the fame length, with two loads ; and the third, of 138 toifes, with only one load and a half. The three remaining beds had fbeep's dung: the firft, of 133 toifes, two loads; the fe- cond, of 132 toifes, one load and a half; and the third, which was of the fame length, one load. Thefe beds were diftributed in fuch manner, that each of them was in the middle of two other beds which were not dunged: The field, thus laid out, was fowed the thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and Sixteenth of October, with your drill-plow, which plants three rows in each bed. I ufed 18 bufhels of feed; and afterwards half a bufhel, to fill up the chafms ; which is after the rate of ona bufhel and 1 8 pounds to an arpent, and confequently a little too much. Accordingly, when the corn came up, I faw it was too thick fown. The reafon was, that the grain was too fmall, and not pro- portioned 136 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. portioned to the outlet of the drill-plough. At the end of ten days, this corn rofe well. On the eighteenth of December, I obferved that moft of thefe plants had branched into four ftalks, whilft thofe in the common way had but three. I perceived no fenfible difference then, between the dunged and the undunged beds. It was not till the twenty fourth of January that I faw plainly that the plants of the dunged beds were of a deeper green, and had made longer and more vigorous moots than thofe of the undunged beds. By the twentieth of February, five fmaller ftalks iffued out of the five great ones, which was not the cafe with the wheat in the common way. The alleys did not receive their firft plowing till the tenth of March: Eleven of the main ftalks grew an inch and a half in five days ; and I obferved that the moles were rather more bufy in the dunged beds, than in the others. As the earth was yet fomewhat too foft, I thought it needlefs to continue a plowing which could do no good, and therefore poftponed it to the twenty-eighth of March, and fol- lowing days. The ninth of April, I found a plant with 18 ftalks in one of the dunged beds : the greateft number of branches that any of the plants in the undunged beds had, was twelve : but on the other hand, I likewife found fome which had eighteen in the field of comparifon fowed in the common way. The ninth cf May, this fame plant had 20 ftalks ; and from that time it branched no more. The fecond plowing was not given till three weeks after, iiz. the twenty eighth of May ; which, I think, was fomewhat too late af- ter the corn had ceafed to branch. The twenty third of June, there were three forts of wheat in all the beds : there were ears in blollom, others juft going out of bloom, and others not yet out of their hoods. The fineft ears were thofe which came up and bloflbmed firft. The moft forward beds were thofe which had been dunged under furrow, with fheep's dung : the next to them, were the eight beds which had been folded, the plants of which were a little greener than thofe of the undunged beds. The laft plowing was given on the tenth of July. The grain had then begun to fill : but that in the common way was the meft forward, though it was fowed three weeks later than the other. I know not for what reaibn, the wheat of the new hufbandry began to be reaped the fourth of Auguff, and that in the old way was let ftand till the thirteenth. The product of both cul- tures was as follows, Jo Chap. I. BY M. ROUSSELi 137 In the 10 arpents cultivated in the new way, the threi b:ds durg^d with horfe-dung, yielded, Sheaves. The firft, 184 toifes long, dunged with 3 loads, — — 19 The fellow to it, not dunged, 15 The fecond, 185 toifes long, du iged with 2 loads and a half, 18 The fellow to it, not dunged, 1+ The third, 187 toifes long, du iged with 2 loads, 16 The fellow to it, not dunged, l3 The three beds dunged with cow dung, yielded, The firft, 137 toifes long, and dunged with 2 loads and a half, 16 The fellow to it, not dunged, : - " The fecond, likewife 137 toifes long, and dunged with 2 loads, 15 The fellow to it, not dunged, i 2 The third, 138 toifes long, and dunged with 1 load and a half, 14^ The fellow to it, not dunged, • 12 The three beds dunged with fheep's dung, yielded, The firft, 133 toifes long, and dunged with 2 loads, ■ 17 The fellow to it, not dunged, '< — ' — 10 The fecond, 132 toiles long, and dunged with 1 load and a half, 15 The fellow to it, not dunged, * ' 1 1 The third, 132 toifes long, and dunged with 1 load, — 14 The fellow to it, not dunged, ■ ■ - 10 The eight beds which had been folded, two of which were 18-5 toifes long, three 186, and three 187, produced in all, 142 This is near 1 8 fheaves apiece. The 6 7 other beds, which had not been dunged, produced in all 814 This is fomewhat more than 1 2 fheaves apiece. Total produce of the 10 arpents cultivated in the new way . . Sheaves 1208 The 10 arpents fowed in the common broad-caft way, after having been well folded all over, produced . Sheaves 1820 Thefe facts fliew the advantage of dunging in this manner. It is plain that the beft dung is that of fheep, and that it is more profit- able when laid under furrow, than when it is fpread upon the furface of the ground by folding. In proportion to the product of the bed 133 toifes long, which was dunged with two loads of fheep's dung, and produced 1 7 fheaves; T the i38 . EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, -Part II. the bed 184 toifes long, which was dunged with -three loads 0/ horfe dung, and produced only 19 fheave's, would, if dunged with fheep's dung, have produced 23 +ttt,' and the bed dunged with cow dung, which yielded but 16 fheaves, would have yielded 17 +t4j. The eight folded beds, whofe whole length was 1489 toifes, would have yielded 190 {heaves + tM-, inftead of only 142 fheaves, which was the amount of their product. It is likewife plain, that an arpent of land, the meafure of which is 10 perches by 10, the perch "being 20 feet; or, which is the fame thing, a furface of 200 feet, which confequently contains 40 beds, five feet wide and 33 toifes two feet long, which makes a total length of 1333 toifes ; it is plain, I fay, that this arpent dunged as the 133 toifes were with fheep's dung, would have yielded, in pro- portion to 17 fheaves on 133 toifes, 170 fheaves; and that my 10. arpents, in the fame proportion, would confequently have produced me 1700 fheaves, which would be but 120 fheaves lefs than the whole produce of the 10 arpents folded all over and fowed in the broad-cafi way. If fo, I fay, that thofe 120 fheaves would not be equivalent to the quantity of grain which I faved by fowing according to the new hufbandry. An hundred fheaves yield, in general, little more than 18 bufhels, Paris meafure. The 120 fheaves which the 10 arpents fowed in the broad-caft way produced more than the 10 ar- pents in beds, would therefore yield but 21 bufhels and three-fifths, ■Deduct this from the forty- one bufhels and a half, which I faved in the feed of thefe Iaft -jo arpents fowed in the new way, and 1 fhall ftillbe a gainer: for you may remember that I fowed only- 18 bufhels and a half, in this ground ; whereas 60 bufhels were ufecl to low the other 10 arpents in the common way. This would have, been the produce of this fir ft -year's crop, fuppofing that the whole of my 10 arpents in beds had been dunged as the 133 toifes were, . For want of that, I reaped but 1208 fheaves. . They have juft been , .threfhed, and have yielded only 240 bufhels of grain. M.Duhamel makes the following obfervations on this account of, M. Rouffel. The 1208 fheaves yielded but 20 feptiers, or 240 bufhels of grain, . from which we are to deduct 1 8 bufhels and a half for the feed. The neat produce is therefore 221 bufhels and a half, which would make in three years 664 bufhels and a half. The other field in the com- mon way produced 417 bufhels, from which we are to deduct 60 for the feed : the neat produce is confequently %$j bufhels ; the half of Chap. I. BY M. ROUS3EL. i39 of which is 178 bufhels and a half, for the next year's crop. This is all that the 10 arpents in the common way would produce in three years, and amounts to no more than 535 bumels and a half: confe- quently the balance in favour of the new husbandry, in three years, is 129 bumels, or one fourth part of the whole ; and that from 1 field which was fowed in rows for the firft time, and of which three quarters were not dunged at all : whilfr. the other, with which it is compared, had been folded all over, and, for the year, produced a very plentiful crop. M. Duhamel relates feveral other experiments, which were com- municated to him by different perfons, during the publication of his work : but as they contain nothing effentialiy different from thofe we have already given, and, like them, were made only on fmall pieces of ground, we think it needlefs to mention them here. We mall therefore proceed to the judicious and more extenfive experiments of M. de Chateau-vieux, after extracting a few paffages from the writings of one of our own countrymen, in confirmation of the ad- vantages of the new hufbandry. " Deep plowing, (fays Mr. Miller, in his Gardener's Dictionary ) where the ftaple of the ground is deep enough to admit of it will be of great fervice to corn : for the fmall fibres of the roots, which are the mouths that fupply the nouriihment, extend themfel'ves very deep into the ground. I have traced many of them upwards of three feet, and believe they fpread much farther where the ground is li that, in general, the farmers fow more than double the quantity of corn en their lands than is necefiary ; T 2 therefore i4o EXPERIMENTS OX WHEAT. Eart II. therefore there is a great wafie of grain, which, in fcarce years, amounts to a considerable fum in large fartri« ■ arid to a whole country, it is an object worthy the attention of the public : but I fear whatever may be faid to prevent this, will have but little weight with the practitioners of agriculture, who are lb fond of old cuftoms, as rarely to be prevailed upon to alter them, though they are ex- tremely abfurd. But if theie people could be pn i to make the trial with care, they muft be foon convinced of their error : for if they will but examine a field of corn fownin the common w;.- . I will find but few roots which have more than two or three /talk?, unlefs by chance, where there may be fome few roots which '. room to fpread, upon which there may be fix, eight, or ten (talks, and frequently many more : but in a field cf wheat which had not a greater allowance than one bufhel of corn to an acre, fo that the roots had room to fpread, I have obferved that the roots produced from fix to twelve or fourteen ftalks, which were ftrong, and h.id long well- nourifhed ears, and the produce was much greater than in anv Eh . Ie fields in the neighbourhood, winch were fown with the common allowance. And if the land is good, and the roots fbnd at a proper diftance from each other, there will be few roots which will not pro- duce as many ftalks as I have here mentioned, and the ear; wil better nourished. " The horfe-hoeing husbandry which v ;.s ptfaftifed by Mr. Tull, has been almoft univerfally rejected by the farmers in every country ; it being fo oppofite to their accuftomed practice, that thev cannot be prevailed upon to make a trial of it : and indeed fome abfurdities in Mr. Tull himfelf have greatly contributed to give them a difguft to it; one of which, and that perhaps not the lealr, is, his pell:, aflerting that the fame land would nourifh the fame fpecies of plants, without changing the crops, for ever, and this without manure * ; which his own experience afterwards proved to be falfe. But not- withstanding thefe and fome other particulars which have been ad- vanced by Mr. Tull, it is much to be wifhed, continues Mr. Miller, that this new hufbandry might be univerfally praflifed ; for fome few perfons who have made fufficient trial of it, have found their crops anfwer much better, than in the common cr old method of hufbandry ; and the French, who have learned it from Mr. Tull's book, are engaging in the practice of it with greater ardour than ihofc * VI. du Hamd, throughout his whole work, takes everv opportunity to recorr.- idcftd the ufe of manure* in the new bultandrr. Chap. I. BY M. ROUSSEL 141 thofe of our own country : and although they had not the proper inftruments of agriculture for the performance, and meet with as ftrong oppofition from the perfons employed to execute the bufinefs, as in England ; yet the gentlemen foon determined to perfift in the practice of it, though as yet few of their experiments have had the fuccefs they hoped for *-j partly from the awkwardnefs of their la- bourers, and partly from their averfenefs to practife this hufbandry ; and alio from their being made in lands not well conditioned : but yet their produce has been equal to that of the old hulbandry ; and they fay, that if the produce of land in the new method of huf- bandry, 'does not exceed that in the old way ; yet, by faving ftven parts in eight of the feed-corn, it is a great affair to a whole country, efpecially in times of fcarcity. " I fhall only mention two or three late experiments which have been made in the new way, whereby the utility of it will more fully- " The firft was in a field of wheat, which was fown partly in broad-caft in the common method, and partly according to Mr.Tull's method. The fpots thus fown, were not regular in lands, but in- terlperfed indifferently in many directions. Thofe parts of the field in Tull's method were in rows at two feet diftance, and flood thin in the rows. The roots of the wheat in thofe fpots had from ten to thirty ffalks upon a root, and continued upright till it was reaped ; whereas few of the roots in the common method, had more than two or three ffalks, and thefe were moft of them lodged before har- veft : fo that upon trial of the grain when threflied, there was near a third part more in weight and meafure, than from the fame extent of ground, taken in the beft part of the field fown in the common way. . " Another trial was made in fowing of the corn in rows at different diftances, with fome fown in two parts of the ground broad-caft. The event was, that all which was fown broad-caft, in the ufual way, was lodged, as was alfo moft of that where the rows were fix or nine inches afunder: thofe which ftood a foot diftance efcaped better, but the rows two feet afunder were the beft, and the produce much greater than any of the other ; which plainly fhews the ab- furdity of the practice of fowing a great quantity of feeds, to have * Mr Miller could not have faid this, if he had ever feen the three laft volumes ♦f M. du Hamel's work, and particularly the experiments of M. dfe Chatcau-vieux, •- i42 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. have a better produce, which is the opinion of mod of the old farmers, a " The produce of an acre of wheat is various, according to the goodnefs of the foil. In fome of the fhallow, chalky, down lands, where there have been near four bufhels of corn fown, I have known the produce not more than double of the feed : but when this jb the cafe, the farmer had much better let his land lie wafte, fince the produce will not defray the expence ; fo that more than the rent of the land is loft. And although thefe forts of crops are frequently feen on fuch land, yet fuch is the paffion for plowing among the hufbandmen at prefent, that if they were not reftrained by the landlords, they would introduce the plough into every field, notwithstanding they are fure to lofe by it. " But although the produce of thefe poor downs is fo fmall, as be- fore related ; yet upon good land, where the corn has ftood thin upon the ground, 1 have known eight or ten quarters reaped from an acre, over the whole field, and fometinies more : and I have been informed by perfons of great credit, that on good land, which was drilled and managed with the horfe-hoe, they have had twelve quarters from an acre of land, which is a great produce : and this with greater certainty, if the feafons prove bad, than can be expect- ed by the common hufbandry." Thus far Mr. Miller, whofe remarks, we hope, will have their proper Weight. CHAP. II. SEC T. I. - Experiments made by M. Lullin de Chateau-vieux, Fuji Synaic of the City and Republic of Geneva, in the Tear 1751. IN October 1750, I began my experiments on a fpot of ground of a rich ftrong foil, twenty-fix toifes and four feet in length, and fix toifes and four feet in breadth, containing 177 fquare toifes and. 28 feet. Not being yet provided with proper inltruments for the horfe-hoeing hufbandry, I caufed it to be dug with the fpade, and formed it into feven beds of equal fize. Great care was taken to break the clods thoroughly, and to dig the earth very deep. The beds, which were in a loofe ftate, were raifed high in the middle. The fourteenth of October, I fowed three of the beds with wheat, two with barley, and two with oats. I muft obferve, that , 1 in Chap. II. BY M. LULLItt DE CHATEAU- VIEUX. 143 in this country, it would have been better to have fowed a fort- night fooner. I made three furrows in each bed, fo mallow, that the feed was not buried above half an inch deep. The wheat was dropt by hand, in fingle grains, at the diftance of fix inches from one another. The barley was dropt at nine inches diftance, becaufe it branches more than wheat. Though oats branch more than either, yet, as it is a tender plant, and ap{ to be killed by the winter's cold, I fowed it at the diftance of three inches one grain from another. I ufed 2880 grains of wheat, weighing three ounces. fifteen penny- weights, to fow the three beds. In one of the beds of barley, I fowed four rows. I employed 149 1 grains, weighing two ounces, in fowing the two beds j and four ounces of oats were fufficient to fow the two other beds. I negledled to count the grains. Thefe feeds came up very well, and though they grew but little before winter, yet fome of them fhot out their fecond leaf. They foon fuftained a confiderable lofs. Numbers of fmall fnails eat ma- ny of the plants clofe to the earth. I judged it neceffary to fupply this lofs, by fowing frefh feed. The winter was very unfavourable to corn. We had almoft con- - tinual rains, with little fnow or froft. The corn in general fuf- fercd greatly, and the crops were very inconfiderable in this country. Early in the fpring, thefe plants made ftrong moots, and had much the better of the corn in the common way. The blades were very large, and of a deep green, and the number of ftalks increafed great- ly. The alleys were hoed in good time, and the advantage refulting from this operation, was very manifeft. I vifited my plants the latter end of April, and found their numbers greatly diminished. . The miichief which the fnails had done them, was almoft the. only caufe. The inclemency of the winter likewife deftroyed fome : . fo that I found I had loft 1068 plants of wheat, and had but 181 2 remaining.. My plants of barley fell fhort by 412, their number being reduced to 1079. The winter deftroyed fo many plants of : the oats, that very few were left. . From this time, all the plants grew exceedingly : they branched fo much, that, as far as I could judge, every plant of wheat, taking them one with another, produced 28 ftalks, the barley above 40, and the oats ftill more. Each plant formed a large tuft, fome of 60, 80, and above a third part of the plants of about 150 ftalks: fo that though they were at firft. at a great diftance from one ano- ther, i44 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. fher, in June and July they entirely covered the furface of the alleys. All thefe fpindled, and produced, each in its kind, very long and large ears, full of grain from one end to the other. They ripened kindly, but had not yet got over all their mifchances. Thefe fine ears were a prey to birds, which could not be kept off. This is an inconvenience to which all fmall experiments are liable. That I might fave fomething, I was obliged to cut my corn down before it was quite ripe. But before I did that, I examined myfelf as care- fully as I poilibly could what the lofs might amount to which I had fuftained by the birds: and betides this, I fent for four farmers, (in quality of appraifers,) to eftimate the damage. They ail agreed that it was above half the crop, and aflured me I mould not miftake if I reckoned it as fuch. I had formed the fame judgment myfelf. We found the lofs fomewhat lefs confiderable in the barley. As to the oats, it could not be fo well afcertained : but we believed it could not be lefs than a third part of the crop. While the wheat ripened, I difcovered that fome plants were blighted. All thefe, whether blighted totally or only in part, I caufed to be plucked up, before I cut down the reft of the crop. They amounted to 297; fo that I was reduced to 15 15 plants of wheat, the feed of which, after deducting that which produced the 297 blighted plants, is reduced to two ounces and fix pennyweights. The 1515 plants were the whole produce of the crop, which yielded $$ pounds of 18 ounces to the pound. But the fame ground and plants produced likewife what was eaten by the birds ; for which it is but juft to make an allowance. The whole produce will then have been in reality 1 10 pounds, which to me feemed very confiderable. I made another enquiry, which feemed to me of fome importance : this was, to know whether the number of the fineft and largeft ears, was greater than that of the middling and fmalleft. I examined them with the utmoft attention, and found almoft all the ears of equal beauty: at leaft 19 out of 20, I am confident, were fo. I was likewife willing to know what number of grains might be contained in each ear. To this end, without regarding the propor- tion I had found between the number of the fineft ears and that of the fmalleft, I took twelve middle fized ears, twelve of the fmalleft, and twelve of the fineft. The 12 middling ears contained one with another 37 grains. The 12 fmalleft ears, 30 grains; and The 12 fineft ears, 50 grains apiece. The Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 14- The 1079 plants of barley, produced j$ pounds of 18 ounces to the pound. What was eaten by the birds, fhould likewife be added here. My oats produced 103 pounds of 18 ounces, excluiive of what was deftroyed by the birds. This little experiment (hews that the new hufbandry will be equally profitable for all forts of grains. OBSERVATIONS. /Tp H E quantity of wheat gathered from the three beds, feems -*■ to me as great as could be expected. Though I had but 55 pounds, yet, adding thereto the 55 eaten by the birds, this little fpot yielded no pounds. In large fields, we are not lb fenfible of what the birds deftroy. If we likewife take into this account, the 1068 plants deftroyed by the fnails, and the 297 blighted plants, making together 1365; they would have yielded ioo pounds of wheat, and the whole crop would have been 210 pounds: for it cannot be doubted but they would have yielded in the fame proportion as the 1515. What proves it is, that in a fpace about five fathom long, at the end of the beds, which efcaped the fnails, very few plants failed ; and the reft were very thriving and branched greatly : fo that it is evident, the whole ground could eafily have nourifhed all the plants that were intended to grow on it, and which were at the diftance of fix inches from one another. I make this remark, in order to iliew what may be expected from the following experiments, it being an eafy matter to fow the ground fo as to have the defired number of plants. I fuppofe then, and I think juflly, that this fmall fpot of ground can produce 210 pounds of wheat at one crop ; but the ineftimable advantages of the new hufbandry is, that it keeps the earth in a ftate fit for lowing every year ; fo that in two years it can yield 420 pounds ; whereas in the common hufbandry of this country, the far- mer can have but one crop in that time, being obliged to fow his land only every fecond year, and that one crop will fall greatly fhort of the two which the new hufbandry will produce. A vafl .advan- tage in favour of this laft. Without being too partial to the new hufbandry, we may expect that the fecond and following crops will be more plentiful, the earth U being i46 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. being in finer tilth. Accordingly, the wheat with which I have fowed thefe three beds a fecond time, is already vifibly benefited by the loofer ftate of the earth which has been To frequently ftirred in the fummer. I have provided againft the accidents which deftroyed fo many of my plants, by fowing thicker. Inftead of three ounces fifteen pennyweights of wheat, which I fowed laft year, I have now fowed nine ounces twelve pennyweights : and though the fnails have again eat many of the plants this year, clofe to the ground, a iufficient number ftill remains, by means of the additional feed, to fill the beds, and they are equally diftributed. I fhall now compare the crop I have been fpeaking of, with that of the experiment which I made on the fame fpot of ground in the year 1729, in order to fee whether I could not obtain a more plenti- ful return, by fowing thinner than is ufually praftifed. The ground was plowed and fowed in the common way. I employed fix pounds of wheat to fow it, being fomewhat lefs than half the ufual quantity. It looked extremely well all the time it grew, and pro- duced above double the quantity that wheat did in the common fields. It yielded me 105 pounds of wheat. Even in this way, I could have but one crop in two years : and it appears that I have not exaggerated the produce of the new hufbandry, in making it 420 pounds in the fame fpace of time, which is a clear gain of 3 1 5 pounds. I have fince tried fome other experiments; one of which, made in the year 1746, I muft now mention. I tried two things at the fame time : firft, whether wheat would grow after it had been kept feveral years; and fecondly, whether fowing each grain at fix inches diftance would turn to account. As I did not intend to make the experiment on a large field, I chofe for it a fpot of ftrong earth, in bad condition, fit for making bricks. I fowed in it three quar- ters of an ounce of wheat, which I had preferved carefully for eight years. It rofe pretty well *; but about one fourth of the grains did not fprout at all. After the winter, thefe plants grew very ftrong. I delayed feeing them too long, for I found them quite choaked with weeds. I lent a woman to weed them, who unluckily at the fame time pulled up almoft all the plants of wheat : the fineft fuffered moft, lhe not imagining that they could be wheat. There were but about * M. Du Hamel obferves, that it is very lingular that wheat, eight years old, fcould fprout fo well ; for that be fowed fome oi feven years old, which did not rife at all. Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEU-X. *47 about forty plants left, and thofe at very great and unequal diftances. Thefe produced tufts of upwards of fifty ftalks, with ears five or fix inches long, containing a great deal of grain, which became the prey of birds. This experiment, if it anfwered no other end, is at leaft a proof of the goodnefs of the new hufbandry. The good fuccefs of thefe little experiments, was a ftrong in- ducement to me to make more confiderable ones : but in order to this, it was necefTary to be provided with a proper hoe and drill- plough : for I muft confefs that Mr. Tull's did not appear to me to be fuch. Its great fault is, that it is too complex. Being provided with a proper hoe-plough, I foon became fenfible of the advantages of it. Numbers of fuch plows are already ufed in this country ; and, which is faying a great deal, even our farmers make ufe of them. This is the plough I ufed all this fummer in preparing my grounds. It did admirably well in the alleys of my experiment, after the corn was above four feet high. No plant was hurt by it, and I could, bring the plough as near them as I pleafed. Thus it fully and con- veniently performs this hoeing, in which I have feldom ufed more than one horfe. I have likewife prepared with it the ground fowed with wheat this autumn. My new horfe and drill-ploughs have made it eafy for me to en- large my experiments this year. However, I thought it mod advis- able to proceed by degrees ; and have therefore limited myfelf to the culture of about eight arpents, according to the new hufbandry, part of which is in a very ftrong foil, part in a very light foil, and part in a middling and ftony foil. What I have had chiefly in view in my experiments this year is to know excSlly what quantity of feed will produce the moji plentiful crop. To this end, I have fowed wheat in different degrees of thick- nefs, dropping the grains fome at one inch, fome at two, and fo on, to the diftance of fix inches from each other. All this wheat has at prefent a fine appearance, artd the plants are infinitely ftronger than thofe in the common fields : their blades are much larger, and of a very deep green colour. What is more, they have already branched, and promife a great number of ftalks. I have counted on fome plants 20, and on others 25. Upon the whole, there is great reafon to expedt an abundant crop. I have made another experiment with the drill-plough, with which I have fowed fome of my common fields. Jnftead oi fowing U 2 the i48 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. the feed by hand in the broad caff way, as in the old husbandry,. I have fowed the whole field with this inftrument, without leavir, * any allevs. This has made a great laving of feed, having employed only twelve pounds of eighteen ounces, to few the fame extent of ground, which ufed to be lowed with I ro pounds. Yet I think this i.ntlv thick: the plants are very fine, and of a deep green. They have already begun to branch, and promife many lialks. Hi- therto my wheat gives me reafon to be pleated with the experi- ment I am making. I have fowed about 25 arpents in this manner. SECT. II. imenti made by M. Lulli.x de Chateau-vieux, in tie year '752. MY experiments this year are of three kinds. The firft war made on the fame fpot on which laft year's experiment was made : the fecond, on a piece of ground which was made into beds for the firft time ; and the third, on a field plowed in broad-lands in. the common way, but fowed with the drill plough, in equally di^ ftant rows, without any intermediate alleys. Firft EXPE.RIM EN T. . No. I.' T Have already mentioned, that this fpot was fowed with wheat, the •*• beds being now made in the middle of the former alleys. The fummer hceings had brought this ground to fo fine and locle a fiare, after one plowing, I fowed the three beds with the drill-plough,, the twenty-fifth of September; and to prevent the accidents I be- fore met with, I increafed tHe quantity of feed to nine ounces x.. pennyweights. The wheat rofe extremely well, and the rows were full of plai ah became very ftrong and thriving before the winter. The : deftroyed a great number of the- plants, as they had done the year before: yet, I judged the rows luffkientlv ftorerJ with plants, and thought that this accident .would do no great damage to the crop. 1 lie winter was pretty favourable to corn in general. My plants made very frrong moots in the fpring: but I found feveral little ns in the rows, which I had not perceived in the auturrn. I imputed it in fonoe meafure to the inclemency of the winter, which had undoubtedly deuroyed feveral weak plants. Ihefe chafms were 1 but Chap. II. BY M. DE C H ATE A U- VIEUX. 149 but few, and the wdrft of them had about two: plants in fifteen inches. I horfe-hoed the alleys for the firft time on the ninth of March, and a fecond time the twenty-fifth of May. The ground was in to We a ftate, that 1 thought' it needlefs to hoe it afterwards, efpeci- ally as the wheat was in an exceeding good way. It continued of a very deep green till if ripened ; the blades were extremely large j and the plants branched much more than they bad done the year before. It was a common thing to find plants with between 60 and 70 f talks, which, in general, grew to above five feet and fome inches' high, 'and were crowned with large ears quite full of grain. ■ As foon as the wheat bad done bloffoming, I found it neceftary to defend it againft the birds. Thanks to the care that was taken, they did it lefs hurt this year than the laft : but ftill they eat a great, deal of it, though I cannot precifely determine the quantity. As foon as the wheat appeared to be near ripe-, in order to pre- ferve it from the -farther plunder of thofe robbers,- I reaped it, on the twentieth of July, though I would rather have chofen to let it ftand five or- fix (fays longer. It remained in the field four days, to dry, and was threfhed towards the latter end of Auguft. It yield- ed an hundred and forty two pounds -of wheat, at eighteen ounces to the pound.. • This wheat' was very fine, perfectly clean, and the grain much larger than in common. This experiment gives juft rife to the following remarks.- _ Firft'; the earth of th'efe three beds having been pulverifed and brought to a -very loofe ftate by the horfe-hoeings in 1751, the plants were" ftronger and more thriving than thofe of the year before ; a circumftance which contributed to the increafe of the crop. Secondly ; this crop juftifies my eftimate, that this fpot of ground could yield 210 pounds of wheat in one feafon, if cultivated accor- ding to the principles of the new hufbandry : for if we add to the 142 pounds reaped this year, the iofs occafioned by the- birds and jfnails,. it is pretty evident,'that the whole produce would have nelrly amounted to 210 pounds. Luckily, that I might be more thoroughly fatisfied what lofs I fuffered by the birds, 1 counted in two differen: places how many iv-alks the'plants in the three rows had yielded. On icn feet uiMengtfi, I found i6co in one place, and 2030 in another. As I would al- wavs avoid- over-ftraining my calculations, I fliall onlyfuppofe that • " every iSo EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. every ten feet in length produces 1600 ftalks : the beds, being 160 feet long, will confequently contain at leaft 25600 ftalks, and the three beds together 76800 ftalks, or ears. To know in the next place how many pounds of wheat might be contained in that number of ears, I had as many of them threlhed a month after harveft, as yielded a pound of eighteen ounces. They were taken at random, without culling them, out of a fheaf which feemed to have been but little damaged by the birds. Three hundred and fixty ears yielded thofe eighteen ounces of wheat : fo that, dividing 76800, the whole number of ears, by 360, the produce of the crop would be 213 pounds 6 ounces, at eighteen ounces to the pound, or 240 pounds of fixteen ounces. Hence it appears, that my firft eftimate was pretty juit, and that the produce may be even more coniiderable hereafter. Thirdly ; this fpot was clear of weeds ; though it ufed to be over- run with them. It appears by thi?, that the new husbandry deftroys them effectually ; though this advantage will be leis felt the rirft year, than in other fubfequent years. From the obfervation which I made, that the plants were in a more thriving (late this year, than in 175 1 -, it follows, that the earth, far from having been exhaufted by the nourifhment it had yielded the plants during that year, became more fruitful in this : which can be imputed only to the new culture, the land having re- ceived no other affiftance, either by dung or manure. The wheat was this year, upon a very exact fearch, free from fmut or blight. I found but one blighted ear, though there were numbers in fields contiguous to mine. I cannot however impute this favourable circumftance to the new culture alone : it may have con- tributed thereto, and may leffen the quantity : but to be fure of that, requires fome years experience. EXPERIMENT. No. II. THIS experiment was made on a larger field, in which three rows of wheat were fown in each bed, the diftance from the middle of one bed to the middle of the next, being fix feet *. The whole extent of the field was 1650 fquare toifes or fathoms, each fquare toife containing 36 feet. The * M. Du Hamel thirifcs, that by means of the new borfe-hoe, the alleys may he made fomewhat narrower. Chap.II. 6Y M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. ,5, The fmall quantity of feed which I employed in fowing it, cer- tainly required that every grain mould grow : but the intended num- ber of plants fell greatly fhort, feveral of the grains not rifing at air, and many of thofe which did rift, being deftroyed by infects. The greateft damage was done by fnails. There were great chafms in the rows, without any plants. As far as I could judge, between a third and a "fourth part of the rows produced nothing; and yet the crop was pretty plentiful, as we fliall fee. The hoeings were performed this year at proper feafons, and ra- ther the more frequently to make up for the neglect of the former year : for the ground was not in fufficiently fine tilth when the wheat was fowed. On the fourteenth and fifteenth of October 1751, the alleys were plowed for the firft time before winter. The ninth and tenth of March 1752, they were plowed again for the firft time after winter. From the eighteenth to the twenty-fourth of April, the ground was weeded. The twenty-ninth of April, the alleys were horfe-hoed ; which was again repeated, the twenty-fifth of May and the feventh of June. This wheat made a fine appearance : the length of the (talks, and the largenefs of the ears, fhew'd how much the new culture promoted the growth of thefe plants, which branched nearly as much as thofe of No. I. This field was reaped the twenty-fifth of July. I (hall join to the account of what this crop produced, an efti- mate of what might have been expected if the fame ground had been cultivated in the common way. A tomparifm of the produce of the fame field, cultivated according U the old, and according to the new hujbandry. TH I S field, which is of a very good and ftrong foil, was very badly plowed laft year, by reafon of the frequent and heavy rains, and had not been dunged for feveral years. In the common Way, it ufed to be fowed with 3 1 8 pounds of wheat. This year, it was made into beds of fix feet wide, and fowed the twenty-fifth of September with 10 pounds of wheat. Prs- ,52 . EXPERIMENTSi^N WHEAT, PajtH. Produce of this field Under [ the new culture in ij$2. This field, laid out in beds, produced, of very fine large? ,,, grain'd wheat, . . . . . £ 92 1 . To be deducted. Th'o' this wheat was very clean, yet four parts") in an hundred were fifted from it, as fmall corn ; > 37 lb. "> valued at . . . . .J i. 471b. For the feed fown . . . . . 10 lb. J .. . Neat produce ... . 870 lb. In this.hufbandry, the fame field is fowed every year fj fo that fuppofing "the crop of 1753 to be only equal to( ^ ., xhis of 1752, (and there is no doubt but it will be greater) C ' ° ' it will again produce •* Amowit of the two crops : . 17581b. Produce of the old culture. ■* If we judge of it by the heft crops of former years, it? ,, will be three times the quantity of the feed, viz. . -. J °54 "To be deducted. Lofs by fifting, 15 per cent. It has often been <» 25 and 30 per cent, and even more. Every time I this field was fowed, the corn was lodged, which > 1431b.") prevented the ears from filling, and rendered the I ( , ., grains fmall and fhrivelled . . . J f 4 J • For the feed 3181b.-* Neat produce . . . 4931b. Confequently the balance, in favour of the new hufban- 1 o^ il 7. « 5- 3861b. .dry, is 879lb. As Chap. II. BY M. DE C H AT E AU-VI E UX. 15; As this field yields but one crop in two years, in the") common hufbandry, it would produce in that fpace, > 4931b. only . . . . . .J From whence it follows, that the neat profit of the") new culture in the fame fpace of time, exceeds the other >I265 lb. by . . . . . J 17581b. Suppofing this field never to produce a greater crop than that of this year, it is evident that it is beft to follow the new method. But we can already promife, that the fucceeding crops will be more plentiful. The field is now fowed in the new way ; it has not yet fuffered any damage by infects ; the rows are well ftored with plants, whofe more thriving ftate promifes a better crop than laft year's. It may perhaps be thought odd, that I fhould limit the produce of the field fowed in the common way, to three times the feed. I know ihere are lands in this country which yield more, viz. four or five times the feed, and fometimes upwards : but then it muft be granted, that there are but few fuch lands; and that they are fields in extraordinary fine tilth, and enriched with manure. I therefore fpeak of our lands in general, taking good and bad together. In this cafe, I fay, the produce, one year with another, will not exceed three for one. My fields have always been as well cultivated as any in the coun- try. I have computed the amount of my crops for fixteen years running, viz. from 1730 to 1745, inclufively. Thefe accounts were carefully kept by a fteward who died a few years ago, and I do not find that the produce ever was greater than what I -have been faying, one year with another. EXPERIMENT, No. III. T Caufed a fpace of about 1344 fquare toifes of 36 feet, in another ■* field, to be laid out in beds like the former. This land, which is very ftrong, was but in bad tilth, notwithflanding the care I took to break the earth 'thoroughly, and reduce it into fmall particles. The frequent rains were the caufe of this. It was fowed with the drill-plough the twenty-fourth of September. Only feven pounds of wheat were ufed. The plants role pretty well: but, towards the X end 154 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partn. end of autumn, they were deftroyed daily by infects, and thereby reduced to a very fmall number, which greatly diminished the crop. The fixteenth of October 1751, the alleys were plowed for the firft time before winter. The tenth and eleventh of March 1752, they received their fir ft plowing after winter. The firft of May, the ground was weeded. The twenty-third of May, the fecond plowing after winter was performed with the horfe-hoe 5 which was repeated the twelfth of June. The plants which came up were very fine, and branched greatly : the ears were like thofe of the experiments I have already mention- ed, and the grain equally large. Tho' the produce was but 392 pounds, yet it is a fine crop for the fmall number of plants that efcaped unhurt. As I know the caufes to which the fcantinefs of this crop was owing, I make no doubt but it will equal that of any of the other fields next year. It is now fowed, for the fecond time, in the new way. The rows are well ftored with plants, and the corn is in as good condition as I could wifh. EXPERIMENT. No. IV. PHIS experiment was made at the diftance of fix miles from my houfe, on a light poor foil, which induced me to dung it.* The beds were about fix feet wide, and were fowed the twenty-firft of September with three pounds and three quarters of wheat, which produced fine plants and large ears, and yielded 196 pounds. Tho' the earth had not been well ftirred, nor at proper feafons; yet the corn fowed in it, produced greatly. The dung undoubtedly helped to make up for the want of due culture. * M. Du Hamel obferves, that tho' dung may generally be fpared in the new butbandry j yet it certainly is of considerable ufe, efpecially in poor lands. E X- Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. iS$ ■ EXPERIMENTS Made cm fields fown in equally difiant rows, with the drill-plough. No. V. J" Have Towed fields cultivated in every refpect in the common way, A except in the manner of diftributing the feed, which was done with the drill-plough. The whole field was covered with rows of wheat, difiant from each other kxen inches and an half.* The advantages which I propofed to myfelf by fowing in this manner, were, firft, the faving of feed and preventing the earth from being over-flocked with plants : fecondly, burying the feed at a proper depth : thirdly, having the plants at equal diftances : and Iaftly, the little ftirring of the ground and breaking of the clods, which the drill-plough effects at the fame time that it fows. Thefe things feemed to me more likely to be attended with fuccefs, than the com- mon way of fowing. The plants of this wheat were very fine : their deep green colour (hewed their ftrengih : the Iargenefs of their blades, and the number of their ftalks, fhewed likewife that they found greater plenty of nourifhrnent than wheat in the common way. The plants had, in general, four, fix, eight, ten, or more ftalks ; fo that thefe fields, which, till the month of April, feemed fcarcely to have been fown, changed then fo as hardly to be known again, by the number of ftalks which fhot forth at that time. The wheat was taller than that in the old way, and the ears larger and better filled with grain. An account of the produce will fhe'w what may be expected from this manner of fowing. Account of the. produce of the fame field fowed part in the old way, and part with the drill-plough, the fourteenth, fifteenth, and fif- teenth of September 1751. ^p H E whole of this field ufed commonly to be fowed with A twenty meafures of wheat, each meafure containing 106 pounds of 1 8 ounces. Three meafures, or 3 1 8 pounds of wheat, X 2 were * M. de Chateau-vieux calls this method of fowing, femer en plein, to few in full. We fhall exprefs it by, fining in equally djjlant raws, in oppofition to fields laid out in beds and alleys. i56 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT. Part II. vrerb fown in the ufual way in the richeft part of the field. The remaining part was fo wed with the drill-plough, with only 265 pounds of wheat, which, in the common way "would have required 1 802 poands. The foil was middling, neither too flrong nor too light, and pretty ftony. The land was poor, becaufe it had not been dunged j which indeed it feldom was, the owner not having more than was neceffary for his vines. Produce of the new hujbandry. The 265 pounds of wheat produced ^ » 5450 lb. To be deducled. For fmall and bad grain fifted out, 4 per cent. . 218? 0 ,r For the feed 265 \ 4^3 lb' IS! eat produce . . 49671b,. If the other part of the field, which was- fowed-. with the three meafures in the old way, had been/ , „ fown with the drill-plough,, it would have yield- f 9 '" «d J 'To be deducled. Lofs by fifting, 4 per cent. . . 381b.) Q ,,. For. the feed . . .. . . 461b. > b4lb- Neai produce to be added to the above . . 8761b,. Neat produce of the ivhole . . 58431b. Produce of the old hujbandry. That part of the field which was fowed with the three meafures of 1 06 pounds each, produced thrice the quantity of the feed, mixei with bad grain. The fame meafure of this grain weighed but 103 pounds. . This field yields no more. even, in the beft years. If the 1 whol» Chap-H BY M. DE CHA TEAU- VI EUX. i57 whole of it bad been fowed in the old way, it would have pro- duced . . . , , 6r8olb, To be deduced. Lofs by lifting, 15 percent. It has often 1 027iu v been 251b. and yi per cent, ; . 5 y ' '/ -3C4.7lb> For the feed . . . 2i2olb.) J *' Neat produce ' ♦ , 31331b. Ballance in favour of the new method • . 27101b. EXPERIMENT, No. VI. T Sowed another field of about 1020 fquare toifes of 36 feet, in ■*■ the fame manner, with thirty pounds of wheat, reckoning 18 ounces to the pound, on the twenty-fourth of September. The foil was ftrong, and in fine tilth. The wheat grew in every refpect like that of the preceding article, with this only perceptible diffe- rence, that the ftraw was* fomewhat longer, and the ears larger. It was not threfhed till the beginning of December, and yielded 809 pounds of very fine wheat (the pound 18 ounces). The pro- duce of this field was greater than that of the former, in propor- tion to the quantity, of feed. But the foil of this was better, and in finer tilth.. EXPERIMENT, No. VII. tT* HIS experiment was made about three miles from me, on a •* piece of ground of the extent of about 880 fquare toifes. This; land is neither too ftrong, nor too light, and may be called a pretty rich foil. It was plowed three times, like other lands, and had not; been dunged for many years. It ufed to be fowed with 165 or 170 pounds of wheat. It was now fowed on the 5th of October, w'ith. only 24 pounds. Tho' the feafon was fo far advanced, this feed came up pretty well befcre winter. The plants throve greatly in the fpring, and the field became covered with ftrong ftalks, and very, large .ears,. full of fine plump grain. The crop yielded 800 pounds of clean wheat, without mixture of- any other feeds. Deducting from this the 24 pounds of feed, the., neat . 158 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, PartH. neat produce is 776 pounds. This field, fowed in the common way, produces, in the beft years, about 875 pounds,: from which if we deduct 165 pounds for the feed, the neat produce will be 710 pounds. Thus we fee that the fame ground fowed with the drill plough, pro- duced 66 pounds more than when fown in the common way. But as wheat raifed in this lad way is always mixed with abundance of feeds of weeds, which mud be feparated by fifting, an allowance muft likewife be made for that ; and the profit will then not be limited to the 66 pounds only, which the owner reaped more than in the common way. I omit feveral experiments of wheat fowed in beds, and with the drill-plough, in equally diftant rows, the fuccefs of which has been nearly equal to that of thole I have already fpoken of. I fhall men- tion only one more, and that, on account of a circumftance which deferves to be known. I made it on a light foil, the word I knew of, full of pretty large ftones, and which had not been dunged in the memory of man. The ftones did not hinder the drill-plough from dropping the feeds very regularly. I chofe this bad foil, on purpofe to fee how the corn would thrive in it. I allowed too little feed, Gon- fidering the badnefs of the foil. The ftones prevented many plants from rifing, and many more were deftroyed by infects j fo that the wheat was very thin, and the crop fmall. I was, however, pleafed with it, becaufe I found the plants grew almoft as ftrong as in a good foil, and the ears were as' large, and as full of grain. A little before harveft, the wheat of all thefe experiments fuftained many heavy rains, accompanied with very high winds ; and though the ftraw was much longer than that of the wheat which had been fowed in the common way, the corn was not lodged : wbilft a great deal was in the neighbouring fields. Some indeed was bent ; but that is different from being lodged. This laft is very hurtful to the filling of the grain, ; but its being bent is attended with no inconve- niency*. I am even inclined to think that it may be of fervice to the wheat, not to remain in a perpendicular direction ; and intend next year to be particularly attentive to this. It is not at all to be wondered at, that plants fown in the common way, fhould not thrive as well as thofe which grow in beds. The fjrft not having been affifted by the ftirring of the mould, cannot * We were therefore right, fays Mr. Da Hamel, in observing, that corn would be lefs liable to be lodged in following our method, tban in proceeding in the common Way. draw Part II, BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 159 draw fo much nourishment from the earth, as thofe in beds. The fize of thcfe laft. has indeed exceeded my expectation. There is rea- fon to be fatisfied with this manner of fowing, even if it were at- tended with no greater advantage than this year's crops afforded. But if the quantity of feed is increafed, fo that the field be flocked with as many plants as it can nourifh, the profit will be fo much the more confiderable. It is time to retnrn to our experiments on fields laid out in beds, which are the more immediate object of the new hufbandry. Thole which I have made this year, have not brought the produce of the new culture to near what it will be hereafter ; as will appear from what I (hall next obferve. Reflexions o/M. de Chateau-vieux, which prove the truth of the prin- ciples on which the new hujbandry is jounded. \\/fc fee by the experiment, No. I. that the earth, being in a loofer ** or more divided ftate the fecond year, is better able to afford a- grea^er quantity of nourimment to plants, whofe productions will always be proportioned ro the eafe with which they can reach that nouri fhment. I was in hopes that the experiments of this year would have enabled me to determine what quantity of feed it is beft to fovv, in order to obtain the greateft crop. The lands on which I fowed the moil feed laft year, fhewed me plainly, that it would be right to increafe the quantity, in order to provide againft the accidents by which the plants had been thinned too much. But this increafe of feed fhould be regulated with great difcretion, regard being had both to the circumftances of the feafon in which the feed is fowed, and to the condition of the ground in which it is planted. If the foil is in very fine tilth, lefs feed will be fufficient. The experiments of this year fhew that there are but three prin- cipal means by which we can obtain the utmoft production that •plants are capable of affording. Thefe means are practicable only in' the new hufbandry : for in that alone each bed has the number of plants which it can properly nourifh ; which is the fource of plenty. The firft means is, to make the plants produce a great number of ftalks. The fecond is, to make each ftalk bear a large ear. The third is, to make each ear be quite full of plump grain. Thefe 160 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. Thefe effects cannot be obtained in the old hufbandry, becaufe they can only be procured by frequently ftirring the earth. All my experiments this year, mew the truth of this : but espe- cially the experiments No. I. and II. It is therefore by horfe-hoeing the alleys whilft the plants are yet young and growing, that we can make them produce a number of jlalks, caufe thofe Jlalks to bear large ears, and Jill each ear with lasge flump grain. But to obtain thefe advantages, it is of great confe- quence that the hoeings be performed at proper feafons, each having its peculiar effects. The plowing before winter, is intended to drain off the water, which if it mould remain long near the plants, would chill and greatly hurt them, and to lay up the earth to be mouldered by the winter s frofl. It is hereby enabled the better to fupply the plants with their necefTary food in the fpring. This may be done at the farmer's con- veniency, from the time that the plants have three or four blades, till the froft lets in : and even in the winter, if it does not freeze, plowing will always be of fervice. The firft plowing after winter, is of great importance. 'Tis to this that we owe the number of Jlalks which the plants produce. That it may have this effect, it muft be performed as foon as the fevere colds are part ; and, at lateft, as foon as the plants begin to moot. If it is delayed longer, it will contribute very little towards their branching. It will ferve only to make the ftalks grow longer. If any new ones flioot out, they will not thrive fo well as the firft ; and therefore it is of great confequence that they flioot out all together. The hoeings that are performed from this time, till the wheat has done bloffoming, firength:n the plants, lengthen the Jlalks, and enlarge the ears. The feafon of thefe hoeings is not fo exactly limited as that of the former, and the frequency of them will depend greatly on the (fate of the ground : for it muft not be touched when it is too moift. If the feafon is kindly, they may be repeated two, three, or four times : but I think one hoeing highly necefTary juft before the ears break forth. They certainly grow longer and larger by it. The laft hoeing is the moft important of all, and that which can leaft be dilpenfed with. It muft be performed as foon as the bloffom is gone off the wheat. This fills the whole ear, and Jwells the grain. When farmers become fenlible of the good effects of thefe frequent ftirrings, they will not neglect to repeat them at the proper feafons. It is by a fucceflion of them, that, in my opinion, crops can be brought Chap. II. BY M. D E C H A T E A U - V I E U X. 161 brought to their higheft perfe&ion : and if unfavourable feafons pre- vent their being done at their proper times, a diminution of the croc will moil: a fibred ly follow. No one who confiders the produce of the ears of corn on lands cultivated according to the new, and the old hufbandry, will, I be- lieve, doubt which of thefe is to be preferred. I fhall beftow a few moments, to point out the difference which I have found between the one and the other. I laid before, that 360 ears yielded me 18 ounces of wheat. Here is a determined fact ; and I am certain that I have not enlarged it j becaufe the birds had eat fome of the grain : otherwife fewer ears would have produced thofe 18 ounces. When, in the year 1750, I firfi- began to inquire into the prin- ciples of the new hufbandry, I judged it might be of fome importance to come at the knowledge of what the ufual produce of a plant of wheat is, when cultivated in the common way. That year was reckoned a very good one for wheat, which appeared clean and good as it flood upon the ground. I took this method to come at the knowledge I wanted. I took part of a fheaf which appeared to me very good, and which was the produce of a very rich field. I divided it into three parcels. In the firfi parcel were all the good ears ; the middling and fmall ears were in the fecond, and the ears in which there was no grain, or where the grain was faulty, compofed the third. The wheat being thus divided, I counted the number of ears in each parcel. I found 400 in the firfi, which confifted of the beft ears j 1600 in the fecond, which contained the middling and fmalleft ears; and in the third, 750 ears, or plants whofe grain was faulty. I made no account of a great number of imperfect fhoots which were not fix inches long. The fields did not look fo poor to the eye, as this feparation proved them to be. This firfi operation was therefore necefiary to come at the truth. On clearing the grain from the ears, I found that the 400 ears con- tained five ounces and a half of wheat, and that the 1600 contained feven ounces. My curiofity did not lead me to inquire into the contents of the third parcel ; knowing that there was no good grain in it. In the purfuit of this inquiry, I found that taking one ear with another, of the 400, there were but eleven grains of wheat in each ; Y and i62 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. and that in the 1 600, taking one ear with another, there were but three grains and an half to an ear. Eight hundred of thefe grains weighed but an ounce. If we add thefe parcels together, we fhall find that 2000 ears yielded but 12 ounces and an half of wheat, and that it would require 2890 ears of the fame goodnefs to yield eighteen ounces. I confefs I was aftonifhed at the refult of ray inquiry; which I could not have believed, had I not feen it. But at the fame time, how greatly was my expectation raifed of the advantages of the new culture ! I have this year formed a greater extent of ground into beds. The too frequent rains have prevented my laying down more than 25 arpents in this manner : but I have fowed all the reft of my farm with the drill plough in equally diftant rows. I have increafed the quantity of feed ; regard being had to each circumftance neceffary to be attended to ; fo that in fome fields I have fowed double the quan- tity of feed that was employed in the year 175 1 ; in others forne- what more, and in others again lefs. All my fields look extremely well, and make a much better ap- pearance than they did laft year. They are abundantly ftocked with very ftrong plants, of a deep green colour : the blades are long and large, and cover the earth better than the common wheat. Hitherto, thefe plants have fuftained no lols, except in one fpot of about half an arpent, where the plants were gnawed aiunder, juit under the furface of the earth, by infecf s. I immediately fowed it again, and by this means have quite made up the lols. The infects have not appeared fince. One of the moft happy effects of my experiments, is, that they have created a defire in many perfons in thefe parts, to begin the practice of the new hufbandry, by trials of confiderable extent. One perfon, convinced of its excellency, has laid out and fowed at leaft twenty-three arpents in beds : another has fowed with the drill- plough, an hundred and twenty-five arpents plowed in broad lands. All the land that has been fowed in beds amounts to about fifty ar- pents ; and about two hundred arpents in broad lands have been fown with the drill-plough. Every one who has feen thefe grounds, even the very plowmen not excepted, agree that they look extremely well, and that they never faw in this country plants of fuch ttrength, and vigour, as the wheat that was firft fown. 1 am extremely happy that my drill-plough has been of fo general ufe. Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATE AU-VIEUX. 163 ufe. It has every where done its bufinefs very regularly, people having fowed with it the exact quantity of grain they have defired. SECT. III. Experiments made by M. Lullin de Chateau -vieux, in the year 1753. I Am the better pleafed that I am able to give a fatisfactory account of the fuccefs of my experiments this year, as the feafons have not been favourable, and extraordinary accidents have greatly dimi- nifhed the produce of the crops. I mall divide this account into feveral articles. The firft will contain the experiments made on lands laid out in beds, which have born their fecond and third crop. To this will be added fome obfervations relating thereto. The fubject of the fecond will be a detail of experiments made on lands formed into beds, which have yielded only their firft crop. This too will be followed by fome remarks. The third will confift of the experiments of two perfons, on lands made into beds, of which the firft crop was reaped this year : to which will be fubjoined fome neceflary reflections. The fourth article will contain an account of feveral experiments made by divers lovers of Agriculture, on lands fown in equally dis- tant rows, but with the drill-plough. As we think it will be extremely ufeful to (hew, by the expe- riments which have been made this year, that lands produce more corn by the new hufbandry, than by the old ; we (hall give an ac- count, in the fifth article, of the crops of fields fown in the com- mon way for fixteen years together ; and of thofe of the fame fields cultivated according to the new hufbandry, fuppofing them not to yield better crops in future years, than they have done in this :- a fuppofition the leaft favourable that can be to the new culture, fince we calculate only upon the produce of the firft year's crop, and that too diminifhed by the extraordinary accidents which we (hall mention. To fhew the truth of this article more fully, it will be proved in the fixth, that the beft field in the country, though it had been well dunged, yielded lefs wheat than thofe on which the experiments were made, and on which no dung was ufed. The feventh article will confift of reflections and obfervations on Y 2 our 464 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. our practice of the new hufbandry ; and the eighth will £hew the difpofition of our lands for the crop in 1754. To avoid repetitions, we {hall obferve here, once for all, that no dung or other manure was uled in any of cur fields ; that the extent of all our fields is computed by fquare toiies, of thirty fix fquare feet to the toiie, and that our pound confifts of fixteen ounces. ARTICLE I. Experiments made en lands laid cut in beds, which had Lorn a fecend and third crop, with feme vbfervatiom particularly relating thereto. ■ EXPERIMENT, No. I. N. B. This experiment is marked icith the fame number in the year 1752. (p. 14S.) T Should have known the full produce of this third fueceffive crop on the beds of this field, if the hail which fell on the third of June had not damaged it greatly. The abundance of rain which fell at the fame time, and immediately after the hail, did ftill greater hurt 1 for the earth of part of the beds was wafhed away by the torrents of water, fome of the plants were forced out of their places, others were entirely covered with earth, and many were torn up by the roots ; fo that it was net pofiible to judge what this year's pro- duce would have been, by the few plants that were left. I am very lorry that this accident deprived me of a certain proof, that this year's crop would have been more plentiful than that of 1752 : for it would have been evident, that the earth becomes more and more fruitful by the new hulbandry : a truth, which it is of confequence to eftabiifh. I can therefore only affirm by conjecture, that this crop would have been greater. It is true, my conjectures are fo ftrong, that they amount almoft to a demonftxation. I draw them from hence : that the corn had a very fine appear- ance before winter ; that the plants grew with great force in the fpring ; that they branched more than formerly ; that the ears were certainly larger;, that they bloficmed extremely well; (they were in full bloom the thirtieth of May ;) and laftly, that there is more ftraw than in 1752. It necefiarilv follows from hence, that had it not been for the hail Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 16$ hail and torrents of water, the crop would have been greater than in 1752. Though the following experiment fuffered the fame accidents, (except that the beds were not broke up by the water,) it will fup- ply the want of that information which we were deprived of in the other, and ftrengthen our conjectures. EXPERIMENT, No. II. N. B. This experiment is marked with the fame number in the year 1752. (p. 150.) A SI hope this experiment will be found very inftructive, I /\ (hall relate it with the fame care that I executed it. I there- fore beg it may be particularly attended to j for it will confirm the , advantages of the new hufbandry. But before I enter into a detail, of which I fhall endeavour not to omit any effential circumftance, it is neceffary to repeat here, that in the journal of 175 1, I faid, 1. That the plowings which had been given the earth in order to its being fown in 1752, had not loofened it fufficiently, and that I tried to remedy this defect by fubfequent culture. 2. That this field was fowed the twenty fifth of September with eleven pounds and four ounces of wheat. 3. That the crop yielded a thoufand and forty two pounds twelve ounces : and laftly, that the appearance of the young plants promifed a much greater crop in 1753. The culture beftowed upon theie lands in 1752, rendered them more and more loole and well divided, fo that with only one plow- ing after harveft, which was performed with the utmoft eafe, I formed new beds, the ridge of which was now in the place where the furrow in the middle of the alley was before. But the earth was deeper ftirred and made much loofer than in 1752. I had al- ready attained almoft a perfect tilth, and ealily forefaw that I might quite complete it in 1753. Whilft I laboured affiduoufly in the culture of wheat, from which I would not fuffer any thing to divert my attention too much, till I fhould arrrive at a good and certain practice of the new hufbandry : 1 neverthelefs determined to begin experiments on luferne and fain- foin, to cultivate them nearly in the fame manner as wheat. • What prompted me to this, was the fuccefs of a lmall experiment the year before. Accordingly, taking this object likewife into ferious confi- deration, I refolved to leave a part of this field for luferne, and to fow f the i66 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part Ii. the reft with wheat. It contained in all 1650 fquare toifes, formed into 45 beds. I left for the luferne, nine beds, the extent of which was 303 fquare toifes 3 and deffined the furplus to be fowed with wheat, as before. I am now very attentive to the experiments on luferne and fain-foin, and fhall begin next year to give an account of them, and of my manner of proceding. My practice in this, will be found different, in many refpects, from the method which is com- monly purfued. I will venture to affirm that there will be room to be fatisfied with the fuccefs of this branch of hufbandry, than which none can be more interefting : plenty of fodder being as neceffary as plenty of corn. I mull therefore beg leave to give the produce of this field, as if the whole of it had been fowed with wheat. This I do, in order to compare the produce of 1753, with that of 1752; as it cannot be doubted but that the nine beds now under luferne, would each of them have yielded as much wheat, as any of the beds did that were fown with it : nay, perhaps fome pounds more : the luferne being fown in what I thought the richeft part of the field. This field was fowed the firft of September. I increafed the quantity of feed, fowing this time thirty four pounds fourteen ounces of wheat j whereas in 1751, I fowed but eleven pounds four ounces. Though I fowed this year more than thrice the weight of feed that I did in 1 75 1, it muft not be inferred that I tripled the number of grains capable of producing plants ; becaufe this year's fowing was | made with wheat of the produce of the new culture, the grains of which are much larger than thofe of the common wheat which I ufed in 1751, and of which a greater number is confequently required to make up an equal weight. This wheat having been fown pretty early, its plants had time to grow very ftrong before winter, the cold of which they bore very well : and the plowing I gave them the fifteenth of October, by cutting a very deep furrow within about three inches of the rows, fecured them from the damage which corn frequently fuffers from rain or the melting of the fnow. In the fpring, they made ftrong fhoots, grew apace, and branched very abundantly. I affiited them, as I am going to relate, at proper feafons, both with refpecr. to the condition of the plants and earth, and to the temperature of the weather. The fifteenth of March 1753, I gave them the fir ft plowing af- ter winter. The twenty-fixth, the beds were weeded. The Chap. II. BYM.DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 167 The eleventh of April, I horfe-hoed them. The twenty-fixth, the thirties were plucked up. The fourteenth of May, the hoeing was repeated. The fifteenth, the ears began to appear. The twenty-ninth, the fourth culture was given with the culti- vator. The thirtieth, the wheat was in full bloom. The third of June, the wheat fuftained a violent ftorm of hail and rain. The thirteenth, the fifth culture was given with the new plough with two fhares. I beg leave to obferve, that there needs no better proof that wheat, cultivated according to the new hufbandry, will be little apt to be lodged, than the eafe with which I performed the fifth cul- ture, after the accidents which happened the third of June, when the wheat had attained its greater!: height. So far was it from being laid thereby, that the whole extent of the plough found free ad- mittance into the alleys, and this laft culture could be given with- out damaging the (talks. Though the whole of our plowing and hoeing may be performed extremely well with my plough and the inftrument which I call the cultivator, yet I have thought of making this tafk ftill more ea- fy. Two new inftruments, (not indeed abfolutely neceffary,) will anfwer this end. I propofe them only as very ufeful, and proper to be employed only the fecond or third year, when the earth has ac- quired part of that minute divifion, of which it is fufeeptible. The cultivator with mould-boards, and the plough with two fhares, are two inftruments which I have invented this year. I have found them extremely ufeful to give the two laft ftirrings, better, and in lefs time than our other inftruments. The reader may not be difpleafed to know what firft fet me upon contriving them. One cannot enter properly into the fpirit of the new hufbandry,. without being thoroughly convinced that the earth cannot be too minutely divided : I will even fay, till it is reduced to a perfect pow- der : and that when one has been fo happy as to attain this point, it muft be kept in that ftate. This will always be done beft, by ufing the moft proper inftruments. I obferved one day, whilft I was hoeing my wheat, my plough be- ing then at work, and the earth in a very loofe ftate, that every time the alleys were ftirred, they were thrown into a different form i for *68 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT PartH. for it is neceffary fometimes to make a deep furrow in the middle of the alleys, and at other times to raife a ridge in them ; and yet, in whatever form the alleys were, I had only my plough to perform thefe different operations. It did not feem to me reasonable to fup- pofe, that two fo different works could be done equally well with one and the fame inftrument : whence I concluded that it was aeceffary to have an inftrument for each of thefe purpofes. I foon found what I wanted. The cultivator with mould-boards opens a large furrow in the middle of the alley, by turning over the earth at the fame time to both fides. The plough with two fhares, on the contrary, at the fame time takes up the earth on both fides, and turns it into the furrow, which it fills, and thereby lays the foundation of a new bed. Thefe inftruments have this farther advantage, that, without re- quiring a greater number of oxen or horfes, they perform as much work at once going over the ground, as the plough can do in two, and fometimes three operations. I return to my experiment. The twenty-third of June, the wheat fuftained a violent hurri- cane, which lafted an hour. Several great pear-trees were blown down in my orchards, and many large branches were broke off from other trees. The eighth of July, a fcorching wind blew, which fhed a great deal of the ripe corn. The ninth, the wheat was reaped. A month after harveft, it was threfhed. This field yielded 1575 pounds of wheat ; deducting from which the 34 pounds 14 ounces ufed for feed, the neat produce remaining is 1540 pounds two ounces. Confequently, in 1753, this field pro- duced 533 pounds four ounces more than in 1752, including what was faved in the feed. The grain of this wheat was very large, and fo clean, that it did not want fifting. It yielded plenty of very fine flour, which made exceeding white and well tafted bread. E X- Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 169 EXPERIMENT, No. III. N. B. This field is marked with the fame number in the year 1 752. THIS field contains 1344 toifes, and was but in poor tilth. It was fown the twenty-fourth of September 1751, with feven pounds 14 ounces of wheat, and yielded 441 pounds. It was brought into better tilth in 1752, but the beds were not raifed high enough : I would have given them another plowing, had not the rainy feafon .prevented me. They were fown the eighth of September, with 24 pounds 12 ounces of very large grained wheat. The plants were very fine before winter, and the rows well filled. In fpring, I found that there were fewer plants than in autumn : the infedts had deftroyed feveral of them. I likewife im- puted the lofs of many to the flatnefs of the beds. The plants ac- quired frefh vigour after the winter, made ftrong fhoots, and branch- ed extremely well. I treated this field in the fame manner as the former. The plants made nearly the fame progrefs. They were reaped the fourteenth of July, and yielded 724 pounds 8 ounces. Thus we fee that this field yielded 283 pounds 8 ounces more in 1753, than in 1752. Obfervations on thefe experiments. T Obferved in my former experiments, that as the mould was not •*- fufficiently loofened, the fields, which were laid out in beds could not produce fo plentiful a crop the firft year, as they would the fe- cond or third year, when the earth fhould be more thoroughly di- vided. It is evident, that whoever fhould have given up the new hufbandry, on the bad fuccefs of the firft year, would have deceived himfelf. Thefe experiments plainly fhew, that the charge of the firft year is fully recompenfed by the profit of the fecond, and that this profit will increafe from year to year. Whoever now tries the new hufbandry, may reafonably expect better crops than mine, even the firft year ; becaufe, 1. They now know the preparations which the earth requires : 2. They may be provided with instruments, already experienced to anfwer their pur- pole with conveniency and eafe. The different circumftances to be attended to, are likewife known. From the knowledge I have ac- Z quired j;o EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. quired in thefe matters, I can promife that the prefent appearance of the corn, which I have fowed this year in beds, promifes a very "•reat crop next feafon. I fhall likewife have occafion, in the courfe of thefe obfervations, to fhew, that though the firft crop may feem very fmall, yet it is in fact more profitable than that of lands culti- vated in the common way. Let us now proceed to the prefent ftate of the lands cultivated for two years according to the new hufbandry, and obferve what the effects have already been. When the corn was fowed, the beds were in a much loofer ftate than before, and the grain confequently covered with a fine mould. It came up better : the roots more eafily extended themfelves, and increafed in number, in a foil which fcarce refifted them : the plants were ftronger, and better able to bear the feverity of the winter • and by a fmall increafe of the feed, the earth was better filled with plants, and thereby better able to fuftain the accidents which had thinned them before. After the winter frofts were over, the mould was in lb loofe a ftate, that it looked as if it had been newly plow- ed : a very different ftate from that of land in the common hufban- dry, which is at this feafon hard, compact, and very little fitted to afford an eafy paffage to the tender roots of plants. How eafy too. did this render all the fubfequent culture ! The weeds, already great- ly diminished, did little damage to the corn ; and we may readily con- ' ceive that the earth, in this loofe ftate, was eafily penetrated by the rains, dews, and moifture of the atmofphere. The effects were, that the plants grew ftronger and taller than be- fore ; that they branched into a greater number of ftalks ; that the ears were very large and well filled with grain, if we may judge by thofe which efcaped the hail; that the wheat was very clean ; ajid laftly, that the crop was greater than that of the preceding year, though it had been greatly diminifhed by the hail, the hurricane, and the fcorching wind which made many of the ears fhed their corn* I tried every poflible means of afcertaining the lofs occafioned by thefe accidents ; but in vain. I have therefore given up an uncer- tain calculation ; and all I can fay, is, that I am fure the lofs was very considerable. A R- Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. i7t ARTICLE II. Experiments made on lands which had borne ajirfi crop. Remarks en thefe experiments. WE did not expect that the fields we are now going to fpeak of, would yield a crop near equal to that of the fields we . treated of in the foregoing article. We knew that the mould is ne- ver fufficiently broken and divided the firfl year that a field is laid out in beds. Befides, almoft. all laft year, the earth was too moid: to be cultivated properly. The wet mould could not be divided into fmall particles, nor could it be plowed fo frequently as to admit of fowing it fo early as it fhould have been. But every year will not be fo unkindly to this hufbandry ; and when there are alternate changes, fuch as we have had this year, of wet and fair weather, which will afford time for the different plow- ings, we may, with fome certainty, promife ourfelves a more abun- dant crop ; fince, as we have feen, it depends chiefly on the good or bad ftate of the earth. The whole management of thefe fields having been nearly the fame with that of the fecond experiment, it would be needlefs to give a particular detail of it in our account of the other experiments. EXPERIMENT, No. IV. j Hp HIS field is a very flxong good foil. In the old hufbandry, it -*■ required great firength to plow it, and it was neceffary to catch the feafbns when they were neither too wet nor too dry. It contains 1 6487 fquare toifes. I laid near one half of it out in beds, which, with the alleys, were each about fix feet wide. Part of thefe beds were fown the thirtieth of Auguft. Conflant rains prevented the reft from being fown till the twenty-fixth of September. An hundred and eighty one pounds of wheat were employed in fowing the whole. What was firft fowed, came up well, and the plants were very ftrong before winter : but in one place, almoft all of them were de- stroyed by infe&s. I fowed this fpot a fecond time. The fifefh feed was fcarce able to rife before winter, and yielded much lefs than the beds which had not met with the like accident. The wheat of the beds which were fown the twenty-fixth of September, was a long time before it fprung up, owing to the drynefs of the earth, Z 2 which ffa -EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Paitll. which continued almoft the whole month of October. The froft in November ftopt the farther progrels of the plants. Their produce was much {hort of what was fowed firft ; which (hews plainly how efTentially neceflary it is to fow early. This wheat mull of courfe grow very unequally. Some beds were extremely beautiful, others middling, and the reft very poor : yet, throughout the whole, the ears were very large, and well filled with grain ; and the crop would ftill have been a good one, had it not fuffered by the hail on the third of June, and the other accidents mentioned in the fecond experiment. The wheat, being perfectly ripe, was reaped the 13th and 17th of July. It was threfhed two months after, and the whole produce of this half of the field was 3370 pounds of very fine and perfectly clean large- grain'd wheat, which yielded a great deal of flour. The other half of this field was fowed in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough, by which means a great deal was faved in the feed ; for only 479 pounds of wheat were employed to fow this ground, which, in the common way, would have required about 2016 pounds. It was fowed the 23d, 24th, 26th, 27th, and 29th of Auguft. We could work only a few hours a day on account of the frequent fhowers of rain. This wheat rofe very well, and grew very ftrong before winter, and of a deep green colour, which it retained till it began to ripen. The number of ftalks increafed in the fpring. They grew very long, and bore large ears. In fhort, they promifed a fine harveft. But the hail of the 3d of June foon changed the face of the field. It cut offa great number of the ears, broke down many ftalks, and dama- ged all thofe ears whofe ftalks were ftrong enough to remain upright. This misfortune was common to all my wheat. This wheat, being ripe, was reaped the 9th, 1 oth, and 1 1 th of July, in very hot, dry weather. It was threfhed a month after har- veft, and yielded 5386 pounds of excellent grain.. Here is an experiment made upon a large extent of ground, cul- tivated two different ways, and divided into two almoft equal por- tions, both of which fuffered the fame accidents as equally as could be, according to the beft of my judgment. This experiment offers us a very interefting inftruction. The defign of our experiments is, to know which of the different jnethods of hufbandry is moft ufeful j which will beft promote the j public Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 173 public welfare, be moft beneficial to the owners of lands, and bid faireft to fecure their productions. Let u4 now compare the produce of each half of this field. It will convince us of a truth of great confequence to be known, war. that land will produce much more corn when cultivated in beds according to the new hufoandry, than when it is only fowed in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough ; though this Iaft method is indiiputably better than the old hulbandry. We have fecn that the part of this field, which was fowed in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough, produced 5386 pounds of wheat. If it is continued to be cultivated in the fame manner, it will be in fallow in 1754, and yield no produce : and thus it will bring a crop only every other year. , The other part of this field, which we formed into beds, , produced 3370 pounds of wheat, and is already fown again for a crop to be reaped in 1754. Suppofing this crop to be only equal to that of 1753, the produce of the two years will be 6740 pounds of wheat. Hence it is evident, that, in two years, the produce of the beds will be 1354 pounds greater than that of the rows. This difference is very confiderable : and if we would fee it in a yet ftronger light, let us extend the fame calculation to a longer time ; for example, to ten years, during which the part fowed in rows will yield only five crops, which at 5586 pounds a crop, will amount in all to 26930 lb. The part fowed in beds will yield ten crops, which at 7 3370 pounds a crop, make I 337OOJt>' The difference in favour of the beds will therefore 7 be in ten years ...... J 67701b. We here fuppofe the feafons to be, in every refpedt, like the year 1753. But as our obfervations have conftantly fhewn that the crops are always greater after the firft year, which is likewife juftified by the firft, fecond, and third experiments, we may even now venture to pronounce, that the part of our field, which is fowed in beds, in order to be reaped in the year 1754, and which now makes a pro- mifing appearance, will yield double the quantity it did in 1753. The profit will therefore be much more confiderable than we have made it in the above calculation. EXPERIMENT, No. V. HPHIS field is of a very ftiff foil. It contains 61 12 fquare toifes, •*■ and lies Hoping towards the Weft. The beds were well formed, but T M i74 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT. Part II. but the earth could not be fufHciently broken, nor could it be fown early enough, on account of the frequent rains. It was fowed the 8th and 25th of September, with 139 pounds of wheat. The corn came up well, and made a fine appearance before winter. It throve well during the fpring, and when ripe, .1 cut it down, viz. on the 14th and 28th of July, and the crop yielded 2205 pounds of very fine wheat. EXPERIMENT, No. VI. VHIS field was reaped in 1752, and immediately formed into beds, with a defign to fow it that fame year. I could not ex- pect that land in fo bad tilth could produce much. All I aimed at in what was then done, was to form it into beds a year the fooner. It contained 1928 toifes, and was fowed with 45 pounds of wheat, which yielded 724 pounds. EXPERIMENT, No. VII. ' Y defire to practife the new hufbandry upon all my lands, as foon as pofiible, made me plow another field, which had likewiie been reaped in 1752. I could however lay only a part cf it out in beds: the reft was fowed in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough. This field could have but one plowing : nor could that be completed, tho' feveral ploughs were employed, till the 15th, 17th, and 1 8th of November. The earth was fo moift, that it divided only into large clods. However, I fowed it foon after plowing, not expecting a great crop*. The extent of this field is about 8213 toifes. It was fowed with 412 pounds of wheat, of which only a fmall part rofe before winter. The number of plants increafed greatly in the fpring : they could not branch fo much 3s thofe of the foregoing experi- ments, and the grain beginning to look a little fhrivelled, I cut it down the 21ft, 23d, and 24th of July. Though this wheat had iufr'ered the fame accidents as the other, yet it yielded 2646 pounds-f-. ARTICLE III. Experiments made on lands laid out in beds, and of which the jirjl crop •was reaped in 1 7 53. Reflections on tbefe experiments. ' N our journal of 1752, we mentioned a perfon's having fowed at leaft twenty three arpents in beds. Though thefe experiments did * If, fays Mr. Duhamel, Mr. De Chateau-vieux had continued to plow his lands in order to fow them with fpring wheat, he would have begun the new hufbandry with a crop almoft as good as that of winter wheat. t We fee, from this experiment, that a diminution of tillage greatly leflens the crop. ilOt I Chap: II. BY M. DE C H A T E AU- V I E U X. 175 not anfwer well, we have thought proper to mention them, in order to fhew the caufes to which their want of fuccefs ought to be im- puted. They will ferve to inflrucl: us in Come practices which are more neceffary than might otherwife be imagined, and fix our atten- tion to circumftances which ought not to be neglected by any one who defires to make the mod of his ground. EXPERIMENT, No. VIII. 'TPHESE twenty-three arpents were laid out in beds about fix feet -^ wide. The foil is fbrong, and apt to grow very hard. Three rows were fown in each bed. Only 460 pounds of wheat were ufed to fow this field, which yielded but 3150 pounds of very clean grain. This is a very fmall crop. Let us fee what it was owing to. 1 . This land was very badly plowed : it could only be divided into great clods, incapable of fupplying the wants of the plants, and of letting them imbibe the nourishment neceffary for their growth. That the bad ftate of the land was the chief caufe of the fmuttinefs of this crop, appears from this ; that the mould in fome fmall parts of the fame field being better divided, the wheat, in thofe places, was finer, branched tolerably well, and produced a greater number of flourifhing plants. 2. This field was fowed too late, viz. not till the lafl week in No- vember. Only part of the feeds fprung up before winter. Thefe plants not rifing in a good feafon, could not make the progrefs that might otherwife have been expected. 3. Too little feed was fowed. It was the more neceffary to fow a larger quantity, as in lands badly prepared, numbers of grains cannot fhoot at all, and many of thofe that do fhoot, are fo buried under the great clods, that they are not able to rife. This field was therefore not fufficiently flocked with plants. Laflly,'the hail we mentioned before, greatly diminifhed the crop*; which, independent of that accident, would not have been plentiful. The owner of this field, after remarking the bad confequences we have been fpeaking of, arifing from the defect of culture, has endea- voured to remedy them, by giving, after harveft, feveral plowings, which have broken and divided the earth more thoroughly, and pre- pared the beds for being fowed in good time : the quantity of feed has * It is thought to have deftroyed above half of it. like wife 176 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. likewife been increafed ; the plants haye had time to get ftrength be- fore winter, and their prefent ftate promifes that the next crop will be better. Far from being difcouraged by the bad fuccefs of a firft trial, the perfon we are fpeaking of, convinced of the excellence of the new hufbandry, is but the more refolved to purfue it. He juftly afcribes the fcantinefs of this crop not to any defect in the principles of the new huibandry, but folely to its having been badly executed the firft year. He foon perceived that thefe- faults might eafily be remedied, the fecond year ; and therefore has not only continued to cultivate and fow the fame field, but has likewife fowed at leaft twenty 2rpents more made into beds, which have been much better plowed than thofe of laft year : every circumftance of the new culture has been duly attended to, and the corn, even now, promifes a more plentiful return. EXPERIMENT, No. IX. CM ALL experiments have led me on to much greater. As thofe *-* fmall ones are neceffary at firft, not only to create a confidence in the new hufbandry, but likewife to accuftom people to the practices which it requires, I fhall relate one of this kind, made by a perfon who has adopted the new huibandry from principle, and who is every way qualified to inftruct us, and to execute well what he lias once conceived to be right. A piece of ground, 45 toifes long, and four toifes three feet wide, was made into fix beds, to be fowed with only two rows. This fpot could not be prepared till the firft week in September, nor fowed till the 24th of October. The earth was very dry, and the wheat rofe unequally, and made little progrefs before winter. By a negligence in the firft hoeing, almoft entire rows of the plants were torn up. In proportion to what was reaped, this little fpot yielded 180 pounds of very fine wheat. A meafure of oats which was fowed in beds in a proper feafon, yielded an hundred and twelve meafures. Encouraged by this fuccefs, the fame perfon intends to pradtife the new hufbandry in a larger way. He has. already formedabout eight arpents into beds, which are now fown : and he will continue in 1755, and the following years, to lay out ten arpents a" year in beds, till he has difpofed all his lands in that manner. ' Another thing intended by this experiment, was, to know whether two rows would not produce a larger crop, in proportion^ than three. The Chap. II. BY M. DE C HATE AU- VIE U X. 177 The fitCcefs of this promifes very fair ; but it will be right to continue trying it, and likewife to fee what multiplying the rows will do. We fhall fpeak of thjs hereafter, in order to determine, by real products, what number of rows will belt fuit this hufbandry. ARTICLE IV. Experiments tnade on fields faced in equally diftant rcivs with the drill- plough, by feverai lovers of agriculture. EXPERIMENT, No. X. HP H I S, and the following experiment, were made by the fame -*■ perfon who made the feventh, mentioned in our journal of 1752, the refult of which encouraged him to proceed to large ones, and to prove the advantages of this hufbandry, by new examples. To be the more exact in thefe experiments, he refolved to try the old and the new hufbandry in the fame field. For this purpofe he chofe a field, the foil of which is reckoned equally good in every part. The whole extent is 6727 toifes and 18 feet. Of this, 3502 toifes j8 feet were deftined to be fown in the old way, and 3225 toifes to be fown in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough. The whole field was equally plowed and dunged, and fowed the fame day, viz. the 1 9th of September, with the fame wheat. In fhort, there was no other difference than in the quantity of feed, and the manner of fowing it. The part of this field which was fowed in the old way took up 698 pounds 10 ounces of wheat, which produced 2979 pounds of very fine grain. This is about four and a quarter for one. The other part of the field was fowed with the drill-plough, with 243 pounds, which yielded 3 1^7 pounds two ounces of very fine large grain'd wheat. The proportion here is as thirteen to one. We find in favour of the drill-plough ; firft, that though the fur- face of this ground was 277 toifes 18 feet lefs than that of the other, yet it produced 208 pounds two ounces of wheat, more than the other: and fecondly, that, deducting the feed of each crop, this neat produce is ftill more confiderable, as appears by the following account. Produce of the part fowed in the common way , r. 2969 lb. To be dedufted for the feed . . \ 698 lb. Remains ; - s 22711b. A a Produce i7S EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, PartlP. lb. m Produce of the part fowed with the drill-plough 2l%7 2 To be deducted for the feed . . . 243 Remains . . . 2944 2 Which is 663 pounds two ounces more than the produce of the old hufbandry. All the field was fomewhat damaged by the hail of the 3d of June, which lefTened both the crops a little. EXPERIMENT, No. XI. ANOTHER field, the foil of which is better than that of the former, having been well plowed, was fowed in equally diftant rows, with the drill-plough, the tenth of Odtober. It contains 2172 toifes and 16 feet, was not dunged, and was fowed with 121 pounds tight ounces of wheat, which yielded 2979 pounds of very fine clean corn ; which is 24 for I. This return is very confiderable, and greatly furpaffes that of the foregoing experiment. It fhould be remembered, that the furface of this field is lefs. 'Tis true it received no damage from the hail. EXPERIMENT, No. XII. WE mentioned in the journal of 1752, a perfon's having fown about 125 arpents in equally diftant rows, with the drill- plough ; and we obferved, that a great part of the ground could not be well plowed, and that the whole of it could not be fowed till November and December. Thefe two circumftances gave no room to hope for much fuccefs. About 40 arpents, which were the laft fowed, were dunged : but thefe yielded the leaft crop of any. This great extent of ground was fowed with 993.2 pounds of wheat. To have fown it all in the common way, would have required 29524 pounds of wheat. Confequently here is a faving of 19592 pounds of wheat, in the feed. The foii of thefe fields being of different qualities, their produce was proportioned theFeto, varying from exceeding good to very bad. The 125 arpents yielded in all 86058 pounds of wheat. The crop Chap. II. BYM. DECHATEAU-VIEUX. i79 crop would have been more confiderable, if about 30 arpents had not been greatly damaged by the hail. The lofs it occafioned, fhews plainly the great probability of having larger returns in other years, when we become more perfect in the practice of the new hufbandry, to the want of which the bad fuccefs of this firft trial has certainly been owing in a great meafure. All the lands of this farm are now fowed again with the drill-plough. They confift of about 160 ar- pents, and afford a pleafing profpect for the enfuing harveft. EXPERIMENT. No. XIII. A Field of three arpents and a half, was fowed in the middle of October with 243 pounds of wheat. It ufed generally to re- quire about 850 pounds. It yielded 2268 pounds. This, adds the perfon who has fent me this account, is as much as I have had from any other field fowed in the old way. EXPERIMENT. No. XIV. /TpHE fame perfon who made the foregoing experiment, fowed ■*- another field of about four arpents, of a poorer and colder foil, towards the middle of November, with 333 pounds of wheat. In the old way, it ufed to be fowed with 972 pounds. It yielded 1260 pounds. The corn in this field remained thin. It did not branch fo well as that of the former. The perfon who fends me this ac- count of thefe two experiments, adds : " It muft be obferved, that " the drought, as well of the autumn as of the fpring, was un- " favourable, efpecially to the late fown wheat. Thefe experiments vlaa The difference, in favour of the new culture, is ) ,, therefore j 3 37 Befides the advantage of reaping a much greater quantity of corn, there are others which highly merit our attention. This corn is not mixed with any feeds of weeds, and its quality is greatly improved by the abundance of nourishment which the plants are fupplied with by the frequent ftirrings of the earth in this hufbandry, more than in the old. But how fine a profpect dees the propofition which we advanced before, afford us yet beyond all this ! viz. " That the crops of the " fecond and following years, would be ftill more plentiful than " the firft." What fome might then think only an object of hope and fpeculation, is already realized, and proved by experiments. All this deferves the mod ferious attention. The new hufbandry will certainly, in time, acquire a fuperiority over the old, greater than we can now imagine. ARTICLE VI. Proofs that the beji field in the country, tho' the greateji part of it was dunged, yielded lefs wheat than thofe of the experiments No. II. and XI, in which no dung was ufed. TH E proofs of the advantages of the new hufbandry, cannot be multiplied too much ; and all thofe which are the refult of experience, deferve to be communicated to the public. The field we are going to fpeak of, is generally, and juftly, reckoned Chap. II. BY M. DE C H ATE A U - VI EUX. 183 reckoned the beft in the country. Its foil is excellent, very deep, and extremely fertile. This field is dunged very often, Its nearnefs to the farm-yards renders the carriage of manure extremely eafy, and is the caufe of its getting perhaps more of it than may be neceflary. Its fituation too is excellent, riling on all fides above the neighbour- ing grounds, and the high- ways which furround it ; by which mean9 it is lefs expofed to be hurt by wet, the water finding an eafy drain from off it. The extent of this field is 6087 toifes. It was fowed in 1 752, for the harveft of 1753, and the greateft part of it was well dunged. It is not the cuftom of the country I am fpeaking of, to defcribe the extent of a field by the number of arpents it contains, but by the number of meafures of wheat with which it is fowed. Eight mea- fures ufed generally to be employed to fow this : but the quantity of feed was lefTened this laft time, and only feven meafures were fown. We have hitherto fuppofed the furface of this field to be equal to that of the other fields of the fame country, in which eight meafures of feed are fowed. But as I was defirous to be more precifely exact, in order to form the companion I purpofed making, I had recourfe to the geometri- cal plans of the lands, and found the contents of this field to be, as I faid before, 6087 toifes : now, the cuftom of this village is always to fow at leaft eleven meafures in a fpace like this. One field, a- mong others, very near to this, and which is but 24 toifes and 32 feet larger, has always been fowed with twelve meafures. A new caufe of the fruitfulnefs of this field, unknown before my obfervations, is, that the farmer wifely took care to fow it with a lefs quantity of feed. The plants throve better, when the land was not over-ftocked with them. This field will therefore help to prove the truth of one of the firft principles of the new hufbandry, viz. That the quantity of feed generally ufed, ought to be diminijked : a pro- position which defer ves our entire confidence, becaufe the feed here has, time out of mind, been reduced to eight meafures, and they have been fufTicient to produce very plentiful crops. The farther re- duction made in 1752, to feven meafures, muft alfo be approved of, fince the crop it yielded was very fine. Thefe preliminary obfervations feemed neceflary, before we pro- ceeded in our detail. This field was fowed with about 150 pounds of wheat. It was finer during the whole fummer, than any wheat in the common way. It was reaped at a proper time, and yielded about i34 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT Partll. about 6646 pounds ; from which mud be deducted, firft, the 850 pounds of feed, and fecondly, the value of the dung, which is equal at leaft to 1260 pounds of wheat; together 2110 pounds; which, deducted from 6646 pounds, the total produce, leaves for the neat produce 4536 pounds. The crop of 1753 was diminished by the hail of the third of June. The value of this lofs is not known : but we may fairly compare it with the experiment, "No. 2. which likewife fuffcred by the fame hail. We confefs that this comparifon is not abfolutely ex- act, writh refpect to this accident : but it muft alfo be granted that this circumftance cannot occafion any very great error. We muft likewife premife, that we fhall not reckon the produce of a fmall fpot which is pretty commonly fowed in March in the year of fal- low, becaufe it hardly equals the expence of dung and plowing. The neat produce of the experiment No. 1 1, on a field fowed in equally diftant rows, was 2857 pounds 8 ounces. But the extent of that field being but 2172 toifes, we muft calculate what the crop would have been in proportion, if that extent had been 6087 toifes, fuppofing it cf the fame quality. We fhall find that the field on which our experiment was made, would have produced neat 8006 pounds of wheat: deducting from which, 4536 pounds, for the neat produce of the field cultivated in the old way, the difference in favour of the new culture, without dung, will be 3470 pounds of wheat. We have feen by the experiment No. 2, that this field laid out in beds, and having borne its fecond crop, yielded neat 1540 pounds of wheat. Its extent is but 1650 toifes ; fo that we are to fee what crop it would have yielded if its extent had been 6087 toifes, fup- pofing the quality of the foil to be the fame. The rule of three fhews us again, that its neat produce would have been 5681 pounds of wheat, which we are to double for the amount of the next year's crop ; every year yielding a crop in the new hufbandry : whereas the field it is compared with, would lie fallow this year. Thus two years will yield j 1362 pounds of wheat; from which deducting 4536 pounds for the neat produce of the fame field cultivated in the old way during the fame fpace of time, the difference will be 6826 pounds of wheat, in favour of the new hufbandry. A R- Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU.VIEUX. 185 ARTICLE VII. Reflexions and obfervations on the p?-a5iice of the new hufbandry. TH E chief object of our reflections Iaft year was, the effect which plowjng and culture has upon plants. They feem to us to be confirmed by the following obfervations. 1. The productions were greateft in thofe places where the earth had been moil: Ioofened and brought to the fineft tilth. 2. We have feen plainly that in order to improve our tillage, it is neceflary to make the great furrow in the middle of the alleys very deep, becaufe that furrow being afterwards filled up, and a new bed made over it, there is a greater depth of light well Ioofened mould immediately under the roots of the plants. 3. We can affirm, that we have this year, without much trou- ble, plowed our beds from fifteen to eighteen inches deep, which is very confiderable : but we muft not flatter ourfelves, that this depth can always be attained the firfl: year : it is by continuing this fame culture that we (hall infenfibly reach it. 4. To have great fuccefs, requires proper care and judgment in performing every part of the new hufbandry. The culture which is well executed, will be of very great ufe ; but that, on the con- trary, which is badly done, will be of no fervice to the plants, and may even prove very detrimental to the next year's crop. 5. To perform this culture with advantage, it is therefore necef- fary to obferve this important maxim of tillage, fo little attended to by many farmers, never to Jet the plough to work, when the earth is too moifl. I have adhered to it ftrictly, and have never fuffered my lands to be touched till they were dry. We have tilled when the weather has been very dry and very hot, and then it was that our culture had the beft effect : the fliffeft lands having been broken by the preceding plowings, was provided with the mcilrure neceflaiy for plants, from its furface to the bottom of the furrows j and the plants were fenfibly benefited by all our frequent fhrrings. 6. I was fo ftruck with it, that I marked feveral (talks, to fee how much they grew each day. From the time that the ears began to appear, till they had done bloflbming, I found that they grew an inch in four and twenty hours. The hotteft days were thofe in which the (talks grew moft ; whilft all vegetation feemed almofl fufpended in the wheat in the common way. B b 7. This 1 86 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, PartIL 7. This obfervation led me to another. I was greatly furprifed one day to find my ftalks jufl as I had left them the day before. The next day, and the day after, I found them ftill the fame : m fhort, they grew no longer from that time. So fudden a change raifed my curiofity greatly, and I refolved to find out the caufe of it. The time when they ceafed to grow, was immediately after they had done blofioming. I judged that from that time all the fap was conveyed to the ear to form the grains of the wheat, and that the reft of the plant had only what was necef- fary to prevent its drying too foon. This difpenfation of the nutri- tive juices feemed to me very remarkable : all their forces feem then to unite, to form, fill, and ripen the grain, which is the moft ufeful part. I was afterwards confirmed in this, by obferving that it was from that very time that the ftalks and blades began infenfibly to lofe their deep green colour, and that this green grew lighter and lighter every day : a fure fign of a diminution of fap in thofe parts. 8. It is likewife of very great importance to know which is the moft proper time for fowing lands : for the growth of plants depends greatly on this circumftance. Late fowings have not anfwered : but the early ones have produced plants, whofe vigour has enabled them, the better to refift the winter's cold, and to branch out the more a- bundantly. By attending to this circumftance, the farmer will en- joy the defirable advantage of having his corn ripen early, and of its being lefs expofed to the dangers of the fummer feafon ; for we have feen that the wheat which was fowed firft in the new method, ripe- ned thoroughly as foon as that which was fowed in the old way. It is proper to know this, in order to be fenfible of the neceffity of beginning to plow early, that the feed may be fowed in due time. 9. I muft beg leave to make a few reflections again this year on the quantity of feed moft proper to be fown. It is of the utmoft importance to know how to proportion the quantity of the feed to the ftrength and richnefs of the foil, fo that each may have its due proportion. The experiments already made, help to direct us ; but I think others ftill neceflary before we can truft abfolutely to our knowledge in this point. At prefent, 1 fhall only advife fowing the fame quantity of feed that I did in 1752. I fancy that proportion will not differ greatly from what a longer practice will fhew to be the beft. However, the lame quantity of feed will not do for every foil. It muft be va- ried with judgment, and regulated according to the circumftances of j the Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 187 the feafon, and the better or worfe condition of the ground. I think too, that in the firft, and even the fecond year of the trials which may be made, it will be proper to fow a little thicker than I did in 1752. The farmer will eafily perceive, that when his lands are well loofened and brought to a good tilth, they will require \kfs feed : but till then, he will do well not to be over-fparing of ir. 10. We cannot yet determine fo exactly as we could wifh, what breadth the beds, including the alleys, fbould be of, to make the ground produce the greateft: quantity of corn ; nor whether it would be beft to fow more or lefs than three rows. We confefs that we fhould be glad to fee a longer feries of accurate experiments, and to have a greater knowledge of this matter, before we pretend to fix it. Our beds have always been about fix feet wide. Mr. Duhamel, who firft: introduced this new hufbandry in France, intends to make experiments by fowing only two rows. If they fhould yield more grain, the width of the beds may certainly be di- minished : and as it is of confequence to multiply and vary experi- ments, in order to determine this point, we now have feveral beds fowed, fome in two, and fome in three rows. I have likewife tried what multiplying the number of rows in fome fields would do ; and the refult of this experiment promifes an advantage in that way of fowing. The fuccefs of this firfi: trial was as follows. When the field of the experiment No. 2, was fowed, I obferved among the reft: ten beds which the plowman had made wider than the others. I was forry at firfi:, that any part of the ground lhould be loft: : but on thinking farther of it, I determined to fow thofe beds with two turns of the drill-plough, and confequently to plant them with fix rows of wheat. I did fo : and when the firft: plow- ing after winter was given, little regard was paid to the two out- fide rows, which were torn up by the plough in feveral parts, fo that there remained but four or five rows in thofe places. The wheat of thefe beds grew as high and branched as much as that of the others, in which there were but three rows, not except- ing even the middle row. I examined them frequently, with great care, and was afiifted therein by feveral perfons very capable of judging and making good obfervations. The only difference we could diftinguifti, and that was fcarcely perceptible, was in the ears, which we thought rather the fhorteft: in the middle rows : but as there was a greater quantity of them, we judged that thefe beds would yield moil grain. B b 2 We jSS EXPERIMENTS' ON WHEAT, PartIL We were not miftaken • for their produce was as follows. The ten beds which had been fowed with fix rows each, yielded 91 pounds of wheat more than ten beds which were fowed with three rows each. But, as this refult does not £et the matter in a fuffici- ently clear light, we mufr. have recourfe to the following calcula- tion. The fix row'd beds took up more ground than thofe which had but three rows : two beds more might have been made out of the iurplus of their breadth : fo that there would in that cafe have been 12 beds inffead of 10. The queftion therefore is, whether this ground, made into 10 beds, produced more than it would have done if it had been made into 12 beds of three rows each. To which I anfwer, that it did produce 38 pounds more • and that there was. likewife a feventh part more ftraw.. r As this experiment defcrved to be repeated, I have tried it in a larger way. I have laid feveral arpents out in beds of about feveix feet wide : they are fowed with fix rows: the plants are very fine, and I impatiently wait the event. Though I have continued not to dung my fields, the plants ftilL grow very tall, and produce fine long ears, well filled with plump grain-. I am indebted to the new husbandry for the recovery and im- provement of worn-out meadows. They have already yielded me plenty of fodder. The value of this fhould be added to the pro- duce of the fields • becaufe the new hufbandry is the immediate caufe that manure can be fpared to enrich thofe meadows. ARTICLE VITf. General difpofuion of the lands for the crop of 1754; THE more I have ftudied the principles of the new hufban-f dry, the more I have been convinced of the advantages at- tending it. My experiments have not onJy confirmed me in this opi- nion • bat they have likewife fhewed me that my practice has been confluent with thefe principles. This made me determine to lay* the whole of one of my farms out in the new way, as foon as pof- fih'.y I could • its extent being no more than I can direct almoft all the whole culture of mvfelf. I have completed it this year. All the fields, of which only half II fed to be fowed every year, in our old way, are now laid out in beds. I have fowed them all, with a defign to continue doing lb for. Chap. If. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 189 for the future every year. They look exceeding well hitherto : the plants are extremely fine, and promife a greater crop next year, than that of the experiments of the foregoing years. Thefe experiments have likewiie made a ftrong impreruon on feveral perfons in this country, each of whom judged of the new hufbandry,. as his inclination, or profped: of advantage, directed. 'Tis true our farmers are more generally inclined to fow their lands in equally diftant rows, with the drill-plough, than to lay them out in beds, the proper manigement of which, fay they, is attended with much more care and trouble. My drill -plough is preferred on ac- count of its fimplicity. It began to be ufed lad: year, and numbers of fields near this city (Geneva) have been fowed with it this year. Several ©f our peafants have likewife. tried the drill-plough, and their example will be of confequence hereafter. Their unwilling- nefs to come into any new practice, is well known : but this feems to get the better of their prejudices ; and the profpect they now have of greater crops than ufual, makes them regret their not having fowed a greater extent of ground this way. We have about an hundred and twenty afrpents fowed in beds, and upwards of eight hundred and fifty fowed in equally diftant rows. Such large experiments, and made on different foils, cannot but afford new inftrudtion : the facts will be better afcertained, and people will be more thoroughly convinced that the greater produce of the crops is owing to the new hufbandry, and not to favourable circum- ftances, to which they are too apt to impute it. Thefe experi- ments, fay they, have been made on the very beft foils; it is much easier to prepare 100 or 200 toifes of ground, then an extent of fe- veral arpents ; thefe little fpots have been cultivated with vaft care -x it is almoft impofhble to beftow the fame attention on large tracts of land. Luckily, feveral lovers of agriculture are making large ex- periments, which already prove that the new hufbandry may eafily be.- pradtifed in any extent of ground whatever^ CONCLUSION. AN Y'one may now judge, by the experiments which' have been; made thefe laft four years, and by the fuccefs which has at- tended them, how far the principles of the new hufbandry are juftly founded, and how far we are in the right road to give ftill farther demonftrations of: the excellence. of: them.. TJic joo EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. The lands on which it has already been practifed, leave no room to doubt that all its operations may be performed with eai'e : and. at the lame time they prove to every one who fha!l be inclined to' cultivate any part of their farms in the fame way, that they may do it with equal advantage. Convenient inftruments for executing this culture are already in- vented and made. The ufe that has been, and ftill is made of them, ought to increafe our confidence in them. It is by their means that the two moft effential articles towards fccuring fuccefs, are obtained : the firft is, the means of forming, plowing, and cultivating the beds, with great eafe and little expence : the fecond, that of fowing land more regularly, and of giving it the exact, quantity of feed that may be thought moft proper, by means of the drill-plough, which buries the feed at its proper depth in the furrows, covers it over, and, in fhort, does the whole buiinefs of fowing with great difpatch, and a considerable faving of feed. The chief obftacles being now removed, we may reafonablv hope that the new hufbandry will gain ground every year. Numbers of in- telligent peribns, truly zealous for the public good, have feen how my lands were cultivated, and have been curious enough to be prefent at all the operations of this culture. They have frequently told me, that the public have not a right notion either of the new huibandry in general, or of the eafe with which it is performed. They themfelves have wondered at it, and prelTed me to publifh a circumftantial ac- count of the manner in which I have introduced this new method in our-country, that they too might inftruct their countrymen therein. I have yielded to their follicitations ; and fhall continue to communi- cate my farther obfervations in this fourth year of my practice of the new hufbandry. SECTION IV. Experiments made by M. Lullin de Chateau-vieux, in the year 1754. MY experiments in the year 1754, will afford a frefh proof of what I faid in my accounts of thofe of the preceding years, •viz. that land, by continuing to be cultivated in the new way, will be- come more fertile, and produce greater crops even the fecond or third year j becaufe the earth wiH then be in a loofer ftate, which is highly iieceffary to procure plentiful productions. This proof ought to be received with fo much the more confidence, as Chap.IL BY M. DE CHAT E AU-V I E U X. 191 as the feafons of the year 1754 were not favourable to the production of corn. It was an extremely dry year ; the earth had not the degree of moifture which is neccffary to promote the growth of plants ; the wheat was in general very thin and low, and numbers of farmers did not reap above half the crop the fame lands had yielded them in 1752« The wheat fuffered great accidents early ; for it was rujled in Oc- tober and November. Till then, it was very ftrong, and promifed well ; but afterwards, it turned yellow on a fudden; The nift made a great progrefs. I met with places where the ground was entirely covered with the powder of this diftemper. The vegetation of the plants before winter, was from that time nearly at a ftand. They were likewife hurt, and perhaps ftill more, by the frofts which began again in March, and lafted till the 20th of that month. Thefe frofts rooted up prodigious numbers of plants of the wheat fowed in the common way, which withered in a few days. Some fields fuffered fo much by this accident, that they were obliged to be plowed anew, and fowed again with oats or other fpring corn. To fhew the refult of my experiments the more diftinctly ; I fhall range them in the following order. The firft article will contain an account of three experiments made on lands laid out m beds, and which have born a third and a fourth fucceffive crop ; to which I fhall add fome remarks particularly re- lating thereto. In the fecond. article, I fhall relate four experiments which I made on lands formed into beds, which had born a fecond crop. Thefe too will be accompanied with fome reflections. The third article will give an account of three experiments made on lands formed into beds, which have born a firft crop ; and of the manner in which I tilled them, in order to prepare them for fowing. This will give rife to feveral remarks. The fourth article will inform 'the public of fome other experi- ments made on lands laid out in beds, which have yielded a firft and fecond crop. This will be followed by fome interefting obfer- vations. In the fifth article, I (hall relate feveral experiments made by divers lovers of agriculture, on lands fowed in equally daftant rows with the drill-plough. The fixth article will contain an account of the produce of feveral fields fowed in equally diftant rows, with the drill-plough. 1$. ,1.92 - '-EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT. Part II, In the feventb, I fhall make fome general obfervations on the ex- periments contained in the foregoing articles. I (hall fpeak in the eighth article, of the experiments I have made on beds fowed with fix rows of wheat; and compare their produce with that of others, fowed with only three rows. The refult of this, will enable us to judge how many rows it may be bed to fow. In the ninth article, I give a circufnftantial detail of an experiment which I made in order to be moj'e fure of the bejl way of [owing the beds; and to be able to determine more exactly what quantity of feed is raoft likely to produce the greateft crop. Before I enter upon either of thefe fubjects, it will be proper to obferve, that I have ufed no dung, or any fort of manure, for my fields or beds; purpofely to be the more certain of the effects of this new culture, and to fee what land could do by mere dint of ftirring it. My dung has been laid, as ufual, upon my grafs lands, where it .continues to be of wonderful advantage. I (hail ufe the fame weights and meafures as in my former experi- ments, viz. the toife of thirty-fix feet, and the pound of 1 6 ounces. ARTICLE I. Experiments made en lands formed into beds, which have yielded a third and a fourth fucce (jive crop: with fome obfervaiions particularly relating thereto. EXPERIMENT, No. I. N B. 'This field is marked with the fame number in the journals cf 175 1, 1752, and 1753 ; and in the fame [pot on which I made my fir ft experiments in 1751. This is the fourth fuccefjive crop. np H E fmall fpot of ground on which I made the experiment I am ■*■ going to fpeak of, being only a fingle bed, 160 feet long and five feet wide, would not deferve to be taken notice of in this account, were it not for a circumftance extremely remarkable, and the more worthy of attention, as the fuccefs it was attended with, affords an unexpected and indifputable proof of the fruitfu'nefs which may be expected from lands cultivated in the new way. If farmers will but continue it to the third or fourth year, they will then be fure of hav- ing their lands in excellent tilth, well loofened and divided, and its pores properly opened and exceedingly multiplied. That this will % be Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 193 be the cafe, cannot be doubted. Yet fome may perhaps be weary of cultivating their lands for fo long a time, before they attain that per- fection ofculture, which we have all along declared to be neceffary, in order to have great fuccefs. To prevent the dilguft which might arife from fo diftant an ex- pectation, and to encourage the lovers of the new hufbandry, I (halt obferve, in the fir ft place, that there are, in every country, confider- able tracts of good land, which will not require fo long a time to bring them into proper tilth. I am, however, fenfible how fervice- able it would be towards haftening the progrefs of the new culture, in lands of an inferior quality, to be able to find out fome fhorter way of breaking and loofening the earth : and accordingly I have tried whether it cannot be done. I have fucceeded therein, fully to my fatisfaction, and can now fay with certainty, that lands may be brought to a fufficiently loofe ftate, even the firft year, by plowing them in the manner I {hall ex- plain in the third article, experiments 8, 9, and 10, the crops of which were very good. The moft certain, and moft inconteftable principle of the new huf- bandry, is that the earth muft be thoroughly loofened by deep and frequent plowings and repeated culture. In confequence of this, I examined very carefully whether my lands were more loofened and rendered lighter by my manner of performing the operations of the new huf- bandry, than they were when cultivated in the common way. All my obfervations convinced me that they were. The firft glance of the eye {hewed me, that the furface of my lands was fmoother : on founding the plowings, I found them deeper ; lefs ftrength was required to plow : two horfes, and fome- times only one, or a fingle ox, did with eafe, what would otherwife have required at leaft double that number of cattle. A manifeft proof that my lands were in excellent tilth. If, after having thus examined the lands themfelves, I confidered their productions, I had a frefli proof of their being brought to that ftate of pulverifation, in which alone plants can thrive well. My wheat was infinitely ftronger than that in the common way ; and, on examining it minutely, I found that each plant had a greater quantity of roots, ftronger, thicker, and much longer, than other wheat, and that the blades were broader and longer, and of a much deeper green. The plants had generally a great number of very thick and C c long ,i94 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. long ftalks, which were crowned with large ears quite full of grain, and much heavier than thofe of the common wheat. All thefe obfervations were fufficient to convince me, that my lands were in the fhte I wifhed them to be ; that is to fav, that they were lpofened and divided fo as to be capable of yielding great productions. It was therefore lefs to fatisfy myfelf, than to give the public a farther proof of the excellence of the new hufbancry, that I made the experiment I am going to relate. It is an interefting one in t refpect ; and I make no doubt but that it will induce many others to make the like trial. I can affure them that they will find it well worth their while. The harveft of 1755 being over, I immediately fet about plowing my fields, and forming the new beds which were to be fowed. The year was a very dry one. I ul'ed frequently to walk, both over the beds that had juft been reaped, and over the fields cultivated in the common wav, where the corn had likewife been lately cut down. The firft thing that ftruck me in thefe walks, was, the difference which I found in the ftubble. That of the fields cultivated in the common way was fo poor and weak, that it fc - .fed the motion of my feet. That of the beds, on the contrary, refilled greatly : I often felt it break under my feer, and frequently met with tufts of 20, 30, 40, and fometimes more ilalk;, me fhert, like fo many little bufhea, I am the more particular in my account c. ble, becaufe it fhews the great ftrength cf the plants ; which they would not I had if the earth had been lei's well prepared. Befides, rn has its real ufe, as I ihall mew elfewhere. I: is a much better manure for land than the common fhtbh This obfervation led me to examine carefully what other differences I could find between the fields cultivated either way. The meft im- portant is, the ftate of compreffion which thofe in the - . way were in after harveft. They offered nothing pleafing or ry t j the eye ; the earth was extremely hard, clofe and compadt j and its furface almoft as firm as that of a beaten road. The fields in the new way, prepared by better plowirgs made at proper feafons, were, on the contrary, ftill very light and fbft in the middle of the beds, in the partitions between the rows of fiubbie. The earth gave way like fand, when trod upon ; and t vas very dry, I thruft a flick of green willow eight or ten inches deep into ■ Chap. II. BYM.DECHATEA U- V I E U X. 1 9 j into it, With great eafe, though I could not by any means pufh it at all into the land which had been cultivated in the common way. This plainly fhews the better ftate of the former. Laftly, I compared thefe. fields with thofe that were in fallow, which had been plowed, and were intended to be fowed in autumn. I found the tops of the late reaped beds, in much better condition than the common fields which were under fallow. This made me immediately conclude, that thefe very beds might be fowed again with fuccefs, in the fame places where the corn grew the year before, •without plowing them. I thought, however, that if this experiment did fucceed, it would be owing in fome meafure to the culture of the alleys, and that this would fully prove the ufe which they are of. This was another rea- fon for my trying this experiment. It appears by this, that my chief defign was to try whether the fame ground could be fowed, in the fame place, two years running without plowing ; and to fee how ftrong the plants would, in that cafe, be at harveft. I was confequently to avoid, in fowing it, every thing that might fuppfy the want of plowing, and to fur only juft fo much earth as was abfolutely neceffary to bury the feed. This confideration pre- vented my making ufe of the drill-plough, the fhare and harrow of which divide and loofen the earth perfectly well, as deep as the feed is planted. All I did to this bed, was, barely to pull up the ftubble, and afterwards draw a line with a ftick, as if it had been for fowing lettice. The feed was dropt by hand into three of thefe channels which were afterwards covered over with a rake. The birds had done great damage to the wheat I fowed the year before in this ground. To avoid this accident now, I fowed a kind of corn called /pelt, which is ufed in many places inftead of wheat. The Germans cultivate it greatly. The fpek which I -fowed- is of a fomewhat different kind. The grain of both forts, is inclofed in double hufks, very thick, and of which the outer one does not open eafily, fo that the birds cannot pick out the grains. I fowed this bed very thick, concluding that the plants wculd not branch much. And I fowed it early, viz. the nineteenth of Jul v, be- caufe this grain remains a whole year in the ground, from the time of lowing, till it is ripe. I ufed in all eleven ounces of feed, which C c 2 ' foon ,96 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. foon fprung up, and the plants made very ftrong moots ; but I thought them too thick. As this ground had not been plowed, I thought it was proper to affift the plants other wife as early as I could. I had them weeded the twenty-fecond of Auguft. Thefe plants grew fo extremely thick, that their blades covered the ground four feet round, before winter, in fuch manner that the earth could not even be feen through them. The rows were from a foot to a foot and an half high, and the whole had already fpindled, which made me forry I had fowed (o early ; fearing left plants i'o forward before winter, as thefe were, fhould be killed by the froft ; and, in order to fecure fome refource in cafe that fhould happen, I ordered part of the bed to.be mowed the fixth of November, but did not touch the reft. I muft here obferve by the way, that the part which ivas m&wed. had fcweft Jfalks at ha?-veft. At the fame time I gave the alleys their firft plowing before winter. Upon opening a furrow near the rows, I faw fo prodigious a quantity of long roots, interwoven as it were with one another, that I continued to hope well of the fuccefs. Seeing, however, fo many roots uncovered and expofed to the air and froft, I was tempted to fill the furrows up again, in order to pre- ferve them from it : but, confidering that, by leaving the furrows open, the part of the bed in which the plants were, and which had not been plowed, would be much more expofed to the froft, which would then penetrate the earth through its furface, and through both fides of the furrows, whereby it would be greatly divided, and per- haps meliorated more than by plowing, I preferred leaving the fur- rows open, and have had no caufe to repent it. I confidered too, that fuppofing thefe roots expofed to the air fhould perifh, which was no more than what I might reafonably expect ; the plants had other roots on t'other fide, which, ftill remaining co- vered with earth, would be fufficient to fupply them with the necef- fary nourifhment till fpring. After winter, the plowings were performed in proper weather, and the bed was weeded. I fhall not repeat the detail of thefe operations, either here or in the following experiments. What I faid of them in the year 1753, may fuffke, as they have not been varied fince. The plants I have been fpeaking of, grew amazingly in thicknefs, height, and largenefs of ears. They were reaped the twenty-fifth of July, and yielded five hundred and forty ounces ; which is forty- nine Chap.II. BY M. DE CH ATE A U- V IEUX. 197 nine times the feed, and an ounce over. The birds did no damage at all. This is after the rate of 2041 pounds, or about 93 bufhels to an arpent, which is a very great crop. This experiment amounts to a complete demonftration of the fu- periority of the new hufbandry. It fhews, beyond all doubt, how much the earth is more, perfectly tilled by it, and that this tilth is lafting, if care be taken to preferve it by good culture, performed at proper times and with judgment. Can it be thought that a field cultivated in the old way, will, with only pulling up the ftubble, and without plowing it feveral times, even tho' it be harrowed, ever produce a crop of any corn whatever \ Fart of the feed might indeed (hoot, and the plants might grow fome inches high : but they would certainly perifh for want of nourishment, which they would not be able to draw from fuch a foil, by reafon of its extreme hardnefs ; and confequently they never would be able to produce any grain, which is the great object of agriculture. It was of great importance to fhew, by an unexceptionable experi- ment, that lands are brought to much better tilth by the new huf- bandry, than by the old. This is now completely proved > and no doubt can any longer be made, that the confequence we drew from it is equally certain ; viz. that lands Jo prepared^ will produce more than lands which are cultivated in the common way. This facl, which is founded on the principles of found philofophy, is likewife confirmed by repeated experience. The partifans of both kinds of hufbandry will do well to con- fider, that the great principle which we are endeavouring to incul- cate, and on which almoft the whole fuccefs of the new hufbandry depends, is admitted in the old hufbandry : viz. thoroughly to divide and loofen the earth. This principle is fo generally received, that: there is" not a hufbandman who does not know that one plowing more than ordinary does his land as much good as dunging it would do. His experience has certainly taught him, that this extraordinary plowing produces him better crops : but he is not fufficiently fenfible, that of all the ways of improving his land, no one is more effectual, cr lefs expenfive than this. Were the full value of it known, it would be practiced more ; and every farmer would give all his lands at leaft one plowing extraordinary. What we propofe, is therefore not a novelty capable of giving any Lufbandman the leaft difiike to the new hufbandry. We ail proceed upon i93 . EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. upon the fame principle, and agree as to its effect. All of us fay, the earth muft be ice// divided and thoroughly loofened : but we differ in the manner of doing it. We propofe a method by which the ground is much better prepared than in the old way. In this con- rifts all the novelty. Whoever rightly confiders it, and compares it with the principles and experiments, will readily receive it : but he that is determined beforehand not to enter into this examination, will never enjoy the benefits of it, but will continue plodding on in the old beaten track ; not from reafon, but becaufe others did fo before him. The advantages of the new hufbandry are however fo great, that it would be doing the public an injury, not to endeavour to make them more and more known. The fitteft way to anfwer this end, feems to be, to exhort all hufbandmen to convince themfelves, by ftudying the theory of the new hufbandry, weighing the folidity oi. its principles, and confulting the experiments which have been al- ready made. Every man of common understanding, cannot but fucceed in the practical part ; and his example being imitated by others, the new hufbandry would foon become the general method. EXPERIMENT. No. II. N. B. This field is marked with the fame number in the Journals of 1J52 and 1753. For the crop of ij 52, it was fowed ivith 11 pounds 4 ounces cf wheat, which yielded 1041 pounds 12 ounces. For the crop of 1753, it was /owed with 34 pounds 14 ounces, which produced 1575 pounds. For the crop 1754, it was fowed with 61 pounds 14 ounces^ which yielded 18 20 pounds. THIS field, which was to be fowed for the third time, having been brought to a good tilth by former plowings, I prepared it immediately afcer harveft, by giving it a plowing like that of laft. year. I found I had done right in increafing the quantity of the feed the fecond year : and upon examining the plants which the earth had nourifhed, it feemed to me that it could yet bear a greater number, and that I might ftill expect a greater crop, by adding to the feed. Ac- Chap. II. BY M. DE C H ATE A U - VIE UX. i99 Accordingly, I fowed it the fixteenth of Auguft, with 61 pounds 14 ounces of very large and perfectly clean wheat, of my own growth. It was the fame that I ufed for fowing all my fields. The plants made a very confiderable progrefs after winter, and fhot up greatly, notwithstanding the extraordinary drought. They began to fpindle the eighteenth of May, they bloflbmed the firft of June ; and, being ripe, I cut them down the tenth of July. I had them threShed a month after harveft. They yielded 1820 pounds of perfectly clean wheat. Thus we fee that this field pro- duced in 1754, 245 pounds more than in 1753, and 778 pounds 4 ounces more than in 1752. EXPERIMENT. No. III. N. B. This field is marked with the fame number in the journal ■ °J 17S3- HPHIS field being now in much finer tilth than it was laft year, - would certainly have produced a greater quantity of wheat. However, I refolved to fow it with a foreign wheat, by way of triah I did fo, and it yielded me fcarce any crop at all. I thought it might be of great fervice to try whether wheat of a different quality from- that -which we ufually cultivate, would not yield more than even wheat of the growth of our own country. At all events it was right to make this trial, tho' the wheat I ufed for it was by no means proper for fowing in our lands. It was Sicilian wheat, the grain of which is very large and extremely hard. I fowed it the twenty-firft of Auguft. It rofe well ; the plants grew very fine before winter, and were extremely, thick. But this wheat, being doubtlefs of a much tenderer nature than our common wheat, could not refift the winter's froft, which almoft entirely deftroyed it. Only a few ftrong plants efcaped. They grew exceeding fine, branched greatly, and produced very large ears, which contained more grains than thofe of our own country wheat. As the plants which Sur- vived the froft were very few, I reaped only about three times the feed. 200 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. REMARKS on tbefe EXPERIMENTS. IT is by experience that we can beft judge how far the advantages afcribed to the new hufbandry are real. The foregoing experi- ments give rife to two important oblervations. The firft experiment (hews us, that lands are brought to much better tilth by the new hufbandry, and that they will confequently produce much larger crops, than in the old way. Experience proves that they have done fo. The fecond experiment offers us the fame proofs, but upon a much larger extent of ground. We have the products of three fuc- ceeding years, and the gradation of their crops. What ought to be particularly attended to here, is, that as the internal pores of the earth became more open, the crops became more plentiful ; which juftifies what we faid before, that the crops cf the fecond, third, and following years, would be greater than that of the firft. It was of great confequence to eftablifh this fact, in order to found our calculations of the products on certain and approved experiments. The following article will afford frill farther proofs of this truth. ARTICLE II. Experiments made on lands laid out in beds, and which had borne a feccnd crop. Refections on tbefe experiments. EXPERIMENT. No. IV. N. B. This field is marked 'with the fame number in the Journal For the crop of 1753, it teas fovea tvitb 181 pounds of -wheat, which produced 3370 pounds. For the crop of 1754, tt was ferwed 'with 26 S pounds 14 ounces, •which produced 4972 pounds 8 ounces. IMuft remind the reader, that this field was fowed in 1753, half in beds, and half in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough. I fhall fpeak firft of the part that was laid out in beds, which continued to be cultivated in the fame manner for the crop of 1754- The Chap. II. BY M. DE CH AT E AU- V I E U X. 201 The plowings made during the year 1753, had the fame effecls on this land, that is to fay, they loofened and divided it. It was plowed with eafe after harveft; and the new beds having been formed and well prepared, I fowed them the feventeenth and eighteenth of Auguft, increafing the quantity of the feed to 268 pounds fourteen ounces of wheat. The plants rofe well, and throve greatly before winter ; and in the fpring they made ftrong moots. The winter frofts, and perhaps fome infecfs too, had deftroyed fome plants in the rows. I faw plainly by this, that I had done right in increafing the quantity of the feed. Though the year was dry and hot, the wheat grew to a great height, and ripened welh I reaped it between the tenth and fifteenth of July, and threfhed it out in the winter. This crop yielded me 4972 pounds S ounces ; fo that I had this fecond year 1602 pounds 8 ounces more than the firft. I (hall lhorten what I have to fay of the other half of this field,' which was lowed in equally diftant rows for the crop of 1753. After harveft, I made it into beds. But how furprifing was the dif- ference between the mould of thefe two parts of the fame field, even in this fecond year ! That which had been in beds, was fine and light: but this was fcarcely divided at all: it was full of great hard clods, many of which were obliged to be broken by hand. Though I had not much hope of its yielding any great crop, confi- dering the condition it was in, I fowed it the twenty-ninth and thir- ty-fir ft of Auguft. Thefe beds were but poorly ftocked with plants, which gathered little ftrength before winter, and indeed always remained veiy weak and ftinted, and when reaped, yielded ftill lefs than the other half of the field had done in 1753. But if I have gained nothing by the crop, at leaft I brought my beds into fuch tilth, as.affures me of a more plentiful harveft in 1755. EXPERIMENT. No. V. N. B. This jicld is marked with the fame 7iumber in the journal °f *753- For the crop of 1753, tt was fowed with 1 19 pounds, which pro- duced 2205 pounds. For the cropof 1754, // was fowed with i2\pounds of wheat, which produced 2283 pounds. ' I * H E foil of this field was of fuch a nature as made it more A difficult to loofen, than thole of the experiments No. 2. and D d No. zot EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. No. 3, notwidiftanding the culture beftowed upon it in the fum- mer of 1753* which mended it greatly. Still it was not yet in the condition I could have wifhed, when I fowed it the eighteenth and twentieth of Auguft, I fowed it thicker than it had ever been be- fore, purely on account of the badnefs of its tilth. 1 bellowed up- on it 224 pounds of wheat, which rofe pretty well, but afforded fewer plants than that of the fecond experiment. They branched pretty well, and their ears were very fine. I reaped this crop the nineteenth and twentieth of July, and it yielded 2283 pounds of wheat, which is 78 pounds more than the firft crop in 175.3. EXPERIMENT. No. VI. N. B. This field is marked with the fame number in the journal °J I753- For the crop of 1753, it was fowed with 45 pounds of wheat, which produced 724 pounds. For the crop of 1754, it was fowed with 82 pounds of wheat, which produced 798 pounds. HAT I faid of the foregoing experiment, may likewife ferve for this. All the circumftances were alike, except that this field was fowed a few days later, viz. the twenty-feventh of Auguft. It was reaped the nineteenth of July, and yielded 798 pounds, which is 74 pounds more than in 1753. EXPERIMENT, No. VII. N. B. This field is marked with the fame number in the journal °J 1753- For the crop of 1753, it 'was fowed, as well in that part of it which was made into beds, as in that which wasjbived in equally di- fiant rows, with 412 pounds of wheat, which produced 2646 pounds. For the crop of 1754, the whole field was made inta beds, and fowed with 360 pounds, which produced 2467 pounds. T T mud be remembered that one half of this field had borne a ■*■ firft crop, and the other a fecond. From what I have already faid, it will be prefumed that the mould of the new beds was not in fo good condition as that of the other beds : confequently the former could not be expected to yield fo good a crop. This Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 203 This field was fowed the twenty-firft and twenty-eighth of Au- guft. Its whole extent took up 360 pounds of wheat, which yielded a crop of 2467 pounds. At firft fight, it feems to have yielded lefs now, than in 1753 : but it muft be obferved, that the beds of this field were of two different ages : thofe which now bore their fecond crop, yielded more than in 1753 ; but as the (heaves were not col- lected feparately, I cannot tell exactly the difference of their pro- duce. Reflections on the experiments contained in this article. T Have now given an account of four fields, which produced their ■*• fecond crops in 1754, all of which were greater than thofe of 1753, and cfpecially that of the fourth experiment. I am fully Sa- tisfied that their produce was proportioned to the preparation of the foil. This obfervation (hews of what confequence it is to divide and loofen the earth as much as poffible, by deep plowing and thorough hoeing, in order to bring it to a perfect tilth • which may certainly be done, and that in (hort time, by the means which I (hall point out in the following article. Neither our intereft, nor the knowledge we would acquire of the products which the new husbandry is capable of yielding, fuffer us to reft fatisfied with knowing, for example, what the crop of thefe four fields was the fecond year, and looking upon that as the moft they will ever produce. We ought likewife to examine whe- ther their crop was not diminished by caufes which we can account for, and which we may reafonably hope will not take place in other years. By this examination we (hall find, that the year was not a good one for great crops of wheat. There was not rain enough : the corn grew thin, and yielded but few (heaves. The ears were in- deed full of grain, but the quantity was not fufficient to make a- mends for the thinnefs of the crop. The wheat was tufted in autumn \ and though this diftemper (hewed itfelf in that feafon, in which I think it does the plants leaft hurt, yet it prevented their branching, fo much as they would other- wile have done, the next fpring. I obferved exactly, that the thin- neft places were thofe where the rvfl had prevailed moft. Laftly, the frofts which happened in March, did great damage to the wheat. It is therefore not to be wondered at that the crop was not greater. I hope, and, I flatter myfelf, not without foundation, that the fame D d 2 fields 204 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. fields will produce better crops in years exempted from fuch ac- cidents. I do not pretend that the new hufbandry can fecure corn from the effects of all thefe accidents : but I have experienced that it has fuffered lefs from the intemperature of the feafons, than that which has been fowed in the common way: for inftance, it will fufferlefs by a great drought, or even not be at all affected by it, if dews fall, which penetrate the well-loofened earth ; as I have conftantly ob- ferved : and befides this, the roots of the corn in the new way, be- ing much longer, will extend to a confiderably greater depth in ground that has been plowed deeper ; and will find a moifture there, which corn in the common way is deprived of. ARTICLE III. Experiments made on lands laid cut in beds ichich had fame a fir ft crop : ivith an account of the manner in •which they ivere tilled, to prepare them for fo-iving. Remarks on thefe experiments. TH E fii ft crops of all my fields laid out in beds, have hi- therto been but fmall. I eafily difcovered that this was owing to two principal caufes, independent of the intemperature of the feafons. The firft was, that I lowed too little feed at fir ft, and that the quantity was not fufficient to bear the accidents which be- fel my wheat, without being confiderably diminifhed thereby. This I remedied afterwards, by increafing the quantity of the feed ; which I have continued to do by little and little, from year to year, in proportion to the condition and quality of my land. The fecond caufe was the bad condition of my lands, which could not be fufficiently loofened and divided in fo fhort a time, and therefore did not afford the plants the quantity of nourifhment neceffary to enable them to produce plenty of grain. I was in hopes, that by continuing my plowings, I fhould have better fuccefs the following years : that is to fay, that I fhould bring my land to a loofer ftate, and that if I gained that point, the crops would certainly be greater afterwards. Encouraged by this expectation, and provided with my plough and cultivators, I made no doubt of fucceeding. To this end, I re- folved to multiply the plowings : and certainly no one ought ever to hefitate fo to do, even in the common huibandry ; fo great have feeen the effects produced thereby. I have Chap. II: BY M. DB C H A T E AU- V I E U X. 205 I have often reflected on this paffage iiuMr. Du Hamel's treatifc of the culture of lands -.-One of the Prefident Montefquieus farmers reaped a great crop of Spcmfi wheat, from his farm near Clairac, at a time -when all his neighbours crops were very bad. The prefdent afked him what he had dune to have fuch extraordinary fuccefs. The farmer anjwered, that he had plowed Ins ground eleven times betwixt fowing and har-oejl ; and that by this means it had reaped the benefit of all the rains, dews, fogs, &c. whilft his neighbours lands were not at all bettered by them, on acoowit of a dry hard kind of crujl, which grew over -their grounds, for want of plowing. This obfervation %rees perfectly with the principles on which the new hufbandry is founded. . This (hews us that an a&ive, intelligent, and induftnous farmer, will always reap the fruit of his labour and expence. But without pretending to fay that land ought to be plowed quite fo many times, we learn from this example, that it would be greatly for the public good, to plow it oftener than it generally is. I multiplied my plowings, in the fpring, and till feed time. I gave my land fix plowings in all : but I afcribe the great benefit I received, chiefly to the manner in which thofe plowings were per- formed, and to which I beg the reader ferioufly to attend. After the beds were formed, my method was this. 1 changed their pofition by removing the middle of the beds to the place where the great furrow in the middle of the alley was j cr, to make my- ielf better undeiflood, I performed the fame plowing that we do after the fir ft crop is reaped. This operation is of fuch importance, that it requires my being ftill more explicit. I (hall therefore relate the whole preparation that I cave my land. In the firft place, I plowed it twice, as deep as poffibly I could, in broad lands. The beds were formed at^ the third plowing. I afterwards gave a fourth plowing, to raife them ftill higher, by opening the firft furrow in the middle or higheft part of the beds, and turning the earth on both fides up againft that mid- dle, by which means the beds were arched very high, and a great furrow was left in the middle of the alleys. I went farther yet ; and this I ought to reckon as a feventh operation : I cut the great fur- row in the middle of the alley ftill deeper, with one turn of my cultivator with two mould boards. The beds thus prepared, were certainly in good order to be fowed : I ne- 2o6 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT. Part II. I never had them in fo good condition before: but I was willing to go ftill farther ; and that for the following reafon. I had obferved that there is always a greater depth of fine mould in the middle of the bed, when it is placed in the fpace before oc- cupied by the great furrow in the middle of the alley. I had not difpofed my beds in that manner till the fecond year. I therefore thought it advifeable to change the place of the beds. I did fa, at the fifth plowing, by filling up the great furrow, which now became the middle of the new bed. The earth being in a very loofe ftate, a great deal of it was heaped up by each turn of the plough, with eafe to the horfes, and with fpeed. The middle of the beds Was raifed as much as might have been thought neceffaiy : but I railed it ftill higher, by the fixth and laft plowing, by cutting the firft furrow in the middle of the bed, and turning the earth up from right and left towards it. By thefe plowings, the mould of the beds will be admirably well prepared even the fir ft year, and the feed fowed therein will not fail to vegetate very abundantly. It is by this means that I have brought the middle of my beds to the depth of 15 or 18 inches of fine loofe mould, in which the perpendicular roots of the plants extend themfelves and multiply ealily, and find plenty of nourish- ment, which they afterwards tranfmit to the plants themfelves. I (hall mention farther, as a proof of the finenefs to which thefe plowings brought the earth, that I was not obliged to harrow my beds, before I fowed them. Some may perhaps object, that all this requires much labour, great trouble, and confiderable expence : and how, will it be added, can one find time for fo many plowings ? To this I anfwer : firft, that allowing all this to be true, the crop will make very ample amends for it. What follows will eftablifh this truth beyond all doubt. Secondly, that this labour ought not to difcourage any one. The four firft plowings are abfolutely necefiary, as all will agree ; and the fifth and fixth are performed with fuch eafe, and in fo much lels time than the common plowings, and efpecially the laft, for which one horfe will generally be fufficient, that it will eafily be perceived I do not propofe a thing either too difficult or too expenfive to ex- ecute. The fields of the three experiments of this article, were prepared in the manner I have now related. E X- Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 207 EXPERIMENT, No. VIII. 'TP H E foil of this field is very good and flrong. Its extent is ■** 1300 toifes. I made the beds about fix feet wide; and each bed was fowed with two turns of the drill plough, which were to make fix rows : but the difficulty of guiding the plough fo as to keep the three lafl rows exactly parallel to the three firft, was fo great, that the two middle rows were frequently jumbled together, fo that there were in fact but five rows in fome places. The fpace that re- mained between the outer row of one bed and the outer row of the next bed, left an alley wide enough to be plowed. I muff obferve that our farmers hereabouts liked this way of fowing much better than the firft, in which I likewife made the beds fix feet wide ; and fowed them with only three rows. I fowed each row a little thinner than in the former experiments : but as there were more of them in each bed, they would of courfe require a greater quantity of feed. This field was fowed the twenty- feventh of Auguft, with 76 pounds 8 ounces of wheat. All my plants were equally fine till winter, and fhot up with great vigor in the fpring. They grew exceeding high, branched abundantly, and produced very large ears, among which there was but little difference. This crop was reaped the feventh of July, and yielded 1462 pounds of wheat. This produce made me ample amends for the labour I had be- llowed upon the ground. It is after the rate of about 1500 pounds, or 72 bufhels to an arpent. EXPERIMENT, No. IX. HTHIS field is of a very indifferent quality, and had hitherto ■* yielded but fmall crops. Its extent is 5813 toifes 12 feet. It was fowed the feventh and eighth of Auguft, in the fame manner as the former, with 249 pounds 12 ounces of wheat. The young plants fhot up as thick, and looked as flrong and of as good a colour, as thofe of the foregoing experiment : but the ruft took thtm all in October and November, and their blades, which were of the fineft green before,, turned yellow, and perfectly covered the ground with the powder of this ruft. My plants fuffered greatly by this accident. They branched imperfectly, and confequenily grew very 2o8 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, PartIL very thin. Their italics were, however, long, and bore fine ears. They were reaped the 8th of July, and yielded 2925 pounds of wheat. EXPERIMENT, No. X. THE foil of this field is rather inferior, than equal to that of the field we fpoke of laft, whofe fate it likewife fuffered in every refpeft. The young plants were extremely fine, and, in October and November, they were rufted almoft as much as the others. This field contains 4919 toifes. As I thought this land inferior to the other, I fowed it thicker; ufing to this end 294 pounds of wheat. It was fowed the 8th, 17th, and 28th of Auguft ; not being able to do it in any three days running. The crop yielded 3055 pounds. Remarks on thefe Experiments. T Have now been able to obtain better crops, even the firft year, ■*■ by the new husbandry, than any I ever had before. I think there can be no doubt but that this fuccefs is owing firft, and chiefly, to the better preparation of the ground ; and fecondly, to the proper increafe of the feed. Upon the whole, I am inclined to think, that the fowing each bed with two turns of the drill-plough, increafed the crop. But of that I fay no more at prefent, as I intend to treat exprefly of it in the eighth article. All my obfervarions fhew how much I am convinced of the im- portance of bringing the earth to a fine looie ftate : nor can I recom- mend it too ftrongly. I have fenfibly experienced the good effects of it in all my lands, and particularly in thofe of the ninth and tenth experiments ; for though thefe fields are but of an indifferent quality, they have produced plants equal to thofe of my very beft lands. After what I have now faid, no one will be furprifed that almoft all my firft crops were but fmall, fince moft of the grounds were fown after a fingle plowing, which was not fufficient to prepare them properly. I was indeed well apprifed of this defect at my firft fetting out : but all I then aimed at was, to lay all my fields into beds as foon as poffib'.e ; being thoroughly fatisfied that it would not be long after, before I fhould be able to bring them to a proper tilth, with great eafe and little coft. Thefe three experiments, not only fhew us how to conduct cur works there profitably hereafter 5 but they likewife difcover a new ad- Chap. II. BY M. DE C H AT E AU- V I E U X. 209 advantage in this hufbandry, which indeed I fufpected from my very firfl experiments. It is of importance to take notice of it here. All the experiments that have been made by different perfons, and in different places, have fhewn us that wheat cultivated in the new way is very little apt to lodge ; that the great ftrength of its italic fup- ports it, and that it refifts the force of the wind much better than common wheat, the (talks of which almoft always give way in ftormy weather. It muft however be owned, that the wheat of the new culture is not abfolutely able to refi ft extremely violent winds accompanied with great rain. But would any one have expected that the accident I am going to fpeak of, far from hurting the wheat, feemed to me to be of great fervice to it, particularly in very rainy years, or when cold dews fall towards the time of its ripening ? I obferved, in the account of my experiments in 1752, that my wheat was not lodged ; but that fome of it was bent, without fuffer- ing any damage thereby. I added, that I imagined it might be offer- vice to the wheat -not to remain always in an exactly perpendicular Jitu- aticn. I purpofed watching clofely what effect the fituation of this would have. I could not be fatisfied in this in 1753 ; but the year 17^4 furnifhed me with obfervations, and afforded me advantages with refpect to the quality of wheat, which it is always of very great fervice to know. Wheat grows up and fhoots pretty perpendicularly : it does not al- ter this direction, unlefs it meets with fome obftacle : the moft for- midable is a violent wind, accompanied with great and heavy rains which lodge it. Every one knows that when wheat is lodged foon after it has done bloffoming, it yields fcarce any grain, and that what it does yield is verv fmall and fhrivelled, and contains very little flour: a manifeft, and oftentimes very considerable lofs. The wheat that is only bent, continues to grow in that fituation : its ears fwell and fill equally with grain to the very point, abounding plentifully with good and very nourifhing flour. Thus no lofs is fuf- tained in this cafe ; and this inclined fituation of the (talk does not at all interrupt the functions of the nutritive juices, as in wheat that is lodged. The growth of the plants in this fituation, proves plainly that their vegetation is not ftopt. This bending of the ftalks no way hinders a fkilfuland careful huf- bandman from giving another plowing, if it be necefTary. I had it E e done 2io EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. done in the field of the eighth experiment, without hurting or de- flroying a fingle ear. The three fields on which the experiments mentioned in this ar- ticle were made, have all their beds in the fame direction, m». from Eaft to Weft, and lie fomewhat Hoping toward the Weft. Soon after the wheat had done bloffoming, a ftrong fouth wind blew for fome hours, accompanied with a heavy rain, which made all the wheat of thefe three fields incline towards the north. It remained in this fitu- ation till harveft, and the ftalks grew fo crooked that the points of the ears turned down towards the ground: they remained thus fuf- pended, by the ftrength of the ftalks, which feemed even to increaie : for I did not find that they bent any more, though the weight of the ear increafed as the grain grew riper. In this fituation, this wheat continued to profper : the ears filled with grain to the very point : they grew as large and heavy as thofe of the other fields; and had befides the advantage of being of a finer colour. This quality helps corn to fell fooner and more eafily, be- caufe the buyer judges by his fight more than by his other fenies. It is of confequence in all forts of goods, to catch the eye ; but there is no fear of its deceiving one in the choice of wheat : the good colour of the grain is always a Aire fign of its foundnefs, and invites the purchafer to buy it with confidence. Since then there is no fear that any damage will arife from wheat's being bent, there is no caufe to repine or be uneafy at feeing it in that fituation. But, befides what I have been faying, I muft now offer fome reafons why I think it may perhaps be better for wheat to be bent and curved in that manner, than for it to grow almoft quite upright. Let us confider what effecl: rain, the moifture of the air, and dews have upon the ears of corn in both thefe fixations. When the ears ftand upright, and almoft perpendicular, they retain a great deal of wet in rainy and dewy weather. This wet infinuates itfelf very eafily between the hufks that cover the grain, and gets even into the infide of them. This water, thus got within them, remains there, and does not evaporate fo eafily as that which is only on the outer furface of the hufks, which the motion of the air, or the fun, diffi- pates in a fhort time. It may happen too, but I fhall not give it as a fad: which I have yet fufficiemly obferved, that the water which has penetrated between the bujks, touches immediately the grain itfelf. Now this moifture all Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATE A U-V IE UX. 2ir all around it, in whatever manner it gets there, muft furely be very- prejudicial to the grain ; and the longer it flays there, the more hurt it muff. do. We have feen fuch continual rains in fome years, that, for feveral days together, even the outfide of the ears could not be wiped dry, but have remained wet fo long that the corn has fprouted while, it Hood upon the ground, But, without fuppofing the mif- chief to be always fo great, wet, by remaining too long upon the grain, may, in feme meafure, ruft it a little, as it tufts ftraw while Handing. I have feen this happen ; though indeed but feldom. The imperfection that is often found in the quality of the grains, and their fometimes lefs pleafing tafte, may, with great probability, be imputed to this cafe : and perhaps it may be found upon ftritter inquiries than thofe I have hitherto been able to make, that the moifture too long retained round the grain, towards the latter end of its growth, and particularly that of cold dews, is the real cauie of the fatal and fudden changes which often befall wheat in grain, a little before barveft, and rob us of the beft part of a crop which was juft before thought to be quire*but of danger. When the wheat is inclined, its flalks bent downwards arch-wife, and the point of the ears turned down towards the ground, it is plain that no wet, either of rain or dews, can fo eafily get at the grain, and that only the outer furface of the hufks will be immediately touched by it : the water, not being able in this fituation to glide in between the interfaces of the hufk«', will drip down from one huik to another till it comes to the point, and then will fall to the ground. Thefe hufks are foon dried again ; and the ears which grow in this manner are much lefs expofed to the confequences of the wet, than thofe which remain in a perpendicular fituation ; and confequently their grain ought to be better conditioned. This advantage can be enjoyed only in the new hufbandry : for in the old way, the wheat is either lodged quite flat, or ftands quite up- right : fcarce any of its flalks are fhong enough to fupport the fmall weight of the ear, wh;n bent and inclined towards the earth. e 2 A R- 212 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. ARTICLE IV. Experiments maJe on lands laid out in beds, which have borne ajirfl and fccond crop; together with fane inter ejiing ob/ervations. EXPERIMENT. No. XI. TN the Journal of 1753, I gave an account of the experiments ■*■ which a perfon had made on about 23 arpents, laid out in beds of about fix feet wide, and which did not meet with the dtfired fuccefs. I added, that the fame perfon, perfuaded neverthelefs of the advantages of this culture, had prepared twenty arpents more in the fame manner, and that all of them were fowed for the crop of 1754. All this ground was plowed with care, and part of it was fowed earlier than the year before. Some little addition was likewife made to the quantity of the feed. The plants in general rofe extremely well, and were ftrong and healthy before winter, in proportion to the time of their being fown, and to the quality and condition of the land. Such a beginning gave room to hope that thefe fields would yield a pretty good crop : but the winter ruined all ; and fcarce any thing was reaped from lb large an extent of ground. I OB S ERVATION S or: this EXPERIMENT. T would have been unfair in me not to mention this experiment, tho' it anfwered fo badly. The reader may be furprifed at firft, to fee fo great a contraft between this and my own experiments, in which, notwithstanding the intemperature of the feafons, and other accidents, he finds the crops increafe, as the land becomes better tilled according to the principles of the new hufbandry. This in- creafe was what we foretold would happen : but the field Ave are now fpeaking of, produced lefs the fecond year than it did the firft, tho' even that was very little. There mufl then neceflarily have been fome differences between thefe fields, to which this great difparity of their crops was owing. Thefe differences doubtlefs were, either in the quality of the foils, the preparation of them, their expofition, the quantity of the feed, the Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 213 the accidents that befel them, which might be greater or lefs, in fome than in others ; or, in fhort, many other caufes capable of helping or hurting the crop : for otherwife, fuppofing all thefe things to be equal, or nearly fo, the difference in the crops could not have been great. Not to impute the bad fuccefs of this lafl experiment, too lightly to the new hufbandry, we ought, in juflice, to examine whether it might not be owing to fome other caufe, and whether there may not be room to hope for better fuccefs another time. Thefe fields, without being all exactly of the fame quality, are generally reputed in the country cold and Jiiff lands and very apt to grow hard. Such lauds will certainly require more time, more pa- tience, and more perfeverance, to bring them to any degree of tilth : more plowings will be neceffary, and thofe plowings muft be given in the mod proper feafons. By continuing to ftir them well, their hardnefs and refiflance will be overcome, their pores will be opened and multiplied, and plants will then thrive in them as well as in the befl of foils. All lands ought to be treated according to their refpective quali- ties. There is great reafon to believe that this field, when prepared as thofe of the experiments No. VIII. IX. and X. were, will here- after produce great plenty of corn. What I now fay, is not mere fuppofition or furmife. Repeated experiments, the effects of which have constantly been the fame, have taught me, and I can fafely affirm, that extremely bad lands, which could not fo much as yield a crop that would pay the expence of tilling them, have been ren- dered good and fertile merely by plowing, and without the af- fiance of any manure. This is a finking truth. It was what firfl determined me to practife the new hufbandry ; and therefore it was of confequence to me to be certain of it. To this end, I refolved to make a trial on a fmall fpot of ground, which I knew to be incapable of producing any thing. Some years before, I had dug away the earth three feet deep, from a fpace of 60 fquare toifes : nothing remained in it but a clofe white clay, fit for potters ufe. This fpot, thus circumflanced, feem- ed. to me a proper one for my experiment. As the fpace Was too fmall for the plough to work in, I made ufe of the fpade and hoe. It was made into beds, which were afterwards fowed with wheat, and the fpaces between them frequently ftirred. The firfl year, my plants 2i4 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. plants were very poor, and branched into only two, three, or four italics a-piece. The fecond year, they did much better ; and the third year, they were as large and fine as any my garden could have produced. This fpot ftill continues to produce equally well. We have here a remarkable inftance, of what may be done by fufficiently pulverifing the earth : that which I am fpeaking of, is now like mould; and, which is very remarkable, it has loft its for- mer white colour, and is now black. Let us but do the fame with any of our bad lands, and perfevere in plowing and flirting, them a lufficient time : the fuccefs will not be doubtful. But to return to the fubjec~l of this article. Some of the fields we were fpeaking of, are furrounded by, or border upon woods. This fituation is far from being good, and it feldom happens but that fuch a neighbourhood does great injury to the crops. I could likewife have wifhed, that a larger quantity of feed had been employed to fow thefe fields. The lofs occafioned by the froft might have been leflened thereby j as it may be prefumed that a greater number of plants would have efcaped, if they had been thicker in the places where all of them .were not intirely de- ftroyed. We obferved before, that the young plants were in a fine condi- tion before winter, and that they promifed well ; but the feverity of the frofts, doubtlefs too great for the condition and fituation of thefe lands, did an irreparable injury to almoft all thefe fields. I examined the greateft part of them in the beginning of fpring. Of all thofe which I faw, I found but one fpot of three or four arpents, of which the earth was in the condition it ought to be, that is to fay, well ftirred and broken, fupple, light, and penetrable. Too few plants were left in this good fpot : large fpaces were quite empty in mod of the rows : but thole that did refill, grew very fine in the fummer, branched extremely well, and bore fine ears. By this one might guefs what thefe lands were capable of. My opinion is, that, in other years free from fuch accidents, the rows will remain well ftocked with plants, which, finding an equal plenty of nourifhment, will be nearly of equal flrength and beauty in every part, and, all together, will produce a confiderable quantity of corn. The Chap. II. BY M. DE C H AT E AU - VI E UX. 215 The ofher fields were infinitely worfe treated * Every thing was deftroyed for feveral arpents together. The plants were rooted up by the ftrength of the froft, and lay fcattered upon the ground all along the rows, withered and unable to recover the leaft vigour. Thefe are the only fields laid out in beds, in which I have ken this extraordinary accident : not a plant was rooted up any where elfe. It is very difficult not to fufpecl: that there muft have been lbme fault in the fowing, and that the fower did not perhaps bury the feed deep enough. The roots which were too near the furface of the earth, were nipped by the froft. They muft have been fo, fuppofing them to be but about two inches deep. We likewife know, with certain- ty, that if the feed had been -fewed in good time, the plants would have had roots above fix inches long ; and that fuch roots would have fecured them from being killed by the froft. There is room there- fore to believe that the feed was not buried deep enough. But even fuppofing the plants not to have been deftroyed, I doubt whether they would have yielded a good crop, becaufe the ground, efpecially that of the partitions between the rows, was extremely hard and clofe, and therefore quite unfit to fupply the plants with the nourifhment they would have wanted. This experiment required thefe remarks : many more might be added ; but thefe are fufficient to fhew that fome lands require a double portion of care and labour. EXPERIMENT, No. XII. THE account of the ninth experiment in 1753, promifed better fuccefs the next year. The whole culture was performed by the fame perfon, with great care and extraordinary judgment, on two fields, containing about eight arpents. One of thefe fields is much better than the other : the beds were about fix feet M'ide : one half of the field, the foil of which was inferior to that of the other, was dunged j but not above a third part as much as it would have been in the common way. The foil of this field is very ftiff. It had * All thefe obfervations, fays M. du Hamel, fhew that this land is of the nature of tho'fe which fwell greatly in hard frofts, and, fubfiding again upon a thaw, leave the roots of plants quite bare upon their furface. In whatever manner they are cul- tivated, they feldom produce any thing if the winter is fevere. The beft way is to low them with fpring corn. 2x6 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part IT. had not been plowed for 1 5 or 20 years, and was not yet fufficiently loofened and divided. It was fowed early : the plants rofe very well, but were greatly hurt by the froft, excepting thofe which the dung preferved. The fame thing happened to the beds which were fowed with fix rows. The foil of the other field is fatter and of a better quality. The winter did it little hurt. The plants throve by the culture that was given them, but lefs than was expe&ed ; owing, as is fuppofed, to the great drought of the feafon. Thefe two fields produced, how- ever, about 7000 pounds weight of wheat j which is extremely well, efpecially for a firft crop. Thefe two fields have given us room to make two reflections. Firft, that the earth muft be veil prepared, without which the plants are not able to extend their roots to the plowed part oj the alleys. Se- condly, that in dry fprings, the plants of wheat prcjerve one another mutually from the drought, for which reafon it is proper to fow fome- what more than would otherwife be necejfary. The fame culture is now pra&ifed for the year 1755, and is ex- tended to about twelve arpents more. EXPERIMENT. No. XIII. I Mention this experiment on account of the faults the hufband- man committed, that others may take care to avoid them. About two arpents and an half of pretty well plowed land made into beds, produced only about 780 pounds of wheat the fecond year. The reafons why this crop was fo fcanty, are evident. In the firft place, too little feed was fowed ; there ought to have been three times the quantity. Secondly, the beds were of an excefiive breadth, all of them being eight or nine feet wide, and fowed with only three rows. By this means, great part of the ground was loll 5 which ought to be carefully avoided. The plowings too were made in a very flovenly manner : the hufbandman gave them, not when they were necefiary, but when it fuited his convenience. The reafon was, that he was prejudiced againft the new hufbandry, and did not defire to fee it fucceed. ARTICLE Chap. II. BY M. E>E CH AT E A U- V I E V X. 217 ARTICLE V. Experiments made by few*! Lovers of Agriculture, on lands frxm in equally diftant rows •with the, drill-plough. SOME of the principles of the new hufbandry, have been adopted in this way of fowing; and even the common plowing, is now performed with more care than it was before the great advantage of thoroughly dividing and breaking the earth was fo well known. This method of fowing the land all over in equally diftant rows, being, in appearance, eafier and more fimple than forming it into beds, has now a great number of partifans : and, indeed, the lands which have been fown in that manner, have yielded much better crops than the fields cultivated in the old way. EXPERIMENT. No. XIV. IT is pretty generally the cuftom about Geneva, if the land is good, to fow it in April, over the wheat, with clover feed, which yields a crop the next year. Agreable to this cuftom, a field of about two arpents and an half, was fowed with clover in April 1752. In 1753 it yielded two crops of clover, after which the owner of the ground gave it three good plowings in the common way. The clods which the plough had left, were afterwards broken by hand, before the field was fowed ; for it was refolvcd to fpare no pains to give it a good preparation. About 630 pounds of wheat ufed generally to be employed to fow this field : but it was now fowed, the fourteenth of September, with only 315 pounds. The earth was extremely dry, and the weather very hot, which it continued to be for ten days longer ; circum- ftances which ought to be attended to, and which it will be proper the reader fbould remember when he comes to the continuation of this experiment in the feventh article. This field was plentifully flocked with plants. They yielded 2926 pounds of wheat. In proportion to the produce of the other fields of the fame farm, this would have yielded, at moft, only between 18 and 1900 pounds; confequently here is a gain of about 1026 pounds, befides 315 pounds faved in the feed, which makes in all a profit of 1 341 pounds. F f • EX, £t$ EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll, EXPERIMENT. No. XV. THE fame perfon who made the experiments, No. VII. in 1752, and No. X. and XI. in 1753, continued them in companion with the old hufbandry. They anfwered as before, and the fame advantages were again confirmed. A detail of the particulars would be needlefs. I mall only add, that barley, with which the experi- ment was likewife tried, anfwered much beyond any thing that was expected, and yielded a prodigious crop. The farmer, convinced by fuch fuccefs, of the fuperiority of the new huibandry over the old, immediately begged his landlord to make no more experiments by way of comparifon, but to let him fow all his lands with the drill-plough. EXPERIMENT. No. XVL THIS experiment was made in the fame farm where the XHIth and XlVth were made in 1753. All the lands were very well prepared, and fowed with the drill-plough. One of thefe fields, containing about three arpents and an half, which ufed to require 880 pounds of feed, was now fowed with 315^ pounds. The plants were extremely fine, both before and after winter, and, when reaped, yielded 4940 pounds of wheat. If it had been fowed in the common way, it could not have been expect- ed to yield above 2 900 or 3000 pounds : confequently it now pro- duced 1940 pounds more; to which if we add 565 faved in the feed, we {hall have 2505 pounds of wheat more by the new, than would have been obtained by the old husbandry. Another field, of an inferior quality, the extent of which is near feven arpents, ufed in the old way to be fowed with 1764 pounds. uf wheat, and was now fowed with only 819 pounds, which pro- duced about 5720 pounds. Though the difference in the goodnefs of the lands is confiderable, yet the drill-plough ftill maintains its fuperiority : for, if this field had been fowed in the common way, it would have been thought to have produced an exceeding good crop, if it had yielded between 5200 and 5300 pounds, though that would have been 420 pounds lefs than this, which added to the 935 pounds faved in the feed, make this crop 1355 pounds greater than it would have been in the old way. b Afmall Chap. II. BY M. DE CHA TEAU- VI EUX. zi9 A fmall fpot, of about half an arpent, which ufed commonly to be fowed with i$j pounds of wheat, was fowed with 63 pounds, and produced about 430 pounds. This is nearly the fame propor- tion as the foregoing experiment. Thefe fields, being fome better than others, may ferve to fhew what may be expe&ed from lands of different qualities. A piece of ground of five and twenty arpents was likewife plowed with care. This, to have fowed it in the old way, would have re- quired about 6550 pounds of feed, which would have yielded at moil: 20000 weight. I even think I over-rate it in this. Thefe 25 arpents were fowed with 2772 pounds of wheat. Here is, in the firft place, a faving of -3778. pounds in the feed, which is a very confiderable objec~l. The whole crop yielded about 19000 pounds, which added to the 3778 pounds faved in the feed, make 22778 pounds. The profit therefore is 2278 pounds more in the ■ new way, than in the old. To fet this experiment in a yet clearer light, I fhall add, that the (heaves were ftrong, the fhaw fine, the grain very clean and plump, and that half thefe fields had fuffered considerably by the frofts in March. The produce of a few detached pieces of land, might not have been fufficient to perfuade the generality of mankind, fo much as to adopt even this change, which confifts folely in the manner of fowing the land. They might ftill think it imprudent to give up a certain profit for an uncertain one. It is fit therefore that they fhould fee by the management of a whole farm, that this husbandry may be praclifed to very great advantage. This we fhall fhew in the following article. EXPERIMENT, No. XVII. Hp HIS experiment, which is a very confiderable one, was exe- * cuted on the fame perfon's lands, who made the experiment No. 12 in 1753. All the lands were fowed with the drill-plough. They were plowed four times, and a fmall part of the whole was dunged. I cannot enter int;o all fjie details of this operation ; but the general refults, which we fhall give, will be fufficient. The lands we are fpeaking of compofe three farms, fituated in three different villages, about a mile and a half diftant from each o- ther. Thefe lands are of different qualities ; fome ftiff, others pretty light, others of a middling quality, and but little ftony. F f 2 About 220 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, . Partll. About 8$ arpents were cultivated in the firft farm, 32 in the fecond, and 32 likewife in the third. In all 149 arpents. Pounds, r For the firft farm, fowed in Au- j „,,„_"] guft and September rn. .-. I For the fecond farm, fowed be The quantity ■ . A ' of feed ufed ! tween the lit and 1 in the com- • mon way, was, tober . . For the third farm, fowed be tween the 20th and 30th of October In all , fowed be-") 1 5th of Oc- > I 8190 y of wheat. 8190 37800 The quantity \ For the firft farm ..ithlS F^ the fecond farm plough, was, I For the third farm In all Saved in the feed Total Pounds. 8190 3276 ^ of wheat. 3276 14742 23058 37800 {Firft farm Second farm Third farm ' Pounds. 70200*1 22750 f of wheat. 15210J Total crop . . 108 160 To which muft be added the faving in the 7 2-0-g feed ....... S 5 The whole profit is . lb. 13 121 8 of wheat. It - s 1 Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX, 221 It will be right to fee now what the fame extent of land might poffibly have produced, if it had been cultivated in, the old way. This can indeed only be gueffed at, and I chufe therein to favour the old husbandry. According to the general run of this year's crops, thefe three farms, would have produced at mod about 95000 or 1 00000 pounds of wheat; which would confequently have been 31218 pounds fhort of what they yielded in the new hufbandry. This way of ftating the account of the produce of both methods, is a fair one. The faying in the feed is always- to be reckoned. But I have perceived, by the queftions which feveral perfons have afked me with regard to accounts thus ftated, that they were not clearly underftood. I mail therefore throw them into another form, which has been thought clearer, but of which the refults will ftill be the • fame. We will reckon only the real and actual produce, and then fub- ftracT: the feed : the remainder will confequently be the neat produce. NEW METHOD. Total produce . . . . . . 108 16b lb. To be deduced for the feed ..... 14742 lb. . — Neat produce . . . 93418 lb. I OLD METHOD. Total produce .... 1 00000 lb. To be deducted for the feed .... 37800 lb. Neat produce . . . 62200 lb. Therefore the new method produced more than the 7 «« old would have done , . . . . C *> Proof .... 93418 lb. •Which refult is the fame as that of the other comparifon. -Are not fuch advantages well worthy the attention of every one concerned in hufbandry ? E X- 822 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT. Part IT EXPERIMENT, No. XVIII. TX7E faw by the 15th experiment in 1753, that the fields which » » I had fowed, with the drill plough, in equally diftant rows, yielded very little corn. I mentioned the caufes, which I knew. I have not yet had time to form them into beds, by which means I mall certainly remedy the cohelion of the foil, and without which thofe lands will never yield any other than poor crops, as they have almoft always done whilft cultivated in the old way, which is infi- nitely lefs fit for lands that require a great deal cf ftirring, than for fuch as are naturally fruitful. I hope I fliall be able to begin next year to praclife the new hus- bandry in this farm. I fhould have done it before now, if I could .have made any flay the$e : but as I could not, I have only continued to fow it with the drill-plough in equally diftant rows.. I mall mention another fmall farm, on which no dung or any other kind of manure was ufed, though its lands, at Ieaft the great- eft part of them, are but" very indifferent. I fowed thefe lands towards the end of Auguft and the beginning of September, in .pretty hot and dry weather. The whole extent of this little farm is between 18 and 19 arpents, which ufed to take up 4662 pounds of feed : but only 1950 pounds were employ- ed now. Some places looked well enough : but in general the wheat came up thin. I was however very well fatisfied with my crop, which yielded about 13000 weight of extreme fine wheat, fo clean that it wanted no lifting. If I had hot fowed with the drill-plough, I fhould fcarcely have reaped more than barely the feed : for that was the cafe with all my neighbours, who had only about their feed and half as mueh over ; and many of their crops yielded ftill lefs. It is not to be fuppofed that I fhould have ftred better than them, if I had fol- jowed the old way, as they -did. • t AR- Chap.II. SY M. DE C H AT E AU-VI E U X. 223 ARTICLE VI. Summary accounts of the produces of fever al pieces of land fowed in equally dijlant rows with the drill-plough, EXPERIMENT, No. XIX. A S nothing but a great number of experiments, repeated under X"V -^^erent circumstances and in different places, can convince many of the advantages of the new hufbandry ; I am the more readily, induced to mention all that have come to my knowledge j though there are among them feveral of which I have not been able to get fo particular a detail as I could have wirtied : all that has been told me in relation to many of them being, that thpfe who made them were well fatisfied with the crops they had obtained by means of the drill-plough, and that they intended to continue ufing it: but the following experiments will merit the reader's attention. The lands I am going to fpeak of, are fituated in a fpace of 9 or 10 fquare leagues; and there are great differences in their qualities and Situations: they were not all plowed with equal care : fome of them were dunged, and others were not ; and laStly, the drought was greater at fome villages than at others. Notwithstanding all thefe diverfities, it will appear from what we are going to fay, that the ufe of the drill-plough was attended with uncommon fuccefs every where. To Shorten, and at the fame time give the reader a full view of the purport of this article, I have drawn up a table of the extent of the feveral pieces of land, the quantity of feed ufed for fowing them in the old way, the quantity they were fowed with in the new huf- bandry, and their produce in this lafl culture. Though thefe expe- riments are not related fo exa&ly as my own, I am fure there is no miftake of any confequence in them.. I Should have been very glad to have known likewife the exact products of the crops in the old way. I have done all I could to come at the knowledge of them, but have obtained only very few fatisfaftory accounts. All that I have been able to learn, amounts only to a confirmation of what 1 found in my accounts of the cul- ture and produce of my own eState ; for an exact account thereof has been kept for about forty years paft. Beyond that time, my j papers 424- EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, iPartlt: papers furnifh me with only the product of now and then a year, but not of any number of years" together. J Thefe detached hints have however afforded me fome curious and ufeful knowledge. For ex- ample, I have learnt by them, that the product of lands was the fame in the laft age as it is .in this. In the year 1668, which is the fartheft back that any of my papers take notice of, I find the crops were like thofe that the fame lands have yielded for thefe laft 30 or 40 years. All my inquiries have fhewn me that, in this country, in what are reckoned good years, the lands yield but three times the feed ; feldom more, and often lefs. Some few fields indeed muft be excepted, which, being of a very extraordinary goodnefs, do produce more: and likewife, on the other hand, fome very bad lands which do not yield fo much : fo that, upon the whole, this may be reckoned the medium crop during any number of years. The neat produce does not by any means amount to the whole of the crop, in the common huibandry : for the good grain is frequently fo mixed with bad, and with the feeds of weeds, that itfuffers a con- siderable diminution thereby. The quantity of perfect grain is there- fore what ought to be considered ; and in this many are apt to deceive themfelves. Whenever people become fenfible of the Small advan- tage of the common hufbandry, they will be more ready to attend to what is faid in favour of the new, and will be inclined to verify it by their own experience. When fo convinced, they will endeavour to overcome the diflike which moft farmers have to this new method. They are, in general, a fet of men, fit only to execute what1 they are bid to do; and therefore ought to be directed by p;rfons of .better understanding. Patience and perfeverance may by degrees bring them to practife the new huibandry, which time will bring to its greateft perfection. The following tables will help to ftrengthen thefe refkaions. TABLE Chap. IL BY M. DE C H A TE A U- V IEUX. 225 TABLE Of the Extent , Sowing, and Crops of different Pieces of Land' in 1754. Extent. Quantity of Seed in the old way. Quantity of feed in the new way. Crops. Arpents. Pounds Pounds. Pounds. li li. 3l I 3i 3 8 4 3 4- 2 3* 24 336 356 882 252 882 672 2016 1008 190 504 819 3J5 694 168 180 392 130 346 283 670 4«5 95 230 39° 140 300 1560 1230 2360 650 2275 2080 6lIO 4680 IO40 2520 3120 975 2340 |Total 36 8926 3809 30940 ARTICLE VII. General Reflections and Objervations on the Experiments contained in the foregoing Articles. AFTER all thefe experiments, I afk myfelf whether they are fufficient to give us a fatisfactory demonstration that the new hufbandry is more profitable than the old ? I anfwer, without hefi- tation, that it certainly is more profitable, both to the public, and to each individual, whether the lands be cultivated in beds, or whether they are only fowed in equally diftant rows, with the drill-plough. Such will ltkewife be the anfwer to this queftion, if the refult of thefe different experiments be confidered. In the firft place, we have thofe of each field in particular ; in the next, we have thofs Gg of .226 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. of fome whole farms ; and laftly, we have thofe contained in the table of the fixth article, to which laft I fhall now limit my reflections. We may look upon the produce of 36 arpents fpread up and down an extent of nine or ten fquare leagues, amounting all together to 30940 pounds of wheat, as the medium produce of the generality of lands. I fhall therefore not dwell upon the produce of each of thefe fields taken feparately, but only confider now, mot 36 arpents yielded 30940 pounds of wheat. If thefe 36 arpents had been cultivated in the old way, they cer- tainly would not have produced fo much, fioce we have feen that the medium produce is but threje times the feed ; and I am fatisfied it would have been lefs this year 1754. However, I will fuppofe the crop to have yielded three times the quantity of the feed. Thefe 36 arpents fowed with 8926 pounds of wheat, would then have produced 26778 pounds; deducting from which 8926 pounds for the feed, the neat produce will be reduced to 17852 pounds. The 36 arpents fowed with the drill-plough yielded 30940 pound?, from which we are to deduct 3839 pounds, which was all the feed that was fowed. The neat produce wi II then be reduced to 2713 1 pounds, which is 9279 pounds more than would have been produced in the old way. The owners or farmers of thefe 36 arpents had therefore 9279 pounds of corn more. They reaped the fir ft benefit of this gain, and the public the next, as fo much more corn was carried to market, than would otherwife have been. Such an advantage is very confi- derable, and deferves the utmoft attention of the public, whom we invite to confider it in a more extenfive light. The object will thereby become the more interefting. Let us but confider how much greater a quantity of corn this fpace of nine or ten fquare leagues would have produced, if all the arable lands in it had been fowed with the drill-plough : how much more grain would it not have afforded for the nourishment of the people ! what increafe of income to every individual concerned therein ! and how fure a way to guard againft future dearths ! But this is not yet all. Much greater advantages will ftiil refult from the cultivating of lands entirely in the new way : I mean, by laying them out in beds, and obferving all the practices of the new hufbandry. This I proved plainly in my journal of 1753, by the calculations of the articles II. V. and VI. This demonftration is fully confirmed by the experiments of 1754, the products of which were Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATE AU-V IE UX. 227 were greater, and their refults ftill more favourable to the new- method. What has been already faid on this important fubject, (hews, what the neceffary operations are, how eafily they may be performed, and what are the points which merit moft attention. The theory of the new hufbandry is now fully proved by experiments ; and that great principle, the neceffity of preparing the earth well by proper ftirrings, fo clearly demonftrated, that it would be needlefs to infift any longer on it. But the fowing of the land, which is of the utmoft importance to the fuccefs of the crops, depends greatly on the time and feafon when it is performed, and the care with which it is done. We (hall there- fore give fome obfervations on that head. The three moft effential things which conftitute a good fowin°-, feem to me to be, next to the proper preparation of the earth, firft, the time of fowing; fecondly, the choice of the feed; and thirdly, the due temperature of the feafon, with refpecl to heat or cold, drought, or wet; all which greatly influence the ftate of the earth. With regard to the time of fowing, I fay, it is better to fow early, than too late, provided the feafon will admit of it. The plants are better able to refift the feverity of the winter, after they have acquired a certain degree of ftrength. There have been years in which fields fowed very late, for inftance in December, have done extremely well : but that ought not to be made a general rule ; experience (hewing that fuch late (owings very feldom anfwer. By too early fowing, the corn is equally expofed to other dangers. The ftalks which fhoot up before winter, cannot well bear hard frofts, which would do no hurt to the wheat when but in blades. I obferved, in the two laft years 1753 and 1754, that the firft fown wheat, which was attacked by the rujl in autumn, was much more hurt by it than any other. Therefore, I think the beft time for fow- ing, in fuch a climate as Geneva, is, from the 20th of Auguft, to the end of September. If, however, it fhould not be practicable to fow all the lands within that time, the firft fortnight in October may likewife be taken in : but this I would not advife, except in a cafe of neceffity. If all the land fhould not be fown within that time, I think one might expect a better crop by deferring to fow till fpring. What I have been faying is more particularly applicable to lands laid out in beds. The fame rules by which I judge of the proper time of fowing Gg 2 here, 2-8 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part IV here, may eafily be adapted to other climates, in fome of which the land will require being lowed earlier, and in others later. The choice of the feed is the fecond thing, which to me feems to require more particular care than many may perhaps imagine. Every one certainly endeavours to chufe the belt wheat he can for feed : and it ought likewife to be very clean. Such corn is not difficult to be had, when reaped off the beds cultivated in our wcv. Tho' wheat fo green that it had fcarce loft irs milkv quality, fprouted pretty well when I tried the experiment with it ; I think it is more proper to fow none but what is thoroughly ripe. The feed has then attained its full perfect ion ; and it is from that ripehefs that we may moft certainly expect the moft vigorous plants. The wheat that has been reaped in a warm dry year, fecms to me fitter for lowing, than that which has been gathered in a cold use year : for in fuch a year, all the productions of the earth are lef, good ; their talte is lels favouryj and as that wheat in particular i:i which there is moft moiiture, is moft difficult to keep, I infer from thence that the formation of its grain muft be lefs perfect. J ihould therefore prefer wheat a year oM, provided the year it wa? gathered in was warm and dry, to that which may have juft been gathered in too rainy a feafon. Accordingly, I always chute for fowing, wheat of the growth of my high lands, rather than that which has been produced in fiats. The benefit accruing from all this care, may, perhaps, not be ex- tremely great ; but at the fame time it cofts nothing. Let us do m agriculture what is done in all manufactures : the very fm all eft pro- fits, the very leaft favings, are never neglected. Thofe fmall ar- ticles, often repeated, make large fums in the long run, and are a real profit. There is another thing of greater confequence, which I ftrongly recommend the practice of. It will not be attended with any ex- pence. It is by repeated experiments, always attended with the fame fuccefs, that I have found it to be extremely ferviceable to the firft: fprouting of the feed. Chance firft made it known to me. I have often fowed, purely to try what wheat was htteft for fow- ing. I commonly lowed wheat taken from the heap in the granary. I likewife frequently fowed wheat picked out of the ears the moment before I lowed it. I counted the grains of both forts exactly. Would any one think there could be any difference in the productions of thefe grains r yet I found a confiderable one : what was picked out of Chap. II. BY M. DE C H AT E A U- V I E U X. 229 of the ears, always rofe extremely well ; fcarce a grain of it ever miffed ; whereas numbers of thofe which were taken from the heap, never fprouted at all. I did not perceive this difference at firft j but at laft it (truck me. I relate the fact as it is, without pretending to account for the caufe of this difference, which would lead me into too long a digreffion. The experiment itielf may be of real ufe. It fhews us that inftead of threfhing the wheat intended for feed at any time, without diftinction, it ought not to be threfhed till a very few days, at moil two or three, before it is fowed. A few hands will be able to fupply the fowers with as much as they will want. This will be attended with no fort of ex pence, and may be the means of faving fomewhat in the feed. Perhaps too, this practice may be attended with a very valuable advantage. I have not indeed yet made the trials neceffary to fatisfy me of the reality of what I imagine : but my defire to be of fervice to the public, induces me to mention it, that the lovers of agriculture may reflect upon it, and try fuch experiments as will clear up my conjectures. Threfhing the feed only juft before it is fowed, may poffibly, in fome meafure, or perhaps entirely prevent the firft caufe of the di- ftemper which we call charbon. By this I mean, that the feed which has not been mixed with fmutty wheat, or any infected by its black powder, will be exempt from that diftemper. Not that I take that black powder to be abfulutely the original caufe of that diftemper : but I believe it very capable of communicating it to grains that are found. I wifh the multiplicity of my occupations may permit me to en- deavour to clear up this matter, and purfue the obfervations I have begun to make. If I can be fo happy as to make any ufcful dif- coveries, I mall communicate them to the public. That nothing may be neglected which can be of any fervice to the feed, great care ought, in my opinion, to be taken in threfhing it ; eipecially in the manner that is commonly pra&ifed, with flails, upon the barn floor, or by trampling it with hones. In either of thefe ways, a great number of grains are fo bruifed and hurt, that it is im- poffible they mould ever grow. If the wheat intended for feed, is not thoroughly dry and hard, the mifchief is ftill greater 3 much more of it being then abL'lutely crufhed by the flail. As the new hufbaudry requires much lefs feed, it will be the eafier to 23o EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. to execute an operation which might be too long and troublefome to practife for fo great a quantity as is ufed in the old way. The method I advile, and which I myfelf have practifed, is this : let one or two beams, two feet and a half, or three feet thick, be laid acrofs the barn floor : let the threihers ftand at each fide of the beam, with a loofe fheaf of wheat behind every man, from which he will take a handful at a time, and give it two or three ftxokes againft the beam : this will bring out a great deal of grain, which is to be referved for feed. Thefe ears may be bundled up again, and afterwards threfhed out with the flail, for other ufes. This method is not lb tedious as fome may imagine: we are fure that not a grain is bruifed ; the corns drop very readily out of the ears, efpecially of wheat that has grown in beds: the great fize of the grain helps to open thehufks, and thofe are the mod: perfect grains which drop out thus. I think I may compare this operation with what is done in the making of wine. The firft running is always the higheft flavour'd and beft. Though the proper feafon for fowing be come, the corn ought not to be put into the earth, if the temperature of the feafon is not favour- able. It ought on the contrary, to be deferred in hopes of a change. If the weather is very hot, and the earth extremely dry, there will be an abfolute neceflity of waiting till fome rain has fallen. Without this precaution, the feed will rife but very imperfectly. I am fure of it, by feveral experiments which I have made, and which contra- dict a common faying of our farmers, that the earth is the bell gra- nary to keep corn. Full of this notion, whenever the ftated time comes round, they fow, without diftindtion, in wet or dry land : even heat does not hinder them : they think their feed will certain'v fprout well after the firft rain : but I have always experienced that the plants have come up thin- I tried an experiment purpofely to fatisfy myfelf whether one can fow with fuccefs, when the weather is very hot, and the earth very dry. Upon reading Mr. Duhamel du Monceau's excellent treatife of the prefervation of corn, I obferved that he had found by his expe- riments, that wheat which had been dried in a ftove heated to 60 degrees of M. de Reaumur's thermometer, had loft its faculty of growing. From thence I conjectured that wheat which fhould undergo a heat, for example, of 30 degrees, during a longer time, would be equally Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 231 equally parched up, and rendered incapable of growing. I confidered the earth, when hot and dry, as a kind of ftove, in which if the feed remained too long, without receiving any moifture, it may become fo dry, that the greateft part of it will never be able to fprout. thought this reafoning juft ; and therefore determined, in order fully to Jatisfy myfeif, to have recourfe to that trufty guide, experience. The 1 8th of July, 1754, at four o'clock in the afternoon, I placed M. de Reaumur's thermometer two inches deep in the earth, and fcreened it from the immediate impreffion of the rays of the fun. The liquor role to the 3 ift degree, which fhewed me the heat of the earth. The thermometer being afterwards expofed to the fun, the liquor rofe to 56 degrees. The fame day, I fowed 80 grains of wheat in the fame ground. The heat continued nearly the fame the reft of that month, and almoft all Auguft. On the 31ft of July, only 10 grains had mot up, and the 1 6th of Auguft there were in all 16 ; after which, not one more rofe : confequently 64 grains out of the 80 never fprouted at all K The 28th of July I lowed 50 grains. Only four of them rofe by the j 6th of Auguft, and not one after. Here were again 46 grains which did not grow at all. The fame day, I fowed 60 grains in another place. The 16th of Auguft; only fix grains had fprouted, and not one plant more ever ap- peared after: confequently here too were 54 grains which never grew. All tbefe grains were fowed in my garden, in exceeding good mould. I was fure that the wheat I fowed was perfectly found, and in every refpecl: capable of growing. It was therefore quite clear, that fo great a number of grains out of the whole, which did not fprout at all, had loft the faculty of growing, by their being parched up by the heat and drynefs oi the earth. To be flill more certain of this, three weeks after I had fowed thefe grains, I watered half of them feveral times ; but to no purpofe: not one of them rofe, and 1 found feveral of them quite whole in the esrth where I had fowed them. After this experiment, on the nth of Auguft: I fufpended the lovvings I had begun the 8th, and did not refume them till the 26th, after fome rain which fell the 22d and 23d. Thefe la-ft fowings rofe much better than the fir ft. •» * Wheat has however been known to rife very well after having remained fix weeks or two months in the earth' : perhaps the circumftanccs were different Thus 232 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. Thus it is that experience and obfervation teach us to leave off bad cuftoms, or fuch as are not founded on principles with which a man of fenfe can reft fatisfied. Whenever the produce of the fields on which my experiments were tried, is confidered, it ought always to be remembered, that I ufed no dung on any of thofe lands, and that they received no other improvement than what was owing to a better preparation of the earth, only by ftirring it. Thofe who chufe to have recourfe to dung, will probably reap greater crops : with an hundred loads, they may dung three times more land than is done in the common way; for the dung fhould be fpread very thin, if one would have it be of any fervice. By fpreading if too thick, I believe the plants would grow too rank, and be apt to be lodged. The new hufbandry fupplies the want of dung, not only by ftir- ring the earth, and not over-burdening it with too many plants, but like wife by the firong thick Jlubble it produces, which affords a mo/l excellent manure, attended with no cxpence. It lies ready upon thefpot; the plowing of the earth buries it ; and as it is a long time in rotting, it helps to keep the foil loofe and light, and is repeated every year. I have found ftubble almoft whole at a year's end ; and fome I have feen not quite confumed at the end of two years. But can we be fure that this manure is of any confequence, or real advantage ? After what I have already feen of its effects, I will ven- ture to fay, that it contributes greatly to increafe the productions of the earth. I have very often plucked up plants remarkable for their beauty, and have frequently found their roots interwoven with tufts of ftubble, which (hewed me the caufe of their extraordinary growth. I fhall foon have more pofitive proofs of this, by the experiments I am now making to clear up this point. ARTICLE VIII. Experiments made on beds fawed with fix rows of wheat : comparifon of their produce, with that of beds fowed with only three rows; and fome inquiry concerning the number of rows which it is bejl to few. IN the journal of 1753, article VII. I gave an account of my fuccefs in fowing beds with two turns of the drill-plough, in order to have fix rows of wheat. It anfwered fo well, that I thought I fhould run no hazard in fowing a larger extent of ground in the fame manner, This Chap. II. BY M. DE CHA TE AU- VI EUX. 233 This experiment fucceeded equally well this year. I fhall not enter into a detail of it, becaufe that would be only a repetition of what I faid on this fubjedt in 1753. As to the refult, the reader will recollecl:, that the fame ground made into beds wide enough to be fowed with two turns of the drill-plough, which make fix rows, produced more corn than if it had been fown in beds with only one draught of the drill-plough, which would have made but three rows. With regard to the quantity of the produces of the crops of 1753 and 1754, compared together, I have found that the fix rowed beds produced this year very nearly the fame that they did in 1753 ; ex- cepting the field of the experiment, No. VIII. which yielded about half as much again as the year before. Notwithftanding the profit which I found in thefe experiments repeated two years running, I do not think it advifeable to enlarge the ' number of rows to fo many as fix. Five will, in my opinion, be very fufficient : and they may be made with one cut of the drill- plough, by giving it five fhares, which is very eafily done. This number of rows will be a proper medium between fix and three. Sowing in five rows will not, however, do in all forts of lands. I believe it fhould be pra&ifed on none but good ones, and that middling lands fhould continue to be fowed with three rows at niofr. I fhall add farther, with refpect to good lands, that they ought not to be fowed with five rows, till after they have been thoroughly well ftirred; and, above all, not till after the great furrow in the middle of the bed has been cut extremely deep, in order that the roots of the middle row, which is the moft diftant from the plowed alley?, may find a fufficient depth of mould immediately under them,, to fupply them with their necefiary nourifhment. But at the fame time that a provifion is made for the nourifhment of the plants, care muft be taken not to loofetoo much land, by mak- ing the alleys wider than they need be. My experiments have de- termined me to make my beds for the future about fix feet wide. Bv leaving feven inches diftance between each row, the five rows will take up about two feet four inches, and there will remain three feet eight inches fcr the breadth of the alleys. This fpace is fufficient for the plough or cultivator to operate in with eafe. Hh A R- 234 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. ARTICLE IX. Experiment made in order to know which is the mofl profitable way of f owing the beds, and to a/certain more precifely the quantity of feed proper to be ufedy in order to have the greatejl crop. THE title of this article divides it naturally into two parts, which I fhall treat feparately. It is of great confequence to know which is the moft profitable way of fowing the beds ; that is to fay, that by which they will be flocked with a proper number of plants ; for when too much feed is fowed, the plants hurt one another ; and when too little, the earth is not enabled to produce fo much as it is capable of doing. The bufinefs therefore is, to determine what number of plants would be moft advantageous. Luckily, the difference is wide enough between the too great, and the too fmall number; and the produce of the crops cannot be diminished but by an excefs one way or the other. But whatever certainty we may acquire with refpect to this interefting point, we cannot flatter ourfelves that we fhall always be able to keep to it in our practice. The various accidents to which corn is liable, from the hour of its being fowed till it is reaped, will al- ways fruftrate the methodical arrangement which we may have in- tended to give the plants. The difficulty of fucceeding in this inquiry, ought not however to difcourage us : for it would be attended with fuch advantages as would make very ample amends for all the labours beftowed upon it. Let us then have recourfe to experiments. Thofe that are made with this view, will never be quite ufelefs. If they do not lead us to the very thing we are in fearch of, they may at leaft difcover to us others which may be of fervice. According to our principles, the diftance between each plant ought to be equal throughout the whole length of the rows, that all of them may have an equal quantity of earth to draw their nourifh- ment from. Several experiments have fhewn that fix inches is not too great a diftance for the plants to be at from one another. In this cafe, it would be fufficient to fow one grain of wheat from fix to fix inches. According to this difpofition, a field well prepared ought to produce the greateft crop. The plants will very commonly branch out fo as to Chap. II. BY M. DE CHAT E AU-V I E U X. 235 to have 20, 30, ©r 40 ftalks : I have had fome with upwards of 80. Tis pity that this exact diftribution of the feed cannot fubfift long. The accidents I met with, foon convinced me, that it was neceflary to increafe the quantity of the feed, and that very confiderably. However, this does not yet hinder me from thinking, that if" any eafy method could be found, to have a plant of wheat exactly at every fix inches diftance in the rows, it would be the beft way of fowing lands. I have often confidered how this could be reduced to practice, as well to fatisfy my curiofity, as that I might be the better able to proceed in my operations. When a theory is known to be good, one is ftrongly encouraged to draw all poffible advantages from it for the practical part ; one proceeds with confidence and pleafure. Experience having convinced me that it never would be poffible to have a plant at every fix inches in each row, by fowing only a An- gle grain of wheat at thofe distances ; it naturally followed, that the way to have the ground better covered with plants was, to fow more grains. The next queftion was, how many grains fhould be fowed in each place : fhould it be two, three, or more ? Experi- ence only could clear this doubt. I therefore tried the following experiment. I fowed a different number of grains in clufters, fix inches dijlant from each other, putting one grain in the fir ft, two in the fecond, and fo on to the fixth, which had fix grains : then I began again, and went on as before, till the whole length of the row was fowed in this manner. The produce of each clufter was to (hew me whether it would be beft to double, triple, or quadru- ple the feed, which it was plain had been fowed too thin, when only a fingle grain was dropt at every fix inches. The winter of 1753 was already far advanced when thefe thoughts firft occurred to me. It was then too late to try this experiment with wheat : but, that I might not lofe a year, I did it in the fpring with barley ; not doubting but that corn, which is ufually fowed in March, might furnifh me with fbme ufeful hints for the culture of that which remains longer in the ground. Accordingly, the ninth of April 1754, I ordered another bed to be fowed with barley, in my prefence, and in the manner I have juft related. I counted all the grains of each clufter myfelf. They were fowed in three rows. I varied the experiment in the row next the fouth, by fowing no clufters there of lefs than 3, 4, 5, or 6 grains ; which I continued the whole length of the row. At har- Hh 2 veft, 236 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, PartH. veft, all the clufters in which federal grains had been fowed, were fo thick, that they touched one another. What is of moft confequence to our culture, is, to know the pro- duce of each clufter. The annexed table fhews it particularly. I fhall only add, that the clufters, as they are here ranged under their refpe&ive numbers, occupied forty feet in length. EXPLANATION Of the table tf the bed pwed in clujlers Sgr- bgr. 140 272 916 996 1215 1650 Total 5189 Fourthly, The ears were nearly equal, at leaft in two-thirds of the length of the rows : the other third furpaffed the reft, as will appear by the following extract of the twelve firft numbers of the South row. No. r ; produced 2 3 4 • • • 5 6 ; . ; 87 Jlalh> 12Z 9* 99 82 66 No. Chap. IT. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 239 No. 7 . produced . 78 ftalh. 8 100 9 . ; . . 87 10 ... 116 11 . . . .148 12 .... 68 Fifthly, The difference between the produce of the clutters fowed with one and with fix grains, is extremely great. The former pro- duced but 140 ftalks ; the others multiplied to 1650. 'Tis true the number of the clufters of fix grains is greateft y which is fome fmall diminution of the difference. Sixthly, I obferved feveral ftalks from which others had fhot outr all as ftrong, and as long, as thofe from which they derived their origin. They proceeded from the firft joint above the furface of the earth, generally at the heighth of three, four, or five inches, and were two, three, and lbmetimes four in number. I never perceived this kind of multiplication before ; but had, till then, always ob- ferved it to be at the neck, or point of feparation between the roots which defcend, and the ftalks which afcend, that the plants branch- ed out. Seventhly, I fafpedled, in the fummer, what was the caufe of the great vigour of the plants of this experiment ; but I faw it much plainer after harveft : for, upon pulling up fome of the tufts of ftubble, I found their roots innumerable. This fact is ftri&ly true. I could not count them upon any one plant that had more than 15 or 20 ftalks. Thefe roots were in fuch bundles, and fo confufedly interwoven one with another, that after counting feveral hundreds of them, I was forced to give up the talk. Their length and thicknefs was anfwerable to their number. I muft now remind the reader of what I faid before, that the feveral accidents which I met with in my firft experiments, fhewed me it was neceffary to increafe the quantity of the feed. I did fo, by fmall degrees, from year to year. It is equally important for the fuccefs of the new culture, not to run into another extreme by load- ing the earth with more plants than it can nourifh : the crop would: be confiderably diminifhed thereby. It appears by this experiment,, that the cluflers which were fowed with fix grains, did not hurt one another : on the contrary, their be- ifig fown in that manner proved an advantage, fince they produced much 240 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT. Part II. much more than the others : whence it follows, that one may, without danger, extend the quantity of the feed beyond the limits of the principles of the new hufbandry. Its principles are not the lefs true : but they leave the farmer at liberty to ufe his own pru- dence in the application of them, according to the nature of the foil. Thofe principles, which fuppofe that every plant is to fubfifr. till harreft, reduce the feed to a very fmall quantity : but numbers of accidents deftroy many of them. Our reafon ought confequently to tell us, that, without deviating too much from the principles we adapt, we may, and fhould judicioufly ftock our land with a fuf- ficient number of plants, in order to guard againft unavoidable ac- cidents. Still I may be afked, what is that fufficient quantity ? I anfwer, that our experiment fhews that fowing fix grains together in a cluf- ter, from fix to fix inches, all the length of the rows, will not be found too thick. By following this rule, one may be almoit certain that the whole ground will be ftocked with a proper number of plants. This ought, however, to be looked upon only as a general propofition, which it will often be very proper to deviate from iu the circumftances we are going to mention : When the fencing feafon is favourable. JVhen the land is well prepared. In countries where the winter is feldom fevere. When the land is but little liable to infeSls. Wfjen the land is not in danger of being hurt by too much drought , or too much wet. And lafrJy, When the land is good and very fertile: In all fhefe, and other fuch like cafes, lefs feed fhould be fowed j and, in the contrary cafes, more. Prudence, and a careful ftudy of the nature of the foil, ought to be our guides. Two or three years experience will be fufficient to fhew us the practice that will be beft to follow. It will be right to repeat our laft mentioned experiment, and even to vary it. In all probability it will afford us ftill greater lights. It will be right, for example, to fow the clufters with a greater num- ber of grains, beginning with fix, the produce of which is known, and Chap. II. BYM.DE CHATEAtT-VIEUX z4f and going on to feven, eight, and even more, always in clufters, till one comes to a number at which the crop ceafes to yield an equal profit. By this means, the two extremes may be known, either of too much, or too little feed ; and the juft proportion will then be eafily determined. Some farther alterations may likewife be made in this experiment. For example, I placed the grains in the earth fo that they touched one another. I will try to put them at fome little difiance from each other, and to arrange them in a kind of circle, of about three inches diameter. It is reafonable to think, that the plants may make a greater progrefs then, as they will not all have one com- mon center : fome of them will be nearer to the plowed alley j their roots will reach it more eafily than before, and will multiply there, which may render the plants more vigorous. ARTICLE X. General difpoftion for the farther progrefs of the new Hujbandry, and particularly for the crop of 1755. IT is with uncommon fatisfa&ion that we fee the trials of the new hufbandry multiply daily. A great number of intelligent perfons have fown part of their lands in equally diftant rows, with the drill- plough, for the next harveft. We have already feveral farms, fomt of which are confiderable ones, in the neighbourhood of Geneva which are no longer fown any other way. Tis a great deal to fee this new road thus readily entered into. Thofe who follow will foon begin to take a pleafure in calculating, and will be curious to compare the new crops with the old. Thefe calculations will infenfibly lead to others, on the produce of land, when laid out in beds. They will fee, that there can be no hazard in making a few trials. Thus it is that feveral have been determin- ed to cultivate fome of their lands this year in beds. That thefe arguments mould have their full weight with men capable of reafoning, is not to be wondered at : but I confefs I have been agree- ably furprifed, to find this conviction extend to people who can feldom be prevailed on to leave their beaten track. Some peafants in thefe parts fent a mefienger this winter to tell me, that they began to have a good opinion of the method I pradifed ; that they were aftonifh- ed at the beauty of my young plants, the like to which they had never ken before ; and that if they continued to do well, and met I i with 242 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Tart II. with no accident, I ought to have a prodigious crop. After this preamble, he continued, faying, that he was directed to beg of me to give him the particulars of my experiments ; that they mould meet, feveral of them together, to read them over in the winter, and make their little reflections upon them. He concluded with adding : " I believe we (hall all agree to fow in equally diftant rows,, " with the drill-plough ; and perhaps too we may, by and bye, lay " our lands out in beds." I own I found a great deal of good fcnfc and prudence in this conduct of the peafants. I gave them the experiments of 1753, and fent them word that both my advice and my drill-plough were at their fervice, and that it fhould coir, them nothing if they chofe to make a trial of it. They have been well latisfied with what they have read, and feem difpofed to accept of my offers. I have experienced this year, more than ever, the facility with which lands are cultivated in the new way. No part of the farm where I fometimes make a little flay, is any longer cultivated after the old method. The moft troublefome part is now over •. my lands were fowed in a favourable feafon ; the plants role extremely well,, and flourifhed perfectly till the beginning of winter : but the fevcrity of the frofts has proved fatal to many parts of my fields, and will certainly be a detriment to my crops. SECT. V. Continuation of M, De Chateau-vieux'j Experiments in- 1755 and 1756. TVyTY lands were cultivated in J 75 5, in the fame manner as they J- "■*■ were the years before. I fhall therefore not enter into anv de- tail upon that fubject. When I fowed my fields, they were very- well prepared to receive the feed; the fpring was pretty kindly ; and towards the end of autumn my corn was very fine, excepting forne fpots that were attacked with the rufi fo early as the tenth of No- vember : other places in which the plants were ftrong and healthy, promifed a moil plentiful crop ; and though it was greatly dirninith- ed by the winter's frofts, it proved, upon the whole, iufneient to confirm the advantages of the new hufbandry, which have been al- ready proved in my former accounts. The winter of the year 1754, was a molt fevere one. The frcft, which was exceffively intenfe, lafted a long time, and killed a pro- digious Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIE UX. 243 digious number of plants : thofe that refifted it, loft fome of the branches they had fhot out in the autumn before, and the plants fo weakened branched but little in the fpring. The evil would have been infinitely greater, if the ground had chanced to be full of water, when thofe extreme hard frofts came on : but luckily it was not very wet. This winter was followed by a very dry fpring, Uncommonly hot, and confequently unfit to recover the corn. The fummer, in which there was fcarce any rain or dew, but very frequently fultry fcorch- ing heats, exhaufted the plants in feveral fields. I was not furprifed at it. The feafons were extremely unfavourable to the productions of the earth ; and, to add to the misfortune, a vaft quantity of worms did likewife confiderable damage to the corn. However, my wheat role ; the ftraw was pretty near as long as in the preceding years, and the ears were well filled with grain. The plowings had been well performed, which kept the earth in a ftate of moifture; lefs indeed than in 1754, becaufe but very little dew fell in 1755. • The wheat cultivated in the old way, yielded but few fheaves : the ftraw was fhort ; the ears were very full of grain ; and, in general, the quality of the corn was excellent. There was room to expect good fuccefs from the lands that were fown in 1755, for the crop of 1756. The young plants rofe ex- tremely well, the ground had been properly prepared, and had the degree of moifture necefiary to promote their growth. Though fome flight frofts were felt towards the latter end of Oc- tober, they did not prevent the growth of the corn, the cold abating from the twelfth of November, to the end of that month. M. de Reaumur's thermometer was, during that time, at from fix to eight degrees above the freezing point. At the fame time we had pretty frequent, and often plentiful fhowers of rain. The corn was in very good condition at the beginning of the winter, during which there was fcarce any froft, excepting the ten firft days of December, when the thermometer fell to about fix de- grees below the freezing point. During the months of January and' February, it was pretty conftantly above the freezing point : we had little fnow ; but pretty frequent rains. The fpring and fummer of 1756, having been extremely rainy, and the earth too much foaked thereby, the plants were poor, and the fummer plowings could not be given them. For this reafon, I I i 2 could 244 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, PartIL could give feveral of my fields but one culture ; and others had two. I would not plow whilft the. earth was fo very wet : it would only have hardened, and as it were kneaded, it ; and I judged that fuch bad plowings would have been equally prejudicial to the corn then growing, and to the preparation of the fallow for the next fowing„ I found afterwards that I had done right. One could not/jut expect that fo- unfavourable a feafon would prove fatal to the corn. I had obferved during all the month of April, in which there was no froft, and the thermometer was from five to feven degrees above the freezing point, and towards the end of that month from nine to twelve degrees, that the corn made but little progrefs> and grew yellow. The diftemper continuing to in- creafe, I perceived in May, that the corn was attacked with what is called the rickets : the. had flate of the roots of thefe plants, the colour of their blades turned to a blueifh green, and yellow at the point, left no room to doubt what ailed them j and from that time it was eafy to forefee, that befides the fmallnefs of the number of ftalks which the plants had produced, and by which the crop would cer- tainly be fcanty,, it. would be diminished ftill more, by the ears hav- ing but little grain. In June, the healthy plants throve greatly : the flraw grew long : but yet the fheaves did not yield fo much grain as in the foregoing years, by about a fifth part, as nearly as I could judge. The corn was very fine and very clean ; and had it not been for this accident, I am confident I fhould have had a very plentiful crop.. I did not fee any one field exempt from this diftemper. Exceed- ing fine corn, cultivated in the old way, was totally infected with itj and the fheaves in general yielded but about half the quantity of corn that they ufually do in good years.. The grains were very fmall, and mixed with a great many feeds of weeds. Thefe general notions are neceffary, in order to form a right judgment of the refult of my experiments, which I fhall relate in the following order.. The firfl article will comprehend the experiment which I made upon all the fields which I laid out in beds, the laft of which now bore their third crop. I have diftinguifhed them by the fame num- bers as in the former years, and fhall add to each the particular ob- fgrvations that relate immediately to it. The fecond article will fhew the produce of the lands fowed in: squally diilant rows^ with the drill-plough. I fhall make fome re- flections, Chap. : II. BY" M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 645 fk&ions on the ufefulnefs of this practice, which is certainly always preferable to the common way of fowing. I fliall prove in the third article, that it is ftill more profitable to lay the ground out in beds. This proof will refult from the calcu- lations and comparifons of the produce in each different way. ARTICLE I. Experiments made on fidds laid out in beds, the laji made of which have borne three fucceeding crops. Thefe fields are dijiinguijhed by the fame numbers as in the foregoing years. Obfervations relating particularly to each experiment. EXPERIMENT, No. I. Year 1755. N. B. This was made on the fame piece of ground on which I made my fiirjl experiments in 1751 ; and this years crop was thefixth, with- out any interruption* I" Gave a very full account, in the ninth article of the year 1754, ± of the experiment which I made in order to be the better able to judge which is the moft profitable way of fowing the beds ; and to determine what quantity of feed it is moft proper to fow, in order to have the greateft crop ; and this I called, fowing in cluflers, at the dijlance of fix inches from the center of the one to the other v I (haft only remind the reader here, that the fpot of ground which was fowed in clutters, with barley, in the fpring, was part of a bed, forty feet long, and that the produce of the grain was feventeen pounds weighty befides a confiderable quantity that was fhed in reaping. This experiment, which deferved to be repeated, was tried again the fame year, and upon the fame ground which I had fowed with barley. This lair grain being reaped, I fowed the fame bed with wheat, the twenty-third of September following : but it is to be obferved that I did not plow this fpot after the barley was off, but only "plucked up the ftubble, and made three channels, into which the feed was dropt by hand inclufters fix inches diftant from one an- other. AsJn the experiment of 1754, the clufters fowed with fix grams, were. 246 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. were thofe which produced the moft ftalks and grains, I fowed all the clufters with at lead fix grains, fome with feven, and others with eight ; keeping all the grains at fome little diftance from each other. The bed forty feet long contained eighty-three clufters in each row, which were fowed with two ounces fix pennyweights of wheat. The plants came up very well : I fpared no pains to cultivate them ;. they throve wonderfully till harveft : their blades, ftalks, ears, and grains, were very fine ; and I preferved them from the birds with a net : but as I would not reap them till they were tho- roughly ripe, a great deal was flied in cutting them down, and they yielded me but twenty-eight pounds. OBSERVATIONS. THIS experiment is a farther confirmation of the refult of the firft which was made in 1754, viz. that fix grains are not too great a number to be fowed in a clufter, fix inches diftant from the next clufter. I had not leifure to count the ftalks which each clufter produced ; but the twenty-eight pounds weight of corn which they yielded, feems a fufficient proof. The circumftance of not plowing the bed before it was fowed, confirms the advantages of preparing land according to the new huf- bandry. I faid that the ftubble was plucked up, in order to prepare the bed for being fowed. This lhewed me how much ftubble helps to enrich land. When this bed was fowed, and the corn fprung up, I ordered the furrows which were made before winter, next the outward rows, to be opened for about half the length of that bed, and the ftubble to be put into them, and covered over with earth : confequently it was laid in the ground which was cultivated, and in that part of it where the plants were to extend their roots. As the quantity of roots col- lected there was pretty great, I concluded that the effect ought to be much more fenfible than it can be in other fields where the plow- man buries them as chance directs. In effect, that part of the bed became much finer than the reft -, the plants produced a greater num- ber of ftalks j and there is no room to doubt that the ftubble was an excellent manure. Year Chap.-II. fiY.-M.DE G H AT E AU- VI E 0X, 247 Year 1756. T Purpofed to continue fowing this bed in clutters, and -to increafe ■*• the quantity of the feed, in order to fee rt»hat the effect would be: but, in hopes of better fuccefs, J gave up -the thoughts I once had of reaping a third crop from this bed without plowing it. After one plowing, I fowed it, the fixteenth of September 1755, in three rows of 93 clufters in each row, and 10 or 15 grains in each clutter : and in order to place them with fome kind of regularity, I made ufe of an iron hoop about three inches diameter, which was laid upon the ground at each place that was to be fowed, and the grains were dropt at nearly equal diftances, fome round the infide, and fome in the middle of this circle. Each clufter was fowed in this manner. The fpace from one center to another, was about five inches. The feed was covered over lightly, with a rake, and the quantity employed in this operation, was five ounces twelve pennyweights. This wheat was always very fine, from its firft rifing, till harvefh. It was reaped the thirty-firft of July, and yielded twenty-three pounds of grain. OBSERVATIONS. npHOUGH the produce of this bed was lefs this year than in -"• 1755, I did not think it ought to be imputed to the increafe of the quantity of feed that was fowed, becaufe the plants were as ftrong as could be wifhed, their ftraw as long as in the former years, and their ears as big : but I obferved that this bed had not been quite free from ficknefs, and that it contained a pretty confiderable num- ber of rickety plants, which yielded but little grain. It refults from this experiment, that a certain quantity of feed is neceffary, to counterbalance the many accidents to which corn is perpetually liable. Though this bed might have yielded a greater quantity of grain in a more kindly year; yet its product, even in this, was very confider- able : for if we reckon in proportion the produce of an arpent, which I fuppofe to confift of 100 fquare perches (the perch of 22. feet) containing 484 fquare feet, the breadth of which make four beds of five feet and an half wide each, it would yield 3795 pounds ~ of z48 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. of grain, produced by 56 pounds, 10 ounces of feed : which is after the rate of 67 for 1. To this it will be objected, that tho' a fmall fpot of ground, like that we have been fpeaking of, was made to produce fo confiderable a quantity of grain, it would probably not be poffible to obtain fuch a crop in proportion from an extent of fome acres of land. — It may be fo : but fuppofing the crop to be even greatly inferior, it would ltill be much more confiderable than the common crops. Let us examine this queflion more minutely. It is of great con- fequence not to embrace an opinion, and efpecially a di (advantageous one, before it has been carefully confidered. Let us fee then to what the diminution of the crop may be owing. I fay nothing of the particular accidents which may in general leffen crops : but, fuppofing all things equal, in fuch an extent of ground, my opinion is that the firft and efTential caufe of the milcarriage, can be imputed only to the cultivator himfelf, who fees what is belt to be done, but neglects it; and who ought at leafr. to endeavour, as much as pof- fibly he can, to do that in great, which he lees lucceed fo well in Imall. I grant that many reflections, and reafonings, which feem at firfl fight extremely juft and appofite, are in reality oftentimes only fpe- cious and deceitful, and that it is always right to recur to experimen- tal proofs. Luckily we have fuch ready to produce. The celebrated Wolfius obferved long ago, that the productions of plants which grow in large pieces of ground, are always fine when the feed has been properly buried, and fowed thin : whence he con- cluded, that the moil extenfive fields ought to produce as much in proportion as fmall ones, and that it is evident that whenever an ex- periment has been made with the necefTary precautions, and has fuc- ceeded upon the tenth part of any piece of ground, it ought to luc- ceed equally upon two, three, or four tenths, and confequently upcn the whole of that ground. The experience of five years, of which I fhall give an account in the following article, will, I believe, prove this very fufficiently. E X- Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU -VIEUX. EXPERIMENT. No. II. 249 N. B. This field is marked with the fame number in the jormer experiments. For the crop of 1752, it was four J ivifh 11 pounds jounces cf •wkeat} which produced 1041 pounds 12 ounces. For the crop of i'j 53, it was fowed with 34 pounds 14. ounces, which produced 1575 pounds. For the crop of 1754, // was fowed with 61 pounds 14 ounces, which produced 1820 pounds. For the crop of 1755, it was f wed with 78 pounds, which produced 1950 pounds. For the crop of 1756, it was fowed with 51 pounds, which produced 1885 pounds. Year 1755. T Had now cultivated Smvrna wheat for fome years, fowing the ■*■ whole of each year's produce, in order to increafe my quantity lb as to be able to fow a pretty large field with it ; which I could not compleat till 1754, for the crop of 1755. The field in quefHon was fowed with 78 pounds of this corn. It rofe very well : but towards the end of winter, I was furprifed to find that a great quantity of plants had been deftroyed by the froft j and I foon perceived, that almoft all the ftrongeft and healthieft plants were thofe of common wheat, and that there were very few of Smyrna wheat. I had obferved at the time of fowing, that there was fome mixture in the feed : and as I had fome of the fame fort frill remaining, I was able to fatisfy myfelf that there was a third part of common wheat in the Smyrna wheat which I had fowed ; and that it was the former which grew fo fine, and of which almoft the whole crop confided. This fhews that Smyrna wheat does not refift hard frofts : but at the fame time, fuch winters as that of 1754, very feldom happen in this country. This field was reaped the nineteenth of July . the common wheat was thorough ripe, and the Smyrna wheat quite green, though its grain was grown very hard. 1 leparated the ears of Smyrna wheat from the others, in order K k to 25o EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. to bind them up in diftinct (heaves, that I might have their grain pure and unmixed. This field produced 213 pounds of Smyrna wheat, and 1737 pounds of common wheat; in all 1950 pounds: which is a greater crop than that of the preceding years. OBSERVATIONS on Smyrna wheat. MY former crops of this wheat, though the quantity was but fmall, had already fhewed me plainly that it produces more grain than any other kind. In 1755, the fheaves of this wheat, of the fame fize as thofe of our common wheat, yielded more grain by half than the others did. It is therefore probable, that the planting of this grain will be attended with advantage, efpecially in climates not fubjecl: to too hard frofts. But what is of very great importance, is, to know well at what degree of maturity this corn mould be reaped. The two firft years that I fowed any of it, the ears were prodigioufly big, and full of very plump well-fed grains : but I was uneafy not to fee them ripen. They continued green, whilft I expected daily that they would turn yellow, and the grain grow hard ; but in vain. By this delay, the grains wafted fo much, that I never faw any fmaller, nor fo much fhrunk as thefe. However, they fprouted well when fowed, and produced very fine plants. The third year, I determined to reap them fooner than I had done the firft. Accordingly, I cut them down as foon as I found that the grains had acquired a fufficient degree of hardnefs, notwith- standing that the corn was ftill quite green. The confequence of this was, that the grains remained exceeding plump and fine. Year 1756. T Continued to fow the fame field with Smyrna wheat, of which I •^ procured fome quite pure and unmixed. I fowed 51 pounds of this wheat, the firft of October. The plants were fine, and fuffi- ciently forward before winter, and throve prodigioufly from fpring till harveft. But I ought not to omit obferving, that Smyrna wheat is as apt to be rickety as common wheat, and that numbers of thefe plants were affected with that diftemper. This crop was reaped the twenty-ninth of July, being ftill green, ac4 Chap. II. BY M. DE CHAT E AU- V I E UX. 251 and the grain only hardened. It yielded 1885 pounds of exceeding fine, clean* good fized wheat. OBSERVATIONS. I T would anfwer no end to make experiments, if one were not to attend to the inftructions they may afford : but as thofe inftruc- tions will fometimes efcape the notice even of the moft careful ob- ferver, it is proper always to repeat the experiments, and to continue them conftantly for fome time. 'Tis by fo doing, that the advan- tages of the new hufbandry will appear in their true light, and b* eftablifhed beyond difpute. The field I am now fpeaking of, and from which I reaped five crops, in five years immediately following one another, prefents us real and very confiderable advantages, which I fhall let forth in what appears to me the jufteft and moft ftriking manner. To this end, I fhall ftate exactly the products of the field in que- ftion, cultivated in the old and in the new way. I fhall begin with its produce during fixteen years that it was cultivated according to the rules of the old hufbandry ; namely, from the crop of 1730, to that of 1744 inclufively. In this fpace of time, it produced eight crops ; the cuftom of the country being to fow but once in two years, and to reft the ground each alternate year. My account may be depended upon, as perfectly exact. I have extracted it out of a journal kept by a fteward of mine, who died in 1745, and who was fcrupuloufly exact even in the fmalleft concerns. After giving the produce of this field, the foil of which is very good and ftrong, during fixteen years that it was cultivated in the old way ; I fhall fhew what the fame field produced in five years cultivation according to the new method, in order to compare the different products of only five years to fixteen ; and afterwards draw a comparifon between both the cultures for fixteen years, fuppo- fing, which is a great difadvantage, that the eleven remaining years of the new hufbandry produce no more than thefe firft five years. K k 2 Number 2$* EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT. Part II. Number I. Produce of the field Number II, during fixteen years that it ivas cultivated in the. old way -, viz. from the crop of the year 1730, tct that of the year 1 744, inchtjhely. SOWED. Iji 1729. : { Wheat 73 ' 2 Barbary wheat 1733. Wheat Wheat Englifh wheat : Wheat Wheat Wheat mixed with tares J735 J737 '739 1741 V43 Total feed of eight years Pounds 425 Pounds, 267 63 \ 483 441 5°4 44i 441 47 3 5°4 3558* in 173-0. 1732. REAPED. Pounds. "34 A year extremely bad,, on account of- the great quantity of flugs which de- ftroyed the wheat, and the many ^1606 feeds of weeds that it was mixed 1734... * . r . *95?-> >736- . IOOi) 1738. . . • . 977 1740.. . . 1291 1742. . 1638 1744- : 1512 Total amount of the crops of eight years, 7 in the fpace of iixteen years . - > 1 1 119 Brought Chap, II. BY M. DE CHA TEAU-VI EUX. 253 Brought over; Total amount of the crops of eight •> years, in the fpace of fixteen years ■> " To be deduced. Pounds. Sittings of 1732 . . » 756 * Sittings of the other years . . 1009 Seed, as above .. . . 3558' ^ ■ ■ 0JJ 5323 Remains, for the neat produce of fixteen years, . 5796 * This field alf/ayr f reduced clean corn, greater pains being taken to keep it free from weeds, than cautd be bejiov)ed upon other pieces of ground, tiiore dijtant or more extenfive. The' Jf tings would ctberwife have been more confderable in fo great a num- ber of years. Number II. Produce of the field Number II, during five years of culture in the new itay. S O W E D. In 1751. Wheat 175-2. Wheat 1 753. Wheat- 1754. Smyrna wheat 1755. Smyrna wheat Pounds. Ounces, . . II 4 • • 34 14- . 61 14 Totalled of five years . . . REAPED." 1*11752. : . '. •■'.-•■ 17 S3- '• • • • • 1754- • WS- • 1756. ...... Total -amount of the crops of five years To be deducted for the feed, as-above There was no fitting. . Remains for the neat produce ef the five 1 years . . ... . J 2-37 Pounds. Ounce,;. 1041 12 1820 1950 188 c 8271 ■ 23-7 r 12 . 8034 12 Number 254 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. Number III. Comparifon of the above produce of the new culture, with that of the old. Pounds. Ounces. The new hufbandry produced in five years, with- i « out any intermediate year of reft . 5 ^4 The old hufbandry produced, in fixteen years, . 5796 Confequently the new hufbandry produced in' - five years, more than the old did in fixteen, > 2238 12 by :en,S Number IV. Farther comparifon of the produce of the new hufbandry with that of the old, as above. NEW HUSBANDRY. Pounds. Ounces. The new hufbandry produced in five years . 8034 12 Suppofing the crops to be the fame for eleven) j-g-g vears more, thev would amount to . * ' ' ' years more, they would amount to And for fixteen years, to ' . \ z5711 3 OLD HUSBANDRY. The neat produce of the old hufbandry, in fix-? 6 teen years, was . . . $ ->'V The balance in favour of the new hufbandry,) would confequently be, in fixteen years . I 99 5 REFLECTIONS and OBSERVATIONS. T Dare to fay that very few of thofe who might juft have glanced *■ over the products of the five years during which the field No. 2. was Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 255 was cultivated in the new way, would have imagined the advantage to be near To great as it really is, had not the above comparifons been likewife laid before them. If nothing but the hope of great profit can recommend the new husbandry to the general practice of our farmers, the above calculations ought at once to determine them ; fince they here fee that the fame field produced much more grain in five years, and even in four, when managed in the new way; than it produced before in fixteen years, whilft cultivated according to the old method. I confefs that when I firft began to practife the new hufbandry, I did not expect fo great advantages. They might have been greater ftill, if I had not committed in the firft years, faults which considerably diminished the crops of 1752 and 1753. Befides thofe firft faults, I committed another which greatly leflened my crops. I was not aware that every field that is plowed deeper than it has ufually been, often lofes of its fertility for fome years, unlefs it be affifled by a fujficient quantity of manure. The new earth which is brought up to the furface by thefe plowings, remains fo hard and compact that it cannot be fit for the nourifhment of plants, till after it has been well broken by repeated plowings, and as it were ripened by the influence of the air, Gfc. This obfervation will be particularly ufefnl to all beginners in the new husbandry. They miift not be furprifed if their firft crops do not anfwer their wifh.es : but the deeper they plow at firft, the greater fuccefs they may juftly expect afterwards. In the mean time they muft fuffer patiently the inconvenience 1 have been fpeaking of, or remedy it by ufing a great deal of manure. Would it be reafonable to deiire greater advantages than thofe we have proved above ? any man of fenfe may furely be fatisfied with them. But by what fatality does it happen, that infinite numbers will not, or cannot fee them ? I know, for inftance, that except a certain number of perfons who have ftudied the new hufbandry tho- roughly, or practiced it with care, it is generally thought in this country, that the field No. 2. which I have been fpeaking of, has produced me lefs corn than it would have done if it had continued to be cultivated in the old way. Whence does this notion arife : Surely from this, that men are apt to judge too precipitately, ivitbout examining fufficiently, or calculating right. Whoever really wifhes to be in- formed, and defires to promote the public welfare, and bis own private good, may eafily attain thofe ends : but it muft be by a dif- 256 EXPERIMENT'S ON WHEAT, Part II. different road from that which is commonly purfued : it rauft be by reckoning and calculating, as I have done vvkh regard to the field in queflion. Some fields will not yield fo much as this has done : but yet their produce will be fuch as muft determine all unprejudiced perfons in. favour of the new hufbandry, as I {hall demonftrate by the calcula- tions in the third and fourth articles. EXPERIMENT, No. III. N. B. The field on which this experiment was made, contains an arpcrt. Have joined it to that cj the experiment No. 7, under which its pro- duce is included. E X P E RIMENT, No. IV. Sowed lb. oz. lb. oz ^ 1753 1754 '755 *756 ill half 2d half l8l 268 14 . 488 . 488 S16 • reaped 3370 4972 8 2080 3640 Year 1755. fYNE half of this field was laid out in beds in 1753, and the other *-' half, not till 1754. I mail begin with the oldeft, from which I ought to expect the beft crop, the ground being beft prepared. It was fowed the 27th and 28th of Auguft, with 488 pounds of wheat. This was a confiderable increafe of feed. I judged it necefiary, and fo it proved j for it preferved this field from being greatly hurt by the frofts in winter, which deftroyed a great number of plants. If they had not been fo thick fown, I make no doubt but that the crop would have been confideiably diminifhed. This half was reaped the 1 8:h of July, and yielded 5850 pounds of very fine grain. Here is a -crop confiderably greater than the former. It exceeds the fir ft by 2480 pounds. The other half of this field now bore its {econd crop. The fame quantity of feed (4181b,) was fowed, but did not produce fo much Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 257 as in the other half. As this pact lies in a bottom, the froft hurt it more than it did the other, nor had it been fo long laid out in beds ; befides which, the rains hindered me from Towing it at the fame time as the other half- It could not be fowed till the 21ft, 2 2d, 23d, and .24th of October, which is fomewhat late; It was reaped the 19th of July, and yielded 2080 pounds of wheats Year 1756. HPHIS field was fowed the 9th, 10th, and 12m of September, with ■*• 816 pounds of wheat, and reaped the 28th and 29th of July. The produce was 3640 pounds: O B S E R V AT I 0 N S. /^NE might juftly be furprized at the fcantinefs of this crop, if, ^-^ befides, what I faid before, of the general caufes which were fo prejudicial to this year's crop, I did not add thofe which may have more particularly affected this field. My intention was to fow it thicker than it chanced to be, by the fower's pot following my di- rections. The hurt might perhaps not have been great, if the year had proved kindly : but it was of great confequence this year, and particularly in this field, in which all the corn was extremely rickety. EXPERIMENT. No. V. Sowed Jb. Reaped lb. In 1753 . . 139. . . . 2205 1754 . . 224' ' . . 2283 1755 *j* ■ • • 388 * • * 26o° . 1756 . . 544 . . . 2700 Year 1755. '-p HIS field (till continued to be difficult to bring to good tilth ; ** and therefore required the more feed. It was fowed the 29th of Auguft, reaped the 29th of July, and produced 2600 pounds of grain. Year 1756. r Thought it neceffary to continue to increafe the feed of this ■*• field. It was fowed the 20th and 2 2d of September, with 544 pounds of wheat. The young plants looked very fine before winter, L I and 258 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. andpromifed better than thofe of the preceding years. The general accidents of the year affected them. They were reaped the 26th of July, and yielded 2700 pounds of corn. EXPERIMENT, No. VI. Sowed. lb. Reaped lb. For 1753 45 • • 724 1754 . . 82 . . . 798 < wheat . 126 . . . ; 900 J755 i barley . 12 . . . nothing 1756 beans and tares 153 . value in wheat 780 Year 175.5- npHIS field is one of thofe in which the ftiffnefs of the foil refifted ■*• longeft that degree of pulverifation in which the chief merit of the new hufbandry confifts. The firft crops were not confiderable. In 1754, I could not fow this ground before the 15th of October, and yet the plants which it produced were very fine. It was reaped the 2 1 ft of July, and produced 900 pounds of wheat. The moft remarkable thing in this field, was what happened to fome beds which I had fowed with 12 pounds of barley. The young plants were exceeding fine in autumn, but the hard frofts of the winter killed every one of them. As foon as I perceived this lofs, I endeavoured to repair it, by fowing the fame beds again with fpring barley : and as the two-wheat beds next to them had likewife fuffered fo much as to have but few plants left, I fowed them alfo with barley. Thefe beds were fowed without being plowed again. The whole charge of this fecond fowing confided in paffing the drill once over them, and in 28 pounds weight of barley which was ufed for the feed. This was done the 8th of April. This barley grew very fine. It was reaped the firft of Auguft, and yielded 270 pounds of grain. I doubt whether that which was fowed before the winter, eould have produced more : fothat I think this crop made me ample amends for the lofs of my firft feed. How great a proof is this of the excellence of the new hufbandry ! and how eafy a means does this hufbandry afford, of guarding againft dearth, when our young crops chance to be deftroyed, by the facility with which the fame lands may be fowed again, without lofs of time* Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATE AU-VIEUX. 259 time, and with fcarce any more expence than the bare cofl of other feed, which, in fuch times of general diftrefs, will produce crops of other ufeful grains, even more profitable than thofe of wheat. An ineftimable advantage, which fecures the fubfiftence of the people, and which cannot be obtained by the old hufbandry. This mull; be evident to every one who considers that all that is requifite, in fuch a cafe, in the new hufbandry, is only to fow again; whereas in the old way, the hufbandman is obliged to plow before he fows, to fow a great deal of feed, and to harrow, that feed in after it is fown. The vaft faving made in the feed, in the new way, is likewife another very important article in a time of fcarcity. I reafon here upon a fuppofition of the total lofs of all the crops of wheat j which really was the cafe in 1709. Year. 1756. T Referved this field to fow it in the fpring, with the grain of that ■*■ feafon, which I had not yet made any experiment with, except in fmall fpots of ground. I plowed it before winter : the new beds were well made, and the earth was in fuch fine tilth in the fpring, that I thought I might fafely fow it without any farther plowing. Accordingly I did fo, the 26th of April; the too great wetnefs of the earth not permitting it to be done fooner. One half of this field was fowed with beans, and the other half with tares; in all, 153 pounds of both ; which produced a crop equal in value to 780 pounds of wheat. OBSERVATIONS. HP HIS year was extremely bad for all grains fown in the fpring: moft of which yielded but the value of the feed : fo that the produce of this field, compared to that of others cultivated in the old way, ought to appear very confiderable. The fuccefs of this experiment fhews, that when too much rain, or too great drought hinders plowing the land in due time, and fome fields cannot be prepared for wheat in the autumn, they may be fowed the fpring following with the different grains, ufually planted in March. &I« EX- 26o EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT*, Part It EXPERIMENT. No. VIL Sowed lb. Reaped lb. For 1753 . . 412 i 2.646 1754 • • 36° " • 2467 j 755 includingtheex- 7 fi perirnent,No..3$039 • •■ . . 4290 1756 . . 1010 . • . 6760 Year 1755. npHE foil of this field is of fuch a nature as to require a greater ■*• quantity of feed than many others. I fhall doubtlefs be thought to have increafed it greatly, in having enlarged that quantity to 639, pounds, and yet this year's experiment makes me judge, that it will, ftill be neceffary to fow more another time. I fowed this field the 9th, 10th, and 26th of Auguft, and reaped it the 1 6th and 17th of July. It yielded 4290 pounds of grain. Year 1756. I Have a meadow adjoining to this field. I plowed up part of it, which had produced but very little grafs for a long time, and turned it into arable land. This addition ferved to replace another part of the field, which I fowed with luferne. This laft.part being lefs than that which was added from the meadow, the field may have been enlarged about "an arpent and a half, or two arpents, . and the. foii is- much the better for it. This field was fowed with 1 010 pounds of wheat, the '10th, 13U1& ana 15th of September, and was reaped the 23d and 24th of July,, when it produced 6760 pound weight of corn. EXPERIMENT. No. VIII. lb. oz. fti For 1754 was fowed 768 which yielded 1462 1755 . 157 ... 1300 1756 • ■ 230 , t » 2080 Yeah Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. z6r Year 1755. THIS great increafe of the quantity of the feed might be won- dered at, if I did not obferve that this field was fowed with a double turn of the drill-plough-; by which means each bsd (for they were all wide enough to admit of it) had fix rows of plants in- stead of three, and confequently took up double the quantity of feed. The event will fhew that I was right in fo doing. The field was fowed the 31ft of Auguft, with 157 pounds of wheat. Nothing could make a finer appearance than this field did at the beginning of winter. The plants, which had already branched very abundantly, made the ground look furprifingly thick covered. The ftrength of the items, and the deep green of the blades made me expect extraordinary fuccefs. They continued thus promifing during all the winter ; and the fame in February and March, and to the middle of April. The foil of this field is excellent: but it could, not be preferved from the fatal effect of the fevere frofts in winter. I was extremely furprifed when, going thither the 27th of April, I found this wheat, which I had feen twelve days before without the leaft fymptom o- decay, reduced to a mod deplorable condition : not a fingle ftaik remained that was not dead, nor a blade that was not withered. Both the ftalks and the blades adhered fo little to the plants, that one might rake them up in heaps, like grafs that has been mowed : in ihort, nothing could be more melancholy than the appearance of this field. The earth was extremely dry, and the weather very hot for the feafon : ffom the 16th to the 24th of April, M. de Reaumur's ther- mometer was almoft always at feven o'clock in the morning, from 1 5 to 18 degrees above the freezing point. I am apt to think that 'this uncommon temperature of the air compleated what the hard frofts had begun, and which I did not perceive before. My firft thought was, to fow the field again with barley, as I had done in the cafe of the experiment, No. Vl. but Teeing that the difafter was general, I examined mod of the plants with great at- tention. Tordered the earth to be dug, and found forne plants quite dead, and others, in pretty great number, which had ftill fome vigour, and were'provided with very good roots, and of which only the ftems and blades had periflied. This gave me fome hope, which 2«2 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. which was not a little ftrengthened by my perceiving that feveral of thefe plants were ready to produce new moots, fome of which could juft be diftinguifhed by their white point, fcarcely perceptible, others were about the 1 2th part of an inch long, and others a quarter or half an inch : thefe laft began to look green. Several reafons induced me to think that thefe plants might (till be ftrong enough to produce new ftalks, efpecially if a little rain fhould chance to fall. I therefore refolved not to fow this field again. Fortunately, a good mower of rain fell the 29th, which did them a wonderful fervice. I went to fee them foon after, and found the new (hoots confiderably grown : upon which I determined to cultivate the beds with care. By the middle of May, they were grown very fine, were loaded with blades and ftalks, and only feemed much thinner than in the autumn : the ftraw was as long, the ears as big, and as full of grain as the year before. I was obliged to reap this corn early ; becaufe, as the heat of the weather had pre- cipitated the ripening of the grain, it might have fhrunk and fhrivelled if I had let it ftand fome days longer. It was cut down the 1 7th of July, and yielded 1300 pound weight of grain. I am perfuaded that this accident diminished the crop by above half; and this is certainly the reafon why it produced lefs than that of 1754. The fhape of this field was irregular on the north fide. The length of the beds in that part decreafed progreflively, fo that thofc next the end were not above three or four perches long. This made the tilling of them very troublefome, becaufe of the frequent neceffity of turning the plough, I ordered this triangular part, which was about a third of the field, to be plowed for fowing in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough. The reft was preferved in beds, as in the preceding years. I fowed it the 17th of September, with 230 pounds of wheat, which was reaped the 24th of July, and yielded 2080 pounds of grain. EXPERIMENT, No. IX. lb. oz. lb. For 17^4 was fowed j 249 12 which yielded 2925 *7SS 312 ; . r J362 *7S<> \ 295 • . » 2219 Year Chap.II. BY M. DE CHATEAU, VIEUX. 263 Year 1755. *-pHIS field, which had been well prepared, was fowed the 27th •*• of Auguft, with 312 pounds of wheat, which grew very fine and thick till November : but from the 1 oth to the 1 8th of that month, a general ruft feized it. I imputed to this diftemper the fmallnefs of the crop, which amounted only to 1362 pounds. Year 1756. *TPHE ground was extremely well prepared, and better than the x preceding years. It was fowed the 24th of September with 295 pounds of wheat, which produced 2219 pounds. It was reaped the 21ft of July. EXPERIMENT, No. X. lb. lb. For 1754 was fowed 294 which yielded 3055 *7SS ' 397 • • • 2210 1756 rye 348 . „ : 2700 Year 1755. HP HIS field was fowed the 30th of Auguft, with 397 pounds of ■** wheat, which produced 2210 pounds. I make the fame re- marks on this experiment, as on the preceding No. IX. year 1755. Year 1756. '"THOUGH it is not ufual for me to fow rye, becaufe all my -1 lands are fit to bear wheat, I was willing to make a trial^with that grain ; and accordingly I fowed this field with it, the 16th of September. The quantity employed was 348 pounds. The firaw was very long, and much thicker than that of rye in the common way : the grains too were confiderably larger. It was reaped the 19th and 20th of July, and yielded 2219 pounds of grain. £X- 2*>4 . EXPERIMENTS ON WTO4T, PartU E X P E R. 1- M E NT, No. XT. Executed ^y th fame perfon who. made thojeoj. 1754., mflrkei Viith the jame number , and ihofe of 1753 marked No. IX. ^THOUGH the following extract does not agree exaftly with the •*• : tide of this article, I was unwilling to make a ieparate one of it. It contains very interesting details : the rapft effential circum- ftances are related with great precifion ; and the confequences of the refults are eftablifhed by very inftrudting calculations. They fhew the writer of them to be a ftudious hulbandman, a very fkilful natu- ralift, a zealous lover of the public good, who inftructs by his ex- ample, and (till more by his knowledge. Thefe experiments were made about fifteen miles from Geneva, in a country where it is the cuftom to fow their land two years run- ning. The firft year, it is fowed with wheat; the fecond, with fpring corn, and the third, it is refted. . ExtraB of a letter dated December jth, 1755. " I received the journal of your laft year's experiments, and have " read it with very great pleafure. If it were poffible for me to " make any obfervation of the lead importance, upon your experi- cc ments, which had efcaped you, I mould take the liberty to lay rt " before you, perfuaded that you would receive it kindly. " In general, I afcribe, as you have done, the different fuccefs of " the new hufbandry, 1. To the intrinfic quality of the foils, fome of " which feem unfit for the production of wheat j 2. To the condition " of the lands, when they firft began to be cultivated in the new ct way : 3. To the manner in which they were prepared according to " the principles of this hufbandry : and laftly, to the quantity of " feed that was ufed. " I was particularly pleafed with your experiment on the barley. " It is certainly very inftrudting, and confirms what I before fuf- " pedted, that, in our climate, wheat and other plants love fociety ; and " that they thrive better when numbers of them are planted together, " than they wouTd do feparately, provided that number be not too " great. You will certainly not fail to repeat that experiment in " years lefs hot and lefs dry, and upon other plants. Still I am " afraid that no fixed rule can ever be given in relation to the quantity n of the feed : too many circumftances influence the condition of the " foil; Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU -VIEUX. 26J ■ " foil : but it will always be of great fervice to fix certain bounds, " within which every one may chufe what fuits him beft. " You will fee by the account of my little experiments, that I " have fowed in the ground of my rows, nearly what would have " been fowed by hand in the fame fpace. But the imperfection of ** my drill-plough, and the condition of my land, obliged me fo to " do ; and I have not hitherto found any inconvenience from it. " I have not yet been able to try the goodnefs of your experiments " upon luferne. My land was not fufficiently prepared for me to " expect fuccefs. I am obliged to defer it till next autumn, when " all my fields will be under the new hufbandry. " Only one thing puzzles me with regard to your rows of luferne, " and that is, the manner of making the fodder. How can it be cut " and dried conveniently ? I fhorten my reflections, and proceed to my experiments. Produce of the jirjl and fecond crop of a Jield cultivated in the ?ieiv ivay. " This field contains, according to our meafure, fix pofes. Each " pofe contains 400 fquare perches, and each perch nine feet : fo that " the whole extent of this field is 5400 perches, of fix feet to the M perch. " The foil is tolerably good ; rather light than flrong ; fitter for " rye than for wheat. I am the firfr. that ever ventured to fow it " with wheat. Dung ufed to have a great effect upon it for the " firfr, crop ; but the fecond feldom fucceeded : in fhort, it was the " general opinion that nothing could be made of this field without " the help of a deal of good manure. " It was well dunged in 1749, and fowed with Maflin corn. " The year 1750 was very favourable to corn in general, and parti- " cularly to that of this field. It yielded as much as two middling " crops ; that is to fay, ten for one : but being fowed again the " fame year, it yielded in 1751, but two and an half for one. The " year 1752 was the year of reft, or rather it was plowed that year, " according to the old method, and fown in the broad-caft way, but " without dung. The autumn was not kindly: the plants rofe " poorly; and the crop of 1753 yielded fcarce three for one, after " deducting the tythe. It was after this crop that this field was laid " out in beds of fix feet wide, and fowed the fajne vear with wheat. Mra ' As a66 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Partll. M As the mould of thefe beds ceuld not be prepared properly, and " the year 1754 was but a poor one for wheat, I was not furprifed at " the fcantinefs of the crop. I fowed 12 of our meafures, and reaped ■"•* 72. Our meafure of wheat weighs, when it is good, 2'8.pounds j. " and that of Mallin, 26 pounds. I did not weigh mine every year; '* but I am fure it was always full weight. " Encouraged, rather than difheartened, by this trial, I plowed " theie beds up for a new crop, and fowed them, part with Maflin " corn, and part with wheat. " The fummer of 1754 was fo dry, that I deferred plowing the " back of the beds which had born their crops, till the end of " autumn. This was attended with thefe two inconveniencies : firft, " that the intermediate earth, which had been well pulverifed, being " no longer fupported as before, flipt away from under the drill, " and fpread to the right and left j by which means the plants had " lefs depth of good mould left, and I loft part of the advantage I " hoped for from this culture. The other inconvenience was, that- '* the beds being no longer fo high railed as they fhould have been, " the firft plowing in autumn covered their outmoft rows in feveral " places : a lois, by fo much the more confiderable, as the rows fo " buried would, by their fituation, have otherwife been the fineft of all. I certainly under-rate it in valuing it at only a tenth of the « crop. As Maflin is a much quicker grower than wheat, and being '*• uncertain whether it could do without dung > out of 18 beds, I " dunged 12, but very flightly $ jufl: as I would have dunged the " third part of this ground, if I had intended to fow it in the broad- " caft-way. " I fowed it the 4th and 5th of October, 1754, with two turn? M of the drill-plough, and very thick, by reafon of the imperfection '* of my drill, and becaufe the feafon was already fcmewhatad\janced. *■ A third more feed was fowed this year than the laft, viz. 1 8 of our " meafures. " The plants rofe well, the rows looked very thick and well " filled, except thofe which were hurt by the firft autumn plowing, " and by C2ttle which broke in upon the ground, and did a deal of Sf damage. " The plants in the part which had been dunged, were very fine '* all the winter. In the beginning of April they grew with furpri- " fing vigour, and were as fine as could pofiibly be in May and * June. .Chap. II. BYM.DE C HATE AU. V I E U X. 267 " June. They were Co tall, that they hid my ploifrgh and horfes, * and feemed to promife three times more than the other plants where " the ground had not been dunged. Thefe laft: grewmoie /lowly, " but juft before harveft, they pufhed ftrongly ; an3 if rheir ftr/aw " was not (o long or Co thick as that of the former, there was fcarce " any difference in the length of the ears, and the difference of the " produce was but one fourth in favour of the dunged plants. " Both the one and the other fuffered the 23d of May, by a violent " north-eaft wind, which broke a great number of the ftalks of the « rye, and tore others up by the roots. The ftalks that were " not quite broke, recovered perfectly, and the lofs was not great " with refpecl to them. The cafe was different in regard to the " plants that were broke afunder or torn up. I reckoned the damage " fuftained by thefe laft, equal to a tenth part of the crop. " Of the 47 furrows of this field, *i8 fowed with maflin yielded " me (exclufive of the tythe which is an eleventh part) 60 of our e weeded carefully and feveral times over, by " women who defired only the weeds for their labour. Thts ope- ** ration was not ufelefs : the furviving plants gathered new ftrength : " they branched confiderably in June ; and yielded me, at harveft, " about a third part of what I reaped from the places which had not * Great part of this field feems to have fuffered exa&fr the feme accident which happened to the whole field of the experiment, No. 8. It was not perceived in either of them, till April ; and the effect was the fame upon the plants in both cafes, tho' they were more affected in one than in die other. In both cafes tw, the plants re- covered and yielded a good crop. Mm 2 *c been 268 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. «' been damaged. Thefe laft feemed but indifferent during all the " fpring. Every one judged this corn inferior to that of the '! fields which had been fown in equally diftant rows and dunged : " but from the beginning of June, when the other wheat began to " decline, my rows throve fo well, that fome parts of them were " very greatly fuperior, both in the length of the ftraw, and the big- " nefs of the ears, which laft were every where longer and better " filled. " Notwithftanding all this, my wheat had ftill more to fuffer. It » was cut juft before the heavy rains in July, and fome of it fprouted, " as was the cafe elfewhere. Befides the lofs in the quality of the " grain, my threihers reckoned that the quantity of it was diminiihed " eight meafures. The whole produce was but 68 mcamres, after " deducting the tythe. f I have entered into this detail} in order to make the following 15 remarks. " i. This field, twelve furrows excepted, not having been dunged viz. 15246 lb. The whole produce will be : , 150186 lb. I fliall now examine what thefe three farms would have pro- duced, if they had been cultivated in the old way, fuppofing their crops to have been equal to thoie of 1754, which is much in fa- vour of the old hufbandry. I find that thefe three farms, which contain about 116 arpents, and which would have required 29484 pounds of ked> would have produced at moil from 75000 to 8qooo pounds of wheat ; which is 54940- pounds lefs than what was reaped in the new way. The following calculation of the real and effective products in botb ways, deducting from each the neceuary quantity of feed, wilL fhew the advantage of the new hufbandry in a yet flronger light.. NEW HIT S B.A N D R T. Total produce . . . 1-34940 lb* To be deducted for the feed- ^ . .. 142381b;. Neat produce. ..... 12C-02 \b.. OLD HUSBANDRY. Total produce . . . 8ccoo lb. To be- deducted for the feed . , , 294841b. : Neat produce .. . , 505:61b,. Confequently the balance in favour) Mlt TTk x. n. ' > 70 1 86 lb. ot tne new hulbandry is v ' This Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEtTX. -27,- This may perhaps feem furpriiing to many : but my calculation may be the more -fafely depended on, as I have favoured the old hufbandry greatly in my efttmate of -the crops in that way, and have, made no deduction for the lofs by fifting, winnowing, &c. which, even in" the very bell: years, is always confiderably greater in the old hufbandry, than in the new. Year 1756. 'THE fame farms continued to be fown with the drill-plough. I (hall therefore repeat the fame calculations, to (hew the con- flant. advantage cf the new hufbandry, which is fb much the more remarkable this year, as the corn in the common way yielded but . very bad crops. The fields in general produced but few (heaves, and the fheaves very little grain, and even that was very poor in many places. About 80 arpents were cultivated in the firfl farm, for the crop of this year j in the-fecond 30, and in the third 46 : in all 15.0 ar- pents, which were fown with wheat in September and October. About twenty arpents had been dunged. ~ ... rr j 11 f Firfl: farm . . , 20160 lb. Quantity of feed generally I g d £ ufedintheoldway. \rhkd k(m ! \ ^080 lb. In all 378oolb. — -1 quantityoffeedufedwithf™^ • ' * " 9^8 lb. the drill-plough, fend farm * * 354k' r I l^Tnird farm . . . 50401b. In all 135221b. Saved in the feed ' » | . 102781b. 378001b. N n 2 Crop* 276 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. {Firfl farm . . , 795^0 lb. Second farm* . . 191101b. Third farm . . 315901b. Total of the crops . . 1302601b. To which if we add the faving in the feed, viz. 19278 lb. The Whole produce will be . • 1495381b. * This farm did not produce fa much corn as it Jhould have done,, hecaufe near a third part of the fields ivas almoji totally ruined by inundations, Suppofing this accident not to have happened, what might thefe fields have produced ? If they had been fown in the common way, thefe fame fields would have yielded lefs grain than in the two pre- ceding years. I have eftimated it at fomewhat lefs than that, and the advantage is ftill in favour of the new hufbandry. Thefe three farms would have produced-at moft from 88000 to 93000 pounds of wheat ; and according to this eftimation, which I think a great allowance, the whole crop would be 37260 pounds lefs than it was. To fee the exatt refult, let us continue our calculations, deduct- ing the grain that was ufed for feed. N £W HUSBANDRY 1 • 1 Total produce . . . 130260 lb. To be deducted for the feed . I 1 8522 lb.. t; Neat produce ♦ » *■ 1117381b. OLD HTJSBANDRT. Total produce . . • 93000 lb.. To be deducted for the feed -. . 37800 lb. Neat produce . • * 552001b. Confequently the balance in favour > 75060 lb. of the new hufbandry is $ /:> . All Chap. II. BY M. DE CH ATE A U- VIEUX. 277 All thefe calculations prove, year after year, the advantage of ufing the drill-plough. To fhew how great that advantage is, I fj^all briefly recapitulate whaj is moil cfTential in this article. RECAPITULATION. TT7E have feen a very confiderable experiment repeated three * * years running, and always attended with great fuccefs. I fball now fum up the effential and decifive facts, which are fo many un- exceptionable witnefTes, who depofe, That it is much more profitable to Jew lands with the drill-plough ', than to fow them in the common, ■way. To this end, I refume the neat products of the crops. NEW HUSBANDRY. Neat PRODUCE of the' three FARMS. Pounds. In 1754. «,..♦.... 93418 1755 120702 1756. ...:.... 1 1 1738 Total neat produce of three years • 325858 OLD HUSBANDRY. Pounds. In 1754. .»..;. 62200 *7SS . 50516 I756* i • • ' • • • 5520° Total neat produce of three years . 16791*6 The difference in favour of the new hufbandry, in 1 three years, amounts to . . . J 5/94 This is an object of great importance, not only to the public, whofe welfare it highly concerns, but to every owner of land. How ftrongly does it fhew the vaft advantage of the drill hufbandry ! We here fee 150 arpents of land produce 157942 pounds of wheat more. 278 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part H. more than they would have done without this favourable x;ui- ture. Any one may eafily reckon the value of 6ich a quantity of wheat, fuppofing it to be of the very belt fort, as in fa5t it was.* EXPERIMENT, No. XVIIL T Shall now give a fhott account of the fuccefs of another farm, -*- which I have hitherto fowed in equally diftant rowSj with the drill-plcugh. I generally fow about 18 or 20 arpents of it every year. For the crop of 1755, I ufed .1840 pounds of feed corn, which produced 10400 pound weight of grain. For the crop of 1756, I fowed 2772 pounds of wheat, the produce of which was 14.560 pounds, which is a great deal, confidering the quality of the land. I (hall conclude this article with a fhort detail of two little ex- periments made by the pertbn I laft, fpoke of, on two fields of dif- ferent foils. The firft, which contained an arpent and an half, was a light foil, and fomewhat ftony. The quantity of feed generally ufed for that ground, was about 380 pound weight. It was fowed very thick, with the drill-plough, and took up 252 pounds of feed. I attended carefully to the progrefs of this corn. It ripen'd well, the flraw was very long, and crowned with fine ears which yielded 2835 pounds of grain. The fecond experiment was made on a ftrff foil. Half the field was fown in the common way ; and the other half in equally di- ftant rows with the drill-plough, and only two-thirds of the ufual quantity of feed was ufed. This laft half yielded double what the other did, though it was fown with a third lefs feed. ARICLE III. 'THE defign of this article is, to mew that lands which are laid ■*" out in beds according to the new hufbandry, produce more corn than thole which are only fown in equally diftant rows, with the drill-plough. The proof of this propofition will refult from proper calculations, and a comparifon of the produces of thefe two different methods. T * Reckoning the Englifh bafliel at 62 pounds, thefe 157942 pounds will exceed 320 quarters of wheat. Chap.II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 279 It is of no fmall importance to the public, to know exactly which is the beft and moft profitable way to cultivate land. This article deferves ftill more attention than the laft, as it tends to point out the means that are in reality moft advantageous, tho' oppofed by an bbftinate attachment to the old hufbandry, and the extreme reluct- ance with which farmers can ever be induced to try a new practice^ which they are almoft always ready to condemn without taking the pains to know what it is, and indeed, generally, becaufe they are not able to judge of it. It cannot therefore be expected, that the theory alone mould fatisfy them that this hufbandry is confident with the beft principles of agriculture. If any thing can convince them, it will, be a feries of facts, and experiments repeated during a courfe of years, always fuccefsfully in fo many different places* It is highly effential to dwell upon the proofs that the old hus- bandry is lefs profitable than the new, in which the field intended £0 be fown is firft laid out in beds : for,, after mewing that lands fo laid out and fown, produce confiderably more than thole which are fown only in equally diftant rows, with the drill- plough, as has been demonftrated in the foregoing article j and likewife, that thefe laft produce confiderably more than they ufed to do in the old hufbandry ; the iupericrity of the crops which the beds afford, will certainly appear ftill more ftriking, and no doubt will remain of the excellence of the new culture. To this end, we fhall compare the neat produce of the three farms mentioned in the foregoing article, this year J-756, with that- of the fields which I have laid out in beds. In confequence of the general opinion tha,t dung, or any other kind of manure contributes greatly to fertilize land, and makes it produce more than it would otherwife, it is to beobferved in the firft place, thaf part of the land of the three farms was dunged, and that 'my fields," cultivated in beds, had not had any dung or other manure for many years.. Secondly, that the lands of the threfc farms are always fallowed every fecond year ; whereas my fields 'have been fown every year fince they firft began to be cultivated in the new way, and have already borne feyeral' crops running. Thirdry, it "fhould be ccnfidered, that the year 1756 was ex- tremely rainy : a circurnftance by no means favourable to ftrong ftiff foils, like mine }. and at the fame time rather beiieficial than 1 * hurtful 280 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part It. hurtful to the three farms, a great part of which is light land, which requires frequent rain. Laftly, the reader will remember, that about a third part of the fecond farm was overflowed, whereby the crop was fiiminifhed : but on the other hand, I think this damage is pretty nearly com- penfated by the accidents which happened to my field, (experiment No. IV.) which certainly leffened the crop confiderably. Thefe reflections feemed to me neceflary, in order to give a juft idea of the comparifon I am going to make, which, I believe, wili b; fufficient to prove what I purpofed to fhew. Comparifon of the produce of land fawn in equally dijlant rows with the drill- plough, with that of other land laid out in beds. The neat produce of the three farms, containing about 150 ar- pents, which were fown in equally diftant rows with the drill- plough, was, after deducting the feed. Pounds. SFirft Farm * 69732 Second Farm 1545^ Third Farm 26550 Total neat produce 1 1 1738 Neat produce, after deducting the feed, of the fields laid out in beds, and fown with the drill-plough ; with the number of each experiment, and the meafure of each field. Founds. 1834 2824 2156 627 5750 1850 I.924 23J2 Experiment, No. 2. 4- 5- 6. • • • 1 12 5 2 arpent « g • ■ < • « » 7- 8. • 12 1 • • 9- io. • • In all 5 5 43 "arpents. Total neat produce in 1756 i93 *7 After Chap.IL BY M. DE C H AT E A U- VI E U X. 2S1 Pounds. Brought over; Total neat produce in 1756 . . 193 17 After the beds are once formed, the fame fields are") fown every year : confequently thefe will produce an- other crop in 1757, which, fuppofing it to be only > 193 17 equal to the lafi, tho' there is great reafon to think it I will be much- better, will again be . . J Forty-three arpents will then produce neat, in two) Q<; years, \ 3°634 The 150 arpents of the three farms fown in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough, will produce nothing in 1757, that being their year of fallow ; confequently their neat produce in two years, will have been only n 1738 pounds of wheat, whilft the 43 arpents made into beds, will have produced 38634 pounds. But iuppofing the 150 arpents to have been cultivated in beds, and their produce to have been in the fame proportion as that of the 43 arpents, it would amount to 134769 pounds, which is 23031 pounds more than they produced when fown in equally diftant rows with the drill. This difference ought never to be forgot. The new method of laying the land out in beds, has ftill greater advantages than this! Our comparifon has been only of the neat pro- duce of 150 arpents which were fown the fame year in the three farms : but it is to be obferved, that thefe farms confifted of 150 arpents more, which were under fallow for the next year's crop. The neat produce of the crops of thofe 300 arpents in the two years of lowing them in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough, fup- pofing both crops to be equal, would be Pounds. For the fir/1 year, 150 arpents, . . ; 111738 For the fecond year, for the 150 other arpents, . 1 r 1738 For the two years .... 223476 If thefe 300 arpents were laid out in beds, they would be fown O o each 282 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. each year, and their neat produce, fuppofing both years alike, would be, Pounds. For the firft, year, 300 arpents , . . J34769 For the fecond year, 300 arpents . . . 134769 For the two years .... 269538 So that this calculation proves plainly, that the 300 arpents will produce 46062 pounds of wheat more when cultivated in beds, than when fown in equally diftant rows with the drill-plough : a difference which, in ten years, will amount to 230310 pounds of grain. As great as this advantage is in favour of the beds, it will appear vcryfmall when compared to that which the culture in 'beds has over the old hufbandryj as the following calculation will mew. Let us firft fettle what would have been the neat* produce (by which we always mean that which remains after deducting the feed) of the 150 arpents of the three farms, for one year ; and after- wards that of the other 150 arpents the next year, fuppofing both crops to be equal. We have already feen that the produce of 150 arpents would, at moft, not have exceeded 55200 pounds of wheat, in 17 c6. But as that was a bad year, I will make the following comparifon en the footing of a good crop, in order to give the old hufbandry every advantage that can poffibly be defired. I will therefore fuppofe the neat' produce of 150 arpents to have been the firft year ......... 76000 lb. and that of the other 150 arpents, the next year, . 76ocolb. For the two years . . 1520c? lb. t , _____ We have feen that the fame 300 arpents cultivated in beds, reckoning their neat produce for two years only on the footing of the bad crop of 1756, would have yielded 269538 pounds of wheat : confequently this culture would have produced in two years 1 17530 pounds of corn more than the old nufbai td this, dif- ference, in ten vears, would amount to 5^7690 pounds. The Chap. III. OF M A I Z. 283 The great advantage of the new hufbandry, in general, and that of laying the ground into beds, in particular, is, I think, now fully proved. The difference is great indeed : but I believe it will be flill much greater hereafter, when the yearly obfervations of the followers of this new way, whofe number increafes daily, mall have brought this culture to a greater degree of perfection, which I hope will in fome meafure be the cafe next harveil. CHAP. III. Of the Culture of Maiz or Indian Corn, by M. Aim en, M.D. at Bourdeaux. TH E land which is intended to be planted with maiz, ought to receive two good plowings in March. It is proper to ob- serve that this plant thrives better in a light and fandy foil, than in a ftiff and clayey one ; and that it cannot do without dung. Towards the end of April, the furrows are made by giving the ground a third plowing ; after which the clods are broken by hand, becaufe the furrows prevent uling a harrow. A fair day is chofen in May, to fow the maiz, which is done by making fmall holes with a flick or other inftrument, at the bottom of the furrows, into which two grains of maiz are dropt. Care is taken to make the furrows, or trenches, a foot and an half afunder, and the holes in thofe furrows at the fame diftance from each other, in fuch manner that they form a kind of quincunx. When the maiz is come up, the weakefl of the two plants is plucked up wherever both grains have fprung, and two new grains are planted where neither of them have grown. Towards the 15th of June, the earth is hand-hoed round each plant ; and as they ftand in the bottom of a furrow, the mould which crumbles down from time to time, lays frem earth to their roots, and helps to fupport them. Towards the end of July, a flight hoeing is given them, which is the laft ; and in fo doing the earth is laid towards the roots of the plants. The 15th of Augufr, the panicles of the male flowers are cut off. It is well known that thefe contain no grain, and that they grow at the top of each plant. Care muft be taken that the grain be impreg- nated before they are cut off} which may be known by the outward O o 2 covering 284 OF THE CULTURE Part II. covering of the ears appearing turgid. The panicles muft not be cut off from all the- plants at the fame time, becaufe fome of the ears are a fortnight later than others, before they are impregnated. Thefe panicles are excellent fodder for cattle. Nearly about the fame time, all the leaves are ftripp'd off the fialks, together with all the blighted and fmutty ears : for it is pretended that if they fhould be left upon the ftalks, the good ears would not grow fo big, nor the grains be fo well nourifhed. All thefe leaves and ears are given as fodder to oxen ; and what is remarkable is, that thole creatures are fonder of the fmutty ears, than of all the reft. The time for reaping maiz is towards the end of September : the ears are then gathered by hand, and put into bafkets, in which they are carried and laid in heaps from fpace to fpace in the field j after which they are loaded in carts, carried home, and fpread upon an even floor prepared for that purpofe. They are then taken out of their fheath or hood, and dried in the fun before they are laid up in the granaryj or elie the grain is taken out at that time. There are two ways of taking out the grain. The firff. is, by threihing it with a flail : this method is the moft expeditious ; but it breaks and bruifes much of the corn. The fecond, which is moil ufed, is, by rubbing the ears hard againft the edge of a flat piece of iron : this eafily feparates the grains from the ftalk, without hurting them. Thefe fialks are good food for oxen. As foon as the ears are gathered, the ftalks remaining in the ground are plucked up, and laid by for winter fodder for oxen. The field is afterwards plowed up as foon as poffible : it being the general ooinion of farmers that the roots of the maiz would otherwife continue to fuck up the rich particles of the earth. Whether this be true or not, their notion is, that if this plowing fhould be deferred, the next year's crop would certainly fuffer by it. When the maiz has been well dried in the fun, it will keep feve- ral years ; and not be the lefs fit for fowing. It keeps better in grain, than in the ear. It has been obferved, that the weevil is much more apt to attack the grains of maiz while they are left in the ear, than when they are feparated from it. Perhaps the fweet juice of the ftalk may attract them, more than the grain itfelf. Laftly, the grain is laid up in a dry granary, and cave is taken to turn Chap. III. O F M A I Z. 22$ turn it every three months ; which prevents its growing mufty, or being attacked by infects. In many places, the country people mix a certain quantity of this corn with the wheat or rye of which they make their bread. Far from hurting, it gives it a favoury tafte. The general proportion is, an eighth part, and fometimes more, of this corn, to feven parts of wheat. Bread made of the flour of maiz alone, is yellow : and it is heavy and hard to be digefted, becaufe the dough ferments very little, if at all. However, many of the peafants in Guyenne fed upon it for whole years without finding any inconvenience from it j particularly in 1738, when all the corn of that province was deftroyed by hail ; and in 1748, during the great fcarcity of corn. They likewife made a kind of hairy- pudding with the flour of maiz, which is well tafred enough, but hard to digeft. Maiz is alfo of great ufe to fatten poultry and hogs. It is given whole to the larger kind of fowls, and broken a little to others. When maiz is planted for fodder, particularly of cows and oxen, it is in a good foil, which is plowed twice, and well dunged ; after which the grain is fowed and harrowed in, or covered with a rake. Maiz is a great impoverifher of land : for though the ground be dunged every time it is planted with this grain,- it has been obferved that wheat never does fo well in the furrows where maiz has grown, as in the neighbouring fields where it never was. M. Ajmen has obferved, 1. That it is important to fow Maiz, rather in the beginning, than at the end of May; becaufe, if it is fowed early, the plants will have acquired fuffkient ftrength before the great heats, to fhoot out then with vigour : and their ears will not be parched, or liable to that barrennefs to which maiz fowed too late is fubjecT: : and not only their flalks will be ftronger, but their cars will be bigger and fuller of grain : 2. That the ears of the maiz are greatly hurt by cutting the panicles too late ; and that they ought to be cut before the hoods open. By leaving a plant with its male ears at every twenty feet diftance, all the female plants will be im- pregnated. For two years together, M. Aimen fingled out two rows of maiz, the plants of which feemed to him equally ftrong. He cut off the panicles of the male flowers of all the plants in the firft row, before their hoods opened : the panicles of the other row were not cut off • till 286 OFTHrE CULTURE Part II. till the ufual time of performing that operation : the confequence was, that the female ears of the firft row were much the largeft and heft filled with grain. M. Aimen fowed a row of maiz at a distance from any other field planted with that corn. He cut off the panicles of that row, before the hoods were opened, leaving only one plant with its male flowers at every twenty feet diftance. At harveft, he obferved, i. That- all the female ears of all the plants were impregnated : 2. That the female ears'/of the plants which had loft their male pa- nicles early, were thicker, longer, and fuller of corn, than an}7 others: 3. That the female ears of the plants whole panicles had been cut late, were fmaller and fhorter, and thr.-t 1:1 feme parts of them the grains were abortive. It would be right to try the culture of maiz with the cultivator, of which we fhall give a defcription hereafter. To that end, it would be proper to plant the rows two feet afunder, and the grains in thole rows twelve or fourteen inches diftant from one another. All the necellary hoeings might then be given with the cultivator drawn by one horfe. I believe the maiz would thrive the better for it, and that the land would afterwards be fitter for other grain, h is worth the while of thole who live in countries where maiz is cultivated, to try what this will do. Great quantities of maiz and millet are railed in Guyenne. What M. Aimen fays of the culture of this laft plant, we lb all defer men- tioning, till we come to treat expreflly of it in the next part of this work, and continue here his oblervations upon maiz. Cuftom, fays he, has taught our farmers to keep their plants of maiz about a foot and a half diftant from each other if they would have a good crop. In order to know whether it was abfolutely ne- cefiary "to leave lb great a diftance, he made the following ex- periments. In April 1753, he prepared fix beds like thofe of the former ex- periments. Three of them, which we fhall fpeak of hereafter, were lbwn with millet, the 1 ft of May. The other three were iQwn with maiz, the third of that month. The firft was fowed after the ufual manner cf the country, with one ounce and -one pennyweight of feed: the feccusd was lowed with two ounces' and two penny- weights, the grains being only a foot afunder : and a third, in which they were but fix inches apart, was fowed with four ounces and a half. The Chap. III. O F M A I Z. 287 The firft of thefe beds produced 1 8 pounds and four ounces : the fecond, impounds 7 ounces; and the third n pounds two ounces. Maiz is fometimes fowed very thick, when it is intended only for fodder. In that cafe, all the female flowers are barren, and produce no grain. This experiment, fays M. Duhamel, proves that fome kinds of grain will not do well, unlefs they are fown very thin. I am per- iuaded, added he, that for want of this precaution, a great deal of grain is often loft, and the crops are confiderably diminifhed. We are favoured with the following account of the culture of maiz in North America, by a very worthy and ingenious gentleman of that country. " The English in North-America, plough the ground thoroughly before the grain is planted. They feldom, if ever, dung the whole face of the field, but fometimes put a little dung in each hill of corn, if they think the ground requires it. Where fifh are plenty, in the planting feafon, they put two or three fmall fifh into each hill, with the grain. c< In order to plant the corn, they make trenches or furrows, with the plough, acrofs the field, at certain diftances from each other, and crofs thefe with others of the fame diftance, which divide the field into fquares ; and where the trenches interfect, the grain is put in, and covered. Three or four grains are commonly planted for each hill. The intermediate ground is afterwards plowed at leifure, as the plants grow, and want more loofe earth for the roots to fpread in. The hills are made at the time of weeding, fome loofe earth being then hoed up over the roots> 2nd round the ftems or ftalks of the corn. " The corn is planted at different diflances in different places. In the northern colonies, the Indian corn grows low, feldom ex- ceeding four or five feet in height ; and the leaves being propor- tionably fmall, the plants do not require fo much ground as in the fouthern colonies, where they frequently rife to fourteen or fifteen feet. The fpace generally allowed for the loweft plants, is three feet, and for the higheft, five or fix. This diftance may be more neceffary in our manner of cultivating this corn ; more ground be- ing required to nouriin three or four plants, than one; for I do not know that we ever pluck up any of the plants. An advantage attending this method is, that the labour is kfs in hiiiine 5 three OF T- HE -CULTURE Part II. '•' or four plants being earthed up in the fame time as one : and there " is more room for palling between the rows when the corn is to be " weeded. " At the fame time that the corn is weeded, the ground isloofened ct round the plants, with a hoe, and the Hills are raifed and enlarged " from time to time, by adding more earth. The morning, before " the dew is off, and the evening, are reckoned better for this work, c: than the middle of the day. " The hilling of the corn, as it grows, has been the univerfal " practice: the defign being to give the plant more nourifbment, " and to fupport it better againft the winds : but of late, fome " planters have thought it better to plant in holes : the reafon is, that " this plant requires a good deal of moifture : and indeed, nature, " by the form and pofition of the leaf, appears to have intended " the receiving of the rain that falls around, and conducting it to the " {talk, and by that, down to the roots : but a hill round the ftalk, 11 tends to throw the water off to a greater diftance: and as to fup- " porting the plants, they fay the hills do not effect it ; becaufe, by " covering the ftalks, in that part, from the air and fun, which would ct harden and ftrengthen them, the mould around them keeps them " foft and tender, and therebyrather weakens them*. " The panicles, or toffils, contain the farina facundans of the " plant, and therefore fhould not be cut off, till the grain in the ear " is filled. If the toffils of a whole field fhould be cut off before that <{ time, there would be no grain at all in the ears. This has been " proved by experiment. " In the more fouthern colonies, where hay is fcarce, and the " leaves of this corn are very large, they cut them off for fodder : " but in the northern colonies, where there is plenty of hay, and " the leaves of the corn are fmall, they generally neglect cutting off " the toffils, and {tripping off the leaves. They are left on the ftalks, " and the cattle, being turned into the fields, after tne corn is • It rauft be of great advantage to ftrong quick growing plants, like Indian corn, to have a loofe deep mould to grow in. We therefore think that the new husbandry muft be angularly ufeful in the culture of it : for ftirring the ground with the cultiva- tors or horfe-hoes, will keep it in a loofe ftate ; and M. de Chateau vieux's cultivator with mould boards, is very well adapted to raife the earth into hills about the plants, as it goes acrofs the field, in the manner they hoe the ground in their ufual way: and as this cultivator leaves a large furrow in the middle between each hill, the farmer will thereby have an opportunity of loofening the earth to a great depth, lt gathered Chap. III. O F M A I Z. 289 c< gathered in, eat what they like of them : but they are not efteemed 0 fo good as what has been cut in feafon. " An eafy way of taking the grain out of the ears, is, to rub one M againft another, holding one in each hand. " When the ears are ftript of their hufks, they are reckoned in rfie ** bed ftate for prefervation ; much better than when the grain is ? rubBed off from the ear : for then, they fay, infects can get at the " foft part of the grain ; and eat into it ; which they cannot do, " while the foft part is connected with the cob in the ear, and the " hard flinty part of every grain turned outward, and the grains ** clofe to each other. " To preferve their corn, they make, in North- America, a fort " of bins, or cages, which they call corn-cribs, fifteen or fixteen " feet long, and five or fix feet wide, widening upwards to the top and falls, into the furrows^ as the (hares open them: and the roller L which follows, fills up the furrow. But we fee no- moderator here, by the help of which more or lefs feed maybe fown at pleafure. If the pipes and outlets are too large, the feed will drop in.toO great quantities ; and if they are too final), they will be apt to be choaked up, and the feed will not drop at all. Perhaps any one that has feen. this plough work, might be able to anfw.qr thefe. difficulties : but as it appears to me, I doubt it would not do for fowing wheat according to our prin- ciples. This is thought to be the plough which the Chinefe make ufe of to fow rice . iffo, their culture of that plant is (till more like the practice which we recommend for corn in general, CHAP. TV. Experiments on Leguminous, TUnts. MEyma, of Bergerac near Bourdeaux, fowed peas, beans, and • kidney-beans, each feed a foot diftaut from another in the rows, and the rows two feet afunder. They yielded a much more abundant crop, than any in the common kutbandry. In April 1753, M. deVilliers fowed 80 iquare perches, of 22 feet each, with peas> in double rows. Not being provided with any proper infhument to hoe the alleys, he made ufe of a narrow angular kind of fhare, which ftirred. only three- or. four inches on the outiide of the rows. Almoft all the peas in that country were deft royed this year by a kind of vermine called vine-frttters. His were hurt the leaft of any ; which- was probably owing to the greater vigour of the plants, or to' the infers being killed bythe ftirring of the ground. By a comparifon which he made of the produce of this frot, he found that it yielded fix times as much as the fame extent of the beft (and in thofe parts. In a good year, the difference would not have \beti\ fo great : but ftill this experiment, (hews, that plants cultivated in the new way, are better able to refill the inclemencies of the feafons, and other accidents, than, thofe which are cultivated' according to the old method. The next year, being provided .with MiDuhamei's drill rand horfe-hoe, he fowed peas, and. barley. The. alleys were buj two fecr, and 310 .EXPERIMENTS ON Part III. and two feet and an halt wide, which rendered the horfe-hoeing very difficult in many places, and quite impracticable in odiers. This obliged him to contrive other methods of ftirring the ground. The peas flourifhed extremely, and produced more than the very befr. fields thereabouts. The barley, tho' fown too thin, yielded likewite more than that of any other field. In December 1755, M. Eyma planted the common fort of garden-beans, in a middling foil, not dunged, but extremely well plowed a foot deep. The rows were two fc« t afunder, and the plants a foot diftant from each other. Thefe beans, which every one thought much too thin fown, being afiifted by frequent hoeings, yielded a greater crop than any in the common way. M. Eyma, finding his beans begin to ripen, gave the alleys a good plowing, and, on the twenty-third of June, fowed in each of them a row of red kidney-beans, which came up very well. A fortnight after, he plucked up the garden-beans, and gave the earth they grew on a flight hoeing. The kidney-beans proved the fineft he ever faw. He purpofes, as foon as they are off the ground, to replant it with garden-beans, and, he hopes, with better fuccefs than be- fore. In 1755, M. deYilliers fowed peas in a. ftrong heavy foil, in which no one had ever ventured to fow any in the common hufban- dry. They grew as high as if the ground had been ever fo fit for them, and yielded half as much again as any fown in the common way, befides the faving in the feed, which, in peas, is about one half. They were fown in double rows, and the alleys, which were two feet, and two feet and an half wide,, were hoed with the fingle cultivator. With regard to the diftance at which garden-beans fhould be planted, Mr. Miller lays down as a general rule, that the larger beans fhould be planted at a greater diftance than the fmall ones, and that thofe which are firft planted fhould be put cloieit together, to allow for fome mifcarrying. He therefore adviies, where a fingle row is planted, and that early, to put the beans two inches afunder, and to allow thofe of the third and fourth planting three inches ; and when they are planted in rows a-crGfs a bank, Cl the rows, fays u he, fhould be two feet and an half afunder: but the windfor-beans " fhould have a foot more fpace between the rows, and the beans " in the rows fhould be planted five or fix inches afunder. This " diftance, continues he, may, by fome perfons, be thought too " great ; Chap. IV. LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 31 * " great : but from many years experience, I can affirm, that the " lame fpace of ground will produce a greater quantity of beans, " when planted at this diftance, than if double the quantity of feeds '* are put on it. In the management of thefe later crops of beans, " the principal care fhould be to keep them clear from weeds, and " any other plants, which, would draw away their nourifhment; to " keep earthing them up, and, when they are in blohom, to pinch " off their tops, which, if fuffered to grow, will draw the nourifh= " ment from the lower bloffoms, which will prevent the pods " from fetting, and fo only the upper parts of the ftems will be " fruitful : and another thing -fhould be obferved in planting of the " fucceeding crops, which is, to make choice of moift ftrong land " for the later crops, for if they are planted on dry ground, they " rarely come to much. In warm dry light land, all the late " crops of beans are generally attacked by the black infects, which " cover all the upper part of their ftems, and foon caufe them to " decay. " The horfe bean delights in a ftrong moiil foil, and an open ex- " pofure, for they never thrive well on dry warm land, or in fmall " inclofures, where they are very fubjedt to blight, and are fre- **■ quently attacked by a black inieft, which the farmers call the ** black dolphin. Thefe infedts are often in fuch quantities, as to " cover the ftems of the beans entirely, efpecially all the upper part " of them, and whenever this happens, the beans feldom come to " good : but in the open fields, where the foil is ftrong, this rarely. " happens. " Thefe beans are ufually fown on land which is frefli broken up, •• becaufe they are of ufe to break and pulverize the ground, as alfo " to deftroy weeds ; fo that the land is rendered much better, for " corn, after a crop of beans, than it would jiave been before, " efpecially if they are fown and managed according to the new huf- ** bandry, with a drill-plough, and the horfe-hoe, and to ftir the " ground between the rows of beans, which will prevent the growth " of weeds, and pulverize the ground, whereby a much greater " crop of beans may, with more certainty, be expected, and the •* land will be better prepared for whatever crop it is defigned for " after. " The feafon for fowing of beans is from the middle of February *' to the end of ^March, according to the nature of the foil : the £ ftrongeft and wet land fhould always be laft fown. The ufual " quantity 3i2 E X'P'E R I M'E NTS ON Part III. " quantity of he^i?, fown on an acre of land, is about three bufhels: " but this is 'double the quantity which need be fown, efpecially sc- " cording to the new husbandry." As neither M. Duhamel, nor his correfpondents, are very particu- lar in relation to the culture of this ufeful plant, we beg leave to add Mr. Miller's directions for the management of beans according to the new hufbandrv. " The ground, fays he, fbould be four times plowed before the " beans are1 fct, winch will break the clods, and render it much " better for planting- Then, with a drill-plough, to which a hopper " is fixed for fetting of the beans, the drills fhould be made at three " feet afuuder, and the fpring of the hopper fet fo as to fcatter the (i beans at three inches diftanoe in the drills. By this method, lei's " than one bufhel of feed will plant an acre of land. When the " beans are up, if the ground is ftirred between the rows with a ' " horfe plough, it will deftroy all the young weeds; and when the *« beans are Advanced about three or four inches high, theground I repeated my experiments on the fame plants, viz. Ss 2 cabbages. 3i6 EXPERIMENTS ON PartlH. cabbages, beet-roots, carrots, and fcorzoneras j and all of them were as fine, and well flavour 'd, as before. I likewife planted a bed of colliflowers this year, which were tranfplanted the 9th of June. On the 20th of Auguft, I cut the two firft heads, which were very fine, and of an excellent tafte. Car-- doons, cultivated in the fame manner, grew very fine, though they were greatly retarded by a fhower of hail. I am now trying to rail'e more lafting plants, by cultivating them according to the new hufbandry. To this end, I have laid down a bed 32 toifes long and fix feet wide, and planted it, the 24th of March, with a row of afparagus, which have made good fhoots this firft year. I ihall continue to cultivate them with all due care, and wait with p2tience till the year 1755 fhail fhew what the event will be. I have fcveral beds fix feet wide, which I have planted with fingle rows of ftrawberries. The vigor of the plants, the largenefs of the leaves, and the very great number of roots, give me room to expect that the fruit will be very large and plentiful. The fuccefs I have already had, the eafe with which this culture is performed, the advantage of not uiing dung, and that of being eafed of the trouble of watering, fo neceflary in kitchen gardens, that, in hot weather, it takes up almoft the whole of one man's time, are confederations of fuch weight, as determined me to continue thele ex- periments. Accordingly, in 17 54, I raifed the fame plants again in beds, and with the fame fuccefs: for they were equally beautiful and good. Tho' the year was very hot and dry, I watered none of them, except at the time of tranfplanting, to make them take the better. Thole that were left where they wrere fown, were not watered at all. This fhews how much the new hufbandry preferves a moifture in the earth. The ftrawberries, this year, were admirable, extremely large,, finely fcented, and of a very high flavour. The afparagus, which was in its fecond year, was as fine as any in the bsft cultivated gardens. Artichokes planted at the end of May, produced their firft fruit in September, which was, in general, from 12 to 15 inches in circum- ference. Their leaves entirely covered the beds fix reet wide. I have raifed even melons in the fame mannerv without any dung, car Chap.V. POT-HERBS. 3*7 or hot bed, and without bell-glaffes, or any glafs frame to cover them. I fowed them as I would have done wheat The plants came up perfectly well, and the fruit was fo large and finely flavour d, that it might claim a preference in all refpetts to any that grew in ™\ rafed'the fame plants again in 1755 and 1756, ^ the fame manner, and with the fame fuccefs as before They have always been larger, better tafted, and in every refped finer, than thofe of my kitchen garden. Nothing could be more ftriking, than, in 1755, a hot dry year, to fee thefe plants always green, and in great vigor, thrive without any alteration, whilft thofe in gardens, which were watered every day, droop'd during part of the day, and grew but r; •' for after they have put out their rough leaves pretty ftrong, they *- will be paft this danger. This is always in dry weather : fo that " if there happens rain when the turneps come up, they will grew " fo faft as to be in a few days outj<}£ danger from the fly; and it " hath been found, that thofe which have been fown in drills, have '« efcaped the fly much better than thofe fown in broad-caft : but if* " foot is fown along the furface of each drill, it will be of great fer- * See charlock in the article Weeds, p, ioo, " vice Chap. VI. TURNEP-S.-. 333 *« vice to kesp'off the fly, and a fmall quantity of it will be fufficient " for a large field, where the drills only are to be covered. " Another danger of the crop's being deftroyed, is from the cater- ** pillars, which very often attack them when they are grown fo " large as to have fix or eight leaves on a plant. The fureft method " of deftroying thefe infects is to turn a large parcel of hungry poultry " early in the morning into the field: they will ibcn devour the in- and c]eanfed from 1 the hufk, and preferved in a dry place till the feafon for fowin<* " it : and this feed faved in England is much preferable to any ' brought from abroad, as I have feveral times experienced, the •' plants produced from it having been much ftroneer than thofe ■' prouued from French, Helvetian, and Turkey feeds, which c were lown at the fame time, and on the fame foil and fituation. " I am inclinable to think that the reafon of this plant not fuc- •| ceeding, when it has been fown in England, has either been oc- " caiioned by the fowing it with corn, with which it will by no " means ^iLTT-f, 'I ?ni^ hJ M' Duhame!> who fays that the hard winter in 1709, To "he h!krL Snd Wilnut'u^ in France> did no great darnag;e 352 OF THE CULTURE Partlll. " means thrive * (for though the plant be very hardy when grown " pretty large, yet at its firft coming up, if it be incommoded by " any other plants or weeds, it feldom does well j therefore it " fhould always be fown by itfelf, and carefully cleared from " Weeds until it has ftrength, after which it is not eafily deftroy- " that there has been a conftant fupply in the fame field, from the " middle of April to the end of October, when the feafon has con- " tinued long mild; and when the nmimers have proved fhowery, " I have known fix crops cut in one feafon : but in the dry fea- *i fons there will be always three. When the plant begins to flow- cf er, it fhould then be cut ; for if it ftands longer, the ftalks will 35S EXPERIMENTS ON PartHI. to determine,) the produce will be proportioned to that increafe, and confequently the crop of each fucceeding year will be greater than that of the laft . The crops I am going to fpeak of, are thofe of the fecond and third year : but my calculations will be made on that of the third year. It is proper to remember that the years 1753 and 1754, were uncom- monly dry, infomuch that fometimes, no»a drop of rain, nor fcarce any dew, fell between the cutting of one crop and that of another. The feafons were fo unfavourable to the production of grafs, that hay rofe to an exceffive price. I (hall firft fay what was the ftate of the plants in their third year, and afterwards how much hay they yielded. State of the plants in their third year. A S the part of the plant which I now confider, is that which is "**" buried in the earth, I uncovered numbers of them, that I might be able to j»dge of their general ftate. I was greatly flruck with the effect which tranfplanting had had upon them. Inftead of one per- pendicular root, which they ufually have, all thefe plants had three, four, five, and fometimes more, almoft equally big roots. They were, in general, three quarters of an inch in diameter, and proceeded from theoriginal root, which was now at leaft an inch in diameter, and in many of the plants an inch and a half. After the mod careful fearch which I could poflibly make, I could not find one plant of luferne fown in the common way, tho' it had flood twelve, twenty or more years, whofe tap-root had grown to the bignefs of an inch diameter : few of them were above half, or at mod three quarters of an inch thick. This difference is very great. I likewife found that the roots of the tranfplanted luferne had pro- duced another kind of roots, of which I faw none about the roots of the old luferne. Thefe were a great number of fibrous roots, fome of which were already one-twelfth of an inch in diameter, and looked as if they would alio become principal roots. The (talks feem to rife out of the earth; and from the firft time of cutting them, a kind of head forms juft above ground, which ex- tends itfelf every year. The firft year this head was two or three inches wide : the fecond year, it was generally about fix inches over ; and this third year, almoft half the plants have a crown ten or twelve inches in diameter: and as many of them have grown fo as to touch one another, their crowns are become of an oval form, having ex- tended themfelvcs on the fides where they met with no refinance. CROPS. Chap. IX. L U S E R N E. 359 CROPS. T Have an arpent of luferne in beds, divided into two parts. This **■ is the third crop of luferne off one of them. The beds are forty toifes in length. In 1753, I cut this luferne fix times, viz. in May, June, July, Auguft, September, and the beginning of- November. This lalt cutting was not near fo plentiful as the others, and I dried it within doors. Thefe fix cuttings off one bed, on which there was but one row of luferne, yielded 140 pounds of well dried hay. In 1754, the luferne was late before it began to fhoot, and the earth was drier than the year before. I had but five crops : the firft was cut the 27th of May j the fecond, the 1 ft of July ; the third, the 27th of July; the fourth, the 26th of Auguft; and the fifth, the 23d of October. Thefe five cuttings yielded in all 225 pounds of well dried hay off each bed. A field 40 toifes long, which was the length of my beds, and 34 toifes wide, contains an arpent. This arpent divided into 68 beds, each three feet wide, producing after the rate of 2-25 pounds of hay off each bed, would yield in all 15300 pounds*; which is infinitely more than is ever obtained in the common way. The beds with three rows yielded much left. The third year, their crops amounted to no more than 169 pounds each bed, which is a fourth left than the others : and as thefe beds are wider, inftead. ©f having 68, as in the former difpofition of the arpent, there will be only 47, each four feet three inches wide, the total produce of which, will be but 7943 pounds : coniequently this arpent will yield little more than half as much as an arpent laid out in beds three feet wide, planted with only fingle rows.. REMARKS. T SHE plants of luferne had the fate of all kinds of plantations : that is to fav, fome of them were more vigorous than others. The greatett number of thefe plants produced each of them a pound of dry hay, and fome of them yielded two pounds. I look upon thefe lalt as fuch extraordinary productions, that I do not expect many of * Upwards of feven and a half Engiifh leads of hay, at 18 hundred weight to the load. them 36o EXPERIMENTS ON Part Hi. them to yield the like quantity again. I think onerfnay he very well fatisfied, if the plants, one with another, yield a pound of hay a-piece every year. This is nearly the refult of my experiment on beds which had but one row ; and the produce of thefe would have been ftili greater, if many of my plants had not failed : in the room of which I let young ones, which could not acquire fufficient fbrength to yield full crops. In thefe experiments, I have employed no dung : neither have I for any of my corn fields. I have refcrved it for improving my pa flu res and meadows ; and intend next to apply it to my luferne, which, I doubt not, will be much the finer for it. The only thing now re- maining is, to know by experience which will be the btft way of ufing it. I have feme thoughts on that head, which may render it much more profitable. Luferne cieferve? to be cultivated with care : not only on account of tne great quantity of fodder which it yields, but likewife becaufe the quality of its hay is fuperior to any other. The new hufbandry will render it lull more perfect. Plants cultivated this way, enjoy the benefit of a free circulation of the air, and that circulation keeps them fweet and found, and free from all muftinefs towards their roots : for, being open to the rays of the fun, that great fource of kindly vegetation, they attain great perfection in all their parts, both as to their fubfiance, and their flavour. Cattle eat this food greedily, and are better nourifhed with it, than with any other : but as every excefs is bad, too great a quantity fhould not be given them at once, efpecially at firfl, left it fhould fwell them. The heft way is, to bring them to it by degrees. I have experienced thefe qualities in this hay, by comparing it with every other fort. The excellence of this, juftifks the principles on which the new hufbandry is founded. I have offered to my horfes bundles of every kind of hay, and at the fame time a bundle of this hay of luferne. They have not heiitated a moment to prefer the lat- ter. Nothing but its fuperior qualities could determine them in tin's choice, winch has never varied, 2nd has always been in favour of the luferne cultivated in this manner. It would be lavifhing this excellent fodder, to feed horfes entirely with it. It need only be given them by turns with common hay; ich will be a great faving : for this luferne will fupply the place of oats. I am certain that n/y boijh Jed partly with this hay, and without oats, will be in better plight, Jlronger, and more vigor cm, than Chap. IX. L U S E R N E. 361 than thofe which ire fed with meadow hay and corn in the iifual way. It is now fome time fince I have fed my coach horfes with it, and have retrenched their oats. Inflead of this laft food, and at the hours they ufed to have it, I give them luferne chopt, as the Spaniards do ftraw to their horfes. Mine are as fond of it, and fhew the fame im- patience to find it in their manger, as if it was oats ; and fince their being put under this diet, they are in better condition than before, and fo mettlefome that the coachman has enough to do to keep them in. When I faid that retrenching the oats would be a considerable faving, I did not fo much mean the faving of the expence of that corn, as the better improving of many vafl tracts of land which are fown with oats, and might, with proper management, produce much more ufeful, and more profitable forts of grain, notwithstanding the too general prejudice, that fome lands are not capable of bearing any better. For my part, I am thoroughly fatisfied , that whatever ground can bear a crop of oats, can likewife, under the new hufbandry, bear any other grain. Continuation of M. de Chateau-vieuxV account of his experiments on Luferne, in the years 1755 and 1756. HE great drought of the year 1755, was accompanied with great heat ; and the year 1756 was very rainy, and moderately warm, there being but few very hot days in it. The luferne was expofed to a moft fevere winter in 1755, when the froft was excefiive hard, and lafted very long. M. de Reaumur's thermometer was fome days, at different time?, 8, q, 10, 12, and 13 degrees below the freezing point ; and on the 3d of February, a ther- mometer in the open air, flood at 16 degrees * below freezing. Thefe fevere frofb made me uneafy for my luferne, which however bore them, without receiving any damage. The rains in 1756 did no hurt to the plants, but they prevented my * The greateft cold in the winter of the year 1739-40, fu»k Farenheit's thermo- meter to about 12 degrees, equal to 1 1 degrees below th2 freezing point of M. de Reaumur's thermometer. The 16th degree below the freezing point of M. de Reau- mur's thermometer, anfwers to nearly the 3d degree of Farenheit's : confequently the cold was, by Farenheit's thermometer, 9 degrees greater in Switzerland in 1755, than it was here in the fevered froft of the very hard winter in 1 7 39-40 : and therefore, as M. de Chateau- vie ux's luferne was not hurt by that intenfe cold, there can be no /ear of this plant's being killed by any inclemency of the weather in this country. A a a cutting T 362 EXPB.R I. M- E N- T S ON ?art IIL cutting them at proper times. I had but four ctpps of- iuferne this year, being obliged to wait for an appearance of fine weather to dry it in before I could venture to cut it down. Thefe rains likewife hin- dered my giving the proper hoeings to the alleys, which were full of weeds during the fummer and autumn. I chofe rather to leave them in that condition, than attempt to hoe them while the ground was over wet : not doubting but the fpring hoeings would ealily deftroy them. In j 755, Icut my Iuferne five times: the firfl was, the 3d of May,, before any flowers appeared : the fecond,. the 12th of June : the third, the 15th of July: the fourth, the 2 1 ft of Auguft ; and the fifth, the 7th of October. I was obliged to finifh the drying of this laft cutting, in barns and under cover. In 17 5 6, which was the fifth year of thefe plants, I cut them but four times: the firft, the 3d of June j the fecond, the ift of July* the third, the 4th of Auguft -} and the fourth, the 27th of September. A bed 40 toifes long, with only one row of Iuferne, iln 1754 • • • 2257 1755 . . . 1Q7| pounds of dry hay. ,756 . • • 281 j In three years, 703 pounds.. A bed of the fame length, with three rows of iuferne, Cln 1754 • • ' l69] Yielded < 1755 . • • 1 80 > pounds of dry hay, I i7S<> • • • 226j In.thiee years, 575 pounds. OBSERVATIONS. TS/E fee, bv the above account of three years, that a piece of W ground laid out in narrow beds, planted with only one rovy of Iuferne, yielded a greater produce than the fame extent made into wider beds, and planted with three rows. 1 mall not, however, nretend to determine from this one experi- oaentj Chap. IX. L U S E R N E. 363 rnent, that it is beft to lay down large fields in this manner. I think it will be right to try firft, whether the fuccefs will be the fame on different foils, and likewife on lands whofe expofition may be more or lefs advantageous. If, after repeated trials, the beds which have but one row of plants, yield the greateft quantity of hay, that me- thod is certainly to be preferred. To clear up this point, ftill more to my fatisfaclion, I continue to plant luferne in beds, fome with one, and others with three rows. The difference between the crop of 1756, and thofe of the two preceding years, would induce one to think that rainy feafons are beft: for the production of hay : but ftill, the greater quantity which the year 1756 produced, muft not be imputed to the rain only : wc fhould likewife confider, that the plants had throve greatly fince 1754; that their ftems were grown much larger, and their roots much ftronger and more numerous, and that they were confequently able to yield much greater crops than before. They have abundantly anfwered my expectation, both as to quantity and quality. With refpecl to the quantity, it is much greater than that of any common fodder : I mean, of any that the fame extent of ground would have produced, if cultivated in the common way ; though it would then have been covered with an immenfe quantity of plants. This is a fact, which numbers of experiments prove, and which we fhall ceafe to wonder at when we confider the great effects of the fre- quent ftirring of the alleys. To this it is that I owe the repetition of my crops, and their being all of nearly equal goodnefs. I do not exaggerate, when I fay, that every fummer month, which is the time I generally allow between each cutting, will produce fhoots two feet long, and fometimes more : and fuppofing that I cut them but five times a year, each plant, will have produced after the rate of nine or ten feet length of fhoots, and that in the fame time that moft mea- dows will not produce grafs above two feet long. As to the quality of this hay, I continue to prefer it to all other fodder. My experience has confirmed what I faid of it in 1754 ; and I fhall only add, that 1 have fince found that it is as good at the end of four years, as when it is firft cut. If there was any difference, horfes would foon be fenfible of it : but they eat of either without diftindtion. I feed my horfes with it, chiefly in the fummer, at which time they do moft work, and am more and more fenfible of the ad- vantage* of it. Five or fix pounds of luferne a day, are fufficient for A a a 2 a middle 364 EXPERIMENTS ON Part III. a middle fiz'd horfe ; but the quantity may be increafed or di- minifhed, according as the horfe is nourifhed by it ; for in that there is great difference. We fhall conclude this article with fome experiments on the culture of this plant, communicated to Mefi". de Chateau-vieux and Duhamel, by different perfons, and with an experiment made by M. Duhamel himfelf. In April 1753, M. Diancourt fowed luferne in rows, of which many plants produced 2n ounce of hay apiece in September followir.g. In June 1754, the fame plants yielded 12 ounces and a half each. He reckoned that, one with another, each plant had afforded him a pound of hay, which is a very great crop. On an arpent fown in double rows, he had 26400 plants* ; and on another lawn in tingle rows, 15400-}-: but whether the plants in the fingle^rows were lo much larger and more vigorous, as to ccmpenfate for the greater num- ber in the double rows, was what he could not determine at the time of his communicating this. M. de Pontbriant of Rennes in Britany, rightly judging that brie of the moft effential fervices he could do his country, would be the improving of the pafture of that province, which is famous for the production of cattle ; planted luferne, to fhew the people how fmall a fpace of ground, and that too cultivated by the very cattle which are fed upon it, will produce a greater quantity of much better fodder, than all the grafs which their vaft commons and extenfive paftures yield them. In September 1755, he tranfplanted luferne from a field which was to be fallowed. The roots of the plants were three or four feet long. He planted them in furrows fix feet diftant, and the plants eight or ten inches afunder, in a field which he thought free from weeds. In this he was miftaken : for, though the luferne made very good fhoots, yet, by neglecting to hoe the alleys, weeds came up, and over-run the ground. He mowed the whole, then horfe-hoed it, and planted a new row of luferne between each of the former rows ; and expects that next year will yield him feveral good crops ; which M. Duhamel thinks he may depend on, if he can but get the better of the weeds. * A pound of dry hay from each of thefe plants, would amount to upwards of 13 loads of hay. f At the fame rate, thefe would produce about 7 loads and a half, at 18 hundred weight to the load. A Chap. IX. LUSERNE, 365 A gentleman at Montelimart in Dauphiny, writes as follows to M. de Chateau-vieux. " In the autumn, I tranfplanted from a fpot of luferne three years " old, as many plants as we»e requifite for a fpace of 48 fquare " toifes made into beds, The middle of the beds was raifed very " high, and I planted only a fingle row in each. The firft cutting " yielded me one trufs of hay; the fecond, four; the third, fix. " The moots of the laft cutting were pretty tall, and feemed to be " wanting only in number : that, without doubt, will come by and " bye, when the roots mall have multiplied and grown ftronger. I " hope that the heat of this climate will not ftop their growth : for " I take care to ftir the alleys as often as the luferne is cut. " A little later in the feafon, I planted 220 toifes more with " luferne, which I watered, becaufe the weather was cold and dry. " The plants fucceeded very well, excepting a few which died. " The fn-ft cutting was very weak, the fecond, middling ; and the " third is now growing, it being but 17 days fince the laft was cut. " Several of the fhoots are already 18 inches long. I have not yet " dunged any of thefe beds : but I intend to dung them all next " winter, in order to quicken the growth of the plants, and give " them greater ftrength." The fame gentleman writes again to M. de Chateau-vieux, the 12th of September, J 755, to the following effecl. ' ■ " I have already cut my luferne in the new way, five times, and " hope to have a fixth cutting towards the end of this month.' As " the drought does not cripple my plants, but only retards their " growth for about a week, I cut them at the end of 25 days, when " they were in full bloom : whereas, in this feafon, they require at " leaft a month. The ftalks are full as ftrong, and the leaves as " large, as thefe of luferne which is well dunged, and plentifully ■< watered every fortnight. The only inconvenience I find, and that " not a great one, is, that this luferne is difficult to mow* becaufe " the ftalks do not ftand to the fcythe, and many of them trail upon " the ground. This year, I have ufed a fickle ; but it does not dif- " patch the work fo quickly as a fcythe. Perhaps ftirring of the * This inconvenience, fays M. de Chateau-vieux, is but a finall hindrance I mow my luferne, and it ftands the fcythe yery we]], efpecially the feeond year A few ftalks wh.ch may efcape the fcythe, are of little confluence ; and expert work- men will leave but few, even of them. I have a plantation of luferne which is al- ways cut with a fickle, though it would very well besr the fcythe. This I do, that, by loling none, I may be able to judge the more exadtly of its produce. alleys 366 EXPERIMENTS ON" Part III. •' alleys with the cultivator and plough, (neither of which I have " ufed this year,) to clear the ground of weeds and loofen the " mould, may help to ftrengthen the ftalks : and as they grow " thicker every year, they will be better able to bear the fcythe. I fC have prepared a great deal more ground,. to enlarge my plantations fo common in England as it now is. The red clover is a biennial plant, whofe roots decay after they have produced feeds: but if the plants are eat down, or mowed when they begin to flower, they will fprout out anew, and by that means continue longer than they other wife would. The ufual al- lowance of feed for an acre of ground, in the common hulbandry, is- ten pounds. In the choice of the feed, that which is of a bright, yellow colour, inclining to brown, mould be preferred 3 : and the- pale coloured thin feed mould be rejected. The general cuflom in this country is, to fow the clover feed with, barley, in the fpring : and when the bailey is taken off the ground,, the clover fpreads and covers it, and remains two years : after which, the land is plowed again for corn, and is thought to be greatly en- riched by the clover. The clover feed mould not be fown, till after- the barley has been harrowed in ; for otherwife it would be. buried- too deep : and after it is fown, the ground mould be rolled, to prefs. the feeds into it : but this fhould be done in dry weather, becaufe. moiflure will often make the feeds burff, and when the ground is. wet, they will flick to the roller, and the furfacc of the foil will be. fb hardened by the rolling, that numbers of plants will fail,, for want of being able to pierce it. " This is the general method, when clover is fown with corn : but it would be much better always to fow it alone ; for then the plants come on. much fader, and are not choak- 368 O F C L O V E R. Part III. ed for one whole feafon, as they frequently are in the other way, when the crop of corn is great. ► Mr. Miller, after many years trial, advifes therefore to fow the feeds of clover in Auguft, when there is a profpect of rain foon after : becaufe the ground being then warm, the firft mower of rain will bring up the plants, and they will have time enough to get ftrength before the winter ; and a good rolling in October, when the ground is dry, will prefs it clofe to the roots, and make the plants fend out more fhoots : and this he advifes repeating again in March. The reafon of his preferring this feafon for fowing clover, rather than the fpring, is, becaufe the ground is cold and wet in fpring, and if much rain falls after the feeds are fown, they will rot in the ground ; and many times when the feed is fown late in the fpring, if the feafon mould prove dry, the feeds will not grow. About the middle of May, this grafs will be fit to cut ; when particular care fhould be taken in making it into hay : for it will re- quire a great deal more labour and time to dry, than common grafs, and will fhrink into lefs compafs : but if it be not too rank, it will make excellent food for cattle. The time for cutting it is when it begins to flower ; for if it ftands much longer, the lower part of the ftems, and the under leaves, will begin to dry, and the quantity of hay will then be lefs, and not fo well flavour'd. Care fhould like- wife be taken not to ftack it till it be thoroughly dry, for fear of its heating. One acre of this plant will feed as many cattle as four or five acres of common grafs : but they muft not be fuffered to eat too plentiful- ly of it at firft, left it burft them. It fhould be given them by de- grees, till they are fully feafoned to it : nor mould they ever be turn- ed into this food in wet weather. Some fow rye grafs amongft their clover, and let them grow together, in order to prevent the ill con- fequences of the cattle feeding wholly on clover: but in this they are to blame, becaufe the rye grafs does great injury to the clover. This plant is reckoned much better fodder for moft other cattle, than for milch cows ; wherefore thefe fhould feldom have any of it : tho' when it is dry, it is not near fo hurtful to any fort of cattle, as when green. When the feeds of clover are defigned to be faved, the firft crop in the fpring fhould be let ftand till the feeds are ripe, which is known by the ftalks and heads changing to a brown colour : and then it fhould be cut in fair weather, and be well dried before it is kid Chap. X. OF CLOVER. 369 laid up; for otherwife the feeds will not eafilyquit their hufks, when it is threfhed. To this is owing a common complaint of farmers, that they oftentimescannot threfh out their clover-feed without great labour and difficulty. It will generally be found in this cafe ; that thefe are fecond crops, which ripen late in autumn, when there is not heat enough to dry the hulks fufficiently to make them part eafily from the feed. The white clover, generally known amongft farmers by the name of white honeyfuckle, is a laif ing plant, whofe branches trail upon the ground, and fend out roots from every joint, fo that it thickens and makes the clofeft fwardofany of the artificial graffes. It is an exceeding fweet food for all forts of cattle: for which reafon, when land is defign'd to be laid down for pafture, and to continue fo, a quantity of the feeds of this plant fhould always be fown with the grafs feeds. The ufual allowance of this feed, is eight pounds to an acre: but this mould never be fown with corn; becaufe the corn will weaken it fo that it will fcarce be worth ftanding. And yet, as Mr. Miller obferves, fuch is the covetoufnefs of moft farmers, that they will not be prevailed on to alter their old cuftom of laying down their grounds with a crop of corn, though they lofe twice the value of their corn, by the poornefs of the grafs, which never will come to a good fward ; and one whole feafon is alfo loft : for if this feed is fown in the fpring without corn, there will be a crop of hay to mow by the middle, or latter end of July, and a much better after- feed for cattle the following autumn and winter, than the grafs which is fown with corn will produce the fecond year. The author of the new fyftem of agriculture agrees with Mr. Mil- ler, that clover fhould be fown in autumn, and always by itfelf, on land brought to the fineft tilth poffible, and clear'd of all fibvous roots and other trafh, by going over it with fine tooth'd harrows : but he differs from him in regard to the quantity of feed, the former ftrongly recommending never to fow lefs than twenty pounds upon an acre. He obferves that " many will objecl againft this, as a double " charge, becaufe, fay they, I never knew any man who fowed above " half that quantity. 1 anfwer," continues he, " they never " knew any man who reap'd half the profit which he might have " done by it, if they had followed my directions. It is obfervable, " that there are more ignorant men, who profefs hufbandry, than to " force out fhoots for the next year, where there is not a fufficient *' number of branches upon the vine of thofe trained upright ; fo that " in fummer, when the vines are in perfection, there fhould be fia " upright moots trained for the next year's wood, and three or four * bearing branches with fruit on them :. more than thefe ought ne- f uer to be left upon one vine,.. Th* Chap. XII. O F T H E V I N E. 40 3 " The Auvernat, or true Burgundy grape, is valued in Franco " before any other fort, becaufe the fruit never grows very clofe " upon the bunches, and therefore is more equally ripened ; for " which reafon it fhould alfo be preferred in England : though in " general, thofe forts are moft efteemed with us that have always u clofe bunches, which is certainly wrong : for it may be obferved, V that the grapes on fuch bunches are commonly ripe on one fide, " and green on the other j which is a bad quality for fuch as are " preffcd to make wine." SECT. III. JLxtraff of a Letter from M. Rouse l in Brie, to M. Du Ham el, written in the year 1755. " T Have begun to try the new hufbandry upon the vine. It is " -"- hard to pay at leaft 120 livres a year for dreffing an arpent of c< vineyard, to have only our poor wine of Brie ; efpecially when " the vines are entirely frozen, as they were laft year, or laid bare ° to the very wood, by hail, as was the cafe in Auguft laft. I am ther lands, I wcs Chap XIT. O F T- H-E V I N f. 3 O 4&5 I was the more readily induced to turn my thoughts towards that important branch of agriculture, as it feemed to me to have been too much neglected for a long time. I plainly faw, that our methods of cultivating the vine were, in general, not only defective, but badly executed, and that, in the common way of planting vineyards, the produce could not be proportioned to the great ex- pence. I fhall not at prefent enter into a detail of the principles and mo- tives cf my new fcheme for the culture of the vine : that tafk would be too long for this work : and I mould likewife be glad firft to fee the advantages of my method confirmed by a feries of experiments repeated for feveral years together. My different operations, and firft fuccefs, are all that I fhall mention now. Every country has, in the culture of the vine, fome practice or other peculiar to itfelf, and which is thought effential there, though it be rejected in other places. Ail agree in pruning the vine, and in ftirring the earth round it : but neither of thefe operations is per- formed in the fame manner every where. For the better underftanding of my new culture, it is neceffary that I fhould give an idea of the manner in which our vineyards are law! out and planted. Their expofnion is generally to the Eaft or South,, on a good deep foil, which has a gentle declivity, or on the fide of a hill. The whole furface of the ground is planted without order cr fymetry ; fo that the vines are, almoft always, either too clofe together, or too far afunder : very few are at proper diftances. As the old vines decay and perifh, the chafms are filled up by layers irom the next neighbouring vines. This is the general difpolition of our vineyards, from which great inconveniences muft necefiarily arife : but I fhall not enter into a detail of them. With regard to the culture of the vhie, it is fuffjeient, for my prefent purpofe, to obferve, that the whole of that labour is now performed by hand, which renders it very expenfive.. I fay nothing of the manner in which it is executed ; that part having appeared to me fo very defective, that I have been obliged to alter and correct it in every point. By this fhort preamble, it may eafily be feen, that in order to improve the culture of the vine, and bring it to greater perfection, it was neceffary that I fhould attend chiefly to the three following things. 1. To difpofe the vines in a better manner, by planting them in ftxait lines, and at equal diftances from each other. 2. To contrive 406 OF THE CULTURE Part Iff. contrive that difpofition, fo as to leffen the prefent expence of cul- ture, by ufing a plough to frir the ground in one part of the vine- yard, whilft the other fhould continue to be ftirred with the fpade. 3. To execute the feveral cultures of the vine, in fuch manner as to make them promote its vegetation more than they do jn any of the common methods. I fhall treat each of thefe three articles feparately. I. Of the difpofition of the Vines in the vineyard. 'T,HE difpofition which feemed to me the moft agreable to the ■•* principles of the new hufbandry, by which I was guided, was to lay the vineyard out in beds, as we do fields for corn, obferving to leave an alley between every two beds, and making each bed five feet wide, in order to plant it with three rows of vines, whicb, by that means, would be 30 inches afunder, and the vines at the fame diftance from each other in the rows. As to the alleys, I thought it would be right to make them alfo five feet wide : and what I (hall fay hereafter will fhew, that about that width is necefiary. However, as that difpofition might not be the beft, I tried others on fmall fpots of ground, by planting the vines at other diftances. Some were planted in fingle rows three feet and a half afunder ; others in double rows, and in beds, with alleys of three feet and a half between them. Thefe plantations were made in the fpring of 1753. But as I could not expect to fee the event of thefe trials, till a con- fiderable time after making them, eight or ten years, at leaft, being requifite to fhew what the fuccefs would be, when the vines fhould be come to their full ftrength and bearing ; I confidered at the fame time, by what means I might abridge: an experiment which was to be of fo long a duration. To that end, I formed a bed of vines, in a vineyard planted 24 years before. The vineyard was good, and yielded plentiful crops. I made my bed five feet wide, and planted it by laying down flocks of the old vines, to make the two outward rows, leaving two feet and a half diftance from one layer to another. The old vines, which happened to be pretty well fituated, formed the middle row. The remainder of the bed, which is 40 toifes long, was planted with layers. An Chap. XII. OP THE VINE. 407 An alley, five feet wide, was made on one fide of this bed, by plucking up the old vines within that diftance. Some of thefe which were left,' ferved to form a row of vines, ready againft the making of a fecond bed parallel to the firft. It is plain, that the making of a bed in this manner, requires a width of ten feet, viz. five feet for the vines, and five feet for the alley. I mud obferve, that though both thefe widths are equal, it does not follow that half the vines upon the whole furface of the ground is to be retrenched : for one row may ftill be raifed in the middle of the alley : confequently, the num- ber of vines in reality retrenched, is only one fourth. This bed was made, in this manner, in November 1752. After I had feen the crop which it produced in 1754, I no longer hefitated to extend this experiment : and accordingly, in November, I made three other beds, like the former, and clofe to it. I not only made no doubt but that the vines, being fo difpofed, and having an equal quantity of earth to draw their nourishment from, would thrive better than they do in our common method of culti^ vating them ; but I likewife hoped that their being expofed on all fides to the influences of the fun. and air, by means of the alleys would facilitate their vegetation, and haften the ripening of the grapes. II. Of 'the importance of tejfem^g the expence of culture, by the new c.ifof.tion of the vines. PHIS article will be of no great confequence to thofe who are al- ready ufed to cultivate dieir vineyards wkh the horfe-hoe : I write it for thofe only who are not acquainted with that practice. The manner in which I propcfe diftributing the vines, fhews at once the pcffibility and facility of giving the alleys every necefiary culture, wijth the fame p/oughs and the fame cultivator that we ufe ior the alleys of our corn fields. I have not found the leaft difficulty, in the execution of this practice. The ground thus cultivated in the alleys, will be about a third part «f the whole : the remaining two thirds will continue to be cultivated by hand, as ufual ; and the expence will be confiderably diminifhed, by the difpatch with which the ploughs,, or cultivators, will perform their part, The plough may be brought as near the vines as one pkafes, pro-i vided care be taken not to damage them. An expert hufbandman. will eafily know how to manage in that refpecl, ^ Another 4o8 OF THE CULTURE TaftTil. Another diminution of the expence attending the common culture of vineyards is, that as, by the method which Ipropofe, the number of vines will be fewer, they will of courfe require lefs labour, and therefore lefs coft ; and the vine-drefiers, meeting with no hinderances or obftructions between the vines planted regularly in rows, will do more work in a day, and that much better, than in the old way. There will alfo be lefs occafion for many things necefTary to the vine, fuch as propping; tying up, dunging, &c. Confequently this new culture will prove a confiderable laving. It is well known how much vines are hurt when too great a quan- tity of water is retained in the ground. It chills them too much, their juices become lefs exalted, numbers of weeds fpring up, &c. Thefe inconveniencies will be remedied in a great meafure, by means of the alleys, by cutting with the plough, as I have done, towards the beginning of winter, a furrow along the fides of the bed. The wa- ter will drain off into that furrow, and the bed will retain only the degree of moifture necefTary for the vines. III. Of the means of rendering the culture of the vine more benefcial to the plant and its fruit. I Shall fpeak only of the two principal parts of the culture of the vine, viz. the pruning of it, and the ft irring of the ground ; and at what time each of thefe ought to be performed. Before I began to execute the alterations I had thoughts of making in this culture, I had endeavoured to make myfelf fo far mafter of It, as to be in lefs danger of mifcarrying in my experiment. The cuftom of this country is, to prune the vine during and after winter ; frequently beginning that work about the end of January. I always thought that a wrong feafon; and judged that it would be much better to prune the vine before winter, immediately after the vintage is ended. Experience has fince fhewed me that I was right. In November 1750, I pruned above fifty vines with my own hands: none of them fuffered in the leaft by the winter's frofts? they made ftrong and vigorous fhoots, and produced a greater quan- tity of grapes than any of the neighbouring vines. The next year, and in the fame month, I pruned the fame vines again. This pruning had the fame fuccefs as the year before. En- couraged by this repeated experience, I determined to make the bed I mentioned before, in my old vineyard. The vines have continued to Chap. XII. OF THE VINE. '409 to be pruned before winter, always with fuccefs, and without any fort of inconvenience. Satisfied with thefe flrit, trials, I thought I might fafely venture to extend the fame practice to larger tracts of ground. I had about two arpents of vines, which had produced very little wood for two years part. The branches were fo poor and ilender, that they would fcarce bear laying down : in fhort, the vineyard perifhed daily. I conceived hopes of recovering it by means of this pruning. Accord- ingly, I pruned it in November 1754 ; and in 1755, tne v*nes Pro" duced ftronger and longer fhoots. As the branches would then bear laying down, I began to replenish part of the vacant places. By this means, my vineyard was replanted with young vines, and quite re- newed, only by altering the time of pruning. This lad: pruning underwent a fevere trial, from the exceffive hard frofts of the winter of 1755 : yet, intenfe as the cold was, my plants bore it, without being hurt at all. I then looked upon it as certain, that the vine might be pruned before winter, without any danger from the inclemency of that feafon. It was abfolutely neceffary that the vine mould bear pruning at that time, in order to enable me to perform the other cultures in their proper and moft favourable feafons. That the vine may be benefited as much as poffible by every ftir- ring of the earth about its roots, thofe ftirrings ought certainly to be performed at the times when they may be mod likely to excite the greateft vegetation. Let us fee whether the common practice anfwers that end. The uiual time of beginning to drefs the vineyard, is in the fpring, immediately after pruning the vines. Three dreffings are judged fufficient, and it is generally thought that the laft mould be finimed by midfummer. The plants are then left to fhift for themfelves, till the time of vintage, which is upwards of three months after. During that time, quantities of weeds generally flicot up, which made the vines, and hinder the grapes from ripening as they ought. Careful hufbandmen pull them up: but the greater part are unwilling to take that trouble. In the common way of cultivating the vine, the earth is nrft flir- red when the buds are jufl; ready to come out, and even after they are come out : a time always extremely critical, becaufe the uncer- tainty of the feafon expofes the buds to feveral dangers, which are increafed by that ftirring of the earth, from whence many exha- htfons, oftentimes very pernicious, proceed at this feafon.. Would Ggg' 4* 4,o O F T H E C U L T U R E Part III. it not be much better to let the vineyard reft while the vine is budding ? The laft ftirring, which is given about midfummer, is too long before the vintage, and therefore is almoft always followed by great quantities of weeds. Might not this laft culture be performed later ? I have experienced that thefe inconveniencies may be avoided, without falling into others. To this end, after the vine has been pruned, before winter, let the earth be firft ftirred in that feafon : the fecond ftirring, which would otherwile be immediately after winter, may then be deferred till towards the end of May : and the third ftirring may be given in the beginning of Auguft, or about the end of July. This has been my method of cultivating my vines, ever fince their being planted in beds. The beds are dug by hand, and the alleys are ftirred with the plough or the cultivator. The firft ftirring before winter, produces the fame effedl on the vineyards, as it does on our beds of corn. The water is drained off, and the winter's frofts penetrate the earth, divide it, and keep it loofe and light. It remains in this ftate till towards the end of May, when it re- ceives the firft ftirring after winter : and, to have a more certain rule to go by, the fecond ftirring fhould not be given till after the props have been ftuck, the vines have budded, and the fhoots have been tied up to the props. This ftirring may be given, either a little fooner, or a little later, than is mentioned above, according to the feafcn. Sometimes one may be obliged to haften it, if the ground is greatly burdened with weeds : but at whatever time it be per- formed near the end of May, it is certain that the vine will then have made great fhoots, and that without having been difturbed by any ftirring of the earth during the time of its tender vegetation. As I have tried this culture in hot and very dry years, I have feen that the earth has not grown hard, but has retained the necef- fary degree of moifture, fo as to be ftirred with the greateft eafe. The third ftirring, which is the fecond after winter, being defer- red till towards the end of Auguft, or at leaft till the end of July, weeds have not time to grow in any quantity between that and the feafon of the vintage : and what will render it ftill more beneficial, is, Chap. XII. O F T H E V I N E; 411 is, that this is the time when the grapes fffi moft, and are drawing towards a ftate of maturity. I may perhaps be thought not to enlarge enough on fo important a fubjedl as this. It will, I confefs, require being .treated more fully hereafter : but in the mean time I beg the reader to confider, that I am now relating only the fuccefs of my firft trials. SECT. V. Good effects of this culture proved by the produce of a bed of vines forty toifes long, planted in 1752. IObferved, in the beginning of this article, that every culture of the vine is performed with much greater eafe and expedition in vineyards laid out in beds, than in thofe which are planted all over, but at random. The very fituation of the vines planted regularly in beds, is fufficient to fhew with what eafe every thing that they re- quire may be done, and that they muft, of courfe, be well cultivated in every refpect. ■ In the next place, the pruning of the vine, and the firft ftirring of the earth before winter, are done at a time when the bufinefs of the field is over, and hufbandmen are, in fome meafure, un-occupied. That time, which would otherwife be in a manner loft, may now be employed to very great advantage ; and in confequence of their being advanced in their works, before the coming on of winter, in- ftead of being over-loaded in the fpring, by a multitude of things to be done at that time, they will have ample leifure to attend properly, and without being hurried, to every branch of culture that a farm requires. The effect: of our culture has been extremely vifible. The new vines have grown fo prodigioufly, that they now greatly furpafs thofe of the old vineyard, which they were part of : the fhoots too are ..thicker and longer, and the branches of grapes bigger and in greater number. When I firft began to apply the principles of the new husbandry to the culture of the vine, I hoped indeed that the great fruitfulnefs of a fmaller number of plants, might compenfate for the lofs of thofe I was obliged to retrench : but I was agreably furprifed to find all the vines of my bed loaded with an equal quantity ot G g g 2 Tho 4i2 OF THE CULTURE Part III. 'Tho' my conjecture vws founded on principles which I knew to be true, I was {fill farther confirmed in my ppinion by an obferva- tion I had made, that, even in our beft vineyards, there are always great numbers of vines which abfolutely bear no fruit at all, and many others which produce but very little ; fo that it is not on the great number of plants that the great produce of the vineyard de- pends, but on the goodnefs of thofe plants. Accordingly, I concluded that I ought not to look upon my hav- ing taken up fome vines in order to form the alley, as a lofs, pro- vided thofe in the bed were enabled bv good culture to yield their utmoft productions. The event {hewed that I was right. I likewife judged that the grapes would ripen more perfectly in this new way, than in the old : and in that too I was not roi- ftakenj for they were fcuch higher flavoured, and made far better wine. Befides thefe advantages, this culture preferved my vines from a very bad accident, which happens frequently, efpecially when the autumn is rainy : I mean, the rotting of the grapes. In our com- mon vineyards, the grapes ripen, fmothered beneath that quantity of leaves with which the vines are loaded, and furrounded by num- bers of weeds, which often grow higher than the vines themfelves. Add to this, that the air around -them is filled with various exhala- tions from the earth, which, for want of a free circulation, remain fufpended about the plants. Thefe caufes cannot but make the grapes rot, and the wine that is made of them, mud be greatly in- ferior to what it would otherwife be. Our vines in beds, being much lefs, if at all, liable to any of thefe accidents, will have the advantage of preferving their grapes found and without rottennefs, till they are perfectly ripe. This I have already experienced, at a time when above half the grapes of my old vineyard were abfolutely rotten. Not with ftanding all the advantages of this new method, which, I may fay, I have only glanced at ; they would probably not be regarded, if they were not attended with greater fruitfulnefs than is obtained in the common way. I mail therefore fhew, that the pro- duce of my young vines was very confideraWe, and greatly fuperior to that of my old vineyard. My bed, as I obferved before, was formed in November 17523 -and the two outward rows confiited, in a great meafure, of young layers, Chap. XII. OF THE VINE. 413 layers, which not being old enough in 1753, to bear much fruit, I could not expect any great matter from them that year. However, they bore as much as could reafonably be defired. A violent ftorm of hail which fell in June, left fcarce any thing to be gathered in all our other vineyards. The year 1754, produced, in general, but little wine. The young plants of my bed, being only in their fecond year, were too weak to diftinguiih themfelves by any extraordinary quantity of fruit j tho' their vigour gave great hopes for future years. However, even in this, they were loaded with fo many and fo large bunches of grapes, that they yielded rather more wine than the old vines which were next them. The year 1755, was one of the beft years for wine, that has been known for a long time. The quantity was plentiful, and the qua- lity exceeding good. The youngeft plants of my bed, which were only in their third year, feemed no way inferior to the old vines cul- tivated in the common way. This bed, 40 toifes long, and 10 feet wide, including the alleys, contained 66 fquare toifes and 24 fquare feet. It yielded three hundred and thirty-fix pints of wine, Paris meafure, which was after the rate of two-fifths more than I had from my old vineyard ; or to explain myfelf ftill better, if my whole vineyard had been laid out in beds, it would have yielded five barrels of wine, for every three that it did yield. Twenty beds of the fize of that we are fpeaking of, would make about an arpent ; that is to fay, they would contain 1333 fquare toifes, and 12 fquare feet: and thofe twenty beds, fuppofing them all to produce alike, would, after the rate of this, yield 6720 Paris pints, or 23 hogfheads and 96 pints ; which, in this country, is a prodigious quantity, fuch as no vineyard here has ever yet pro- duced. The vintage of 1756, was neither plentiful nor good. I therefore did not make any comparifon j but remained fatisfied with obferving in general, that my bed produced at leaft as much as the old vine- jard. ^£CT, 4r4 GENERAL DIRECTIONS Part in. SECT. VI. General Directions for making Wine. A FTER the above accounts of the culture of the vine, It may ** ** not be improper to give fome general directions for making wine. As it would be foreign to our purpofe to enter into a detail of the particular cultures of the vine, as practifed in different coun- tries, and of their feveral methods of making their wine, we refer the curious to what Mr. Miller has faid on thefe fubjects, in the ar- ticles Vitis and Wine. The grapes muff, be of a proper degree of ripenefs : becaufe tire juice of un-ripe grapes, or other fruit, is a rough acid liquor, which ii with great difficulty made to undergo a vinous fermentation. In fome inftances, as in verjuice, it will remain in the fame ftate for years together : but after the grapes are come to a due maturity, the juice is no fooner prcffed into aveffel, than it ferments, and becomes wine. Some kinds of grapes are naturally of this auftere acid quality, which prevents their fermenting kindly. It has been found by ex- perience, that this may be corrected by the mixture of fuch fub- frances as correct the acid j for inftance, the fixed alkaline fait of plants, in a due proportion, chalk, crabs-eyes, or other abforbent bodies. Some gentlemen in England and America, when the juice of their grapes has not fermented kindly, have obtained a very good wine, by expofing the containing veffels, in a warm fituation, to the fun, with an intention of turning it to vinegar. Chemifts know that all vegetable acids are volatile in certain degrees of heat. Perhaps the effect of this futnmer expofure may be the evaporation of the acid, and thereby the converfion of the whole to a mild vinous fluid. There are not inftances wanting of the rougheft verjuice being turned to a ffrong pleafant cyder, or vinous fluid, by means of a warm fitua- tion accidentally given it. When the juice is too watery, the addition of fugar, railin?, or whatever can give it a due confidence, will correct this quality ; as is frequently experienced in the juice of currants, goofeberries, &c. It is hkewife a frequent practice, in making cyder, to fet the juice of the apples, when it is found too watery, in broad fhdlow veffels, over Chap. XII. FOR MAKING W I N ± 415 over a fire, where it is kept in a considerable degree of heat, (but not buffered to boil,) till the fuperfluous moiflure is evaporated. Might not the fame method be praclifed to advantage in the making of wine ? The acidity and waterinefs of the juice of the grapes may be like- wife remedied by a proper culture of the vine. If the heat of the climate is not great enough to ripen the grapes, efpecially in cold rainy feafons, the warmeft and drieft fituations and foils mould be chofen for the vines. A free and open expofure, whereby the fun may have accefs to the vines, might perhaps bring the wild vines in America to ripen their fruit, and exalt its juice to a much higher fla- vour. Mr. Miller, therefore, judicioufly adviies the people of Ame- rica to plant their vines on rifing grounds, where the bottom is rocky or hard near the Surface. The grapes in America are liable to burn ; which Mr. Miller im- putes, either to the too great moiflure of the air in that country, or to their receiving too much nourishment from their over rich foil* Gentlemen of America think their air, except in marfhy countries, is dryer than ours, and are therefore of opinion that the burfting of their grapes is not owing to the too great moiflure of the air. If it proceeds from too much nourishment, the remedy would feem to be eafy : viz. training up a greater number of branches to conlume that nourifhment. Others, perhaps with more reafon, impute their burft- ing to their ripening too early, while the heavy rains, frequent in autumn, fall. In this cafe, they may be trained up againft lofty trees. The reflection of the heat, from the earth, would then be lefs, and the leaves of the trees would Shelter the grapes from the fun. By this means, being later before they fill, they would not be fo apt to burft ;. and as the latter end of the autumn is generally fair, they may then have an opportunity of coming to their full maturity, without the danger of burfting. Or if it is thought more advileable to quicken their ripening, the warmeft foil and fltuation ihould be choien for the vines, and they Should not be permitted to rife to a great height. We have fometimes been inclined to think that the fummer pruning of the vine, which is intended to haften the ripening and increaie the goodnefs of the grapes, has the contrary eftedf . In the fpring, and while plants are in a growing ftate, their juices are of a watery acid nature, abounding in what thechemifts call their native* 4i6 GENERAL DIRECTIONS Part III. native fait. As the fummer advances, or as, refpe&ively in each, their feed or fruit begins to ripen, their juices lofe that faline watery ftate, and become gradually milder : and when their feed or fruit is come to full maturity, the juices of perennial plants become of an oily mucilaginous quality. This change in the nature of the juice of plants is gradual, and perfect in proportion to the flourishing ftate of the plant. If the vines are pruned while they are yet in a growing ftate, nature is checked in bringing about this change : for not being able to extend the branches farther in length, the buds for the next year fwell, and fhoot out ; whereby a new vegetation is brought on, and the juices are kept longer in their faline ftate. Surely, as in ani- mal digeftion, the more perfecl and ftrong the powers of the ani- mal (or plant) remain, the higher and more perfecl muft its juices become. When the grapes are too ripe, or the weather continues too warm at the time that the grapes muft necefTarily be gathered, their juice is apt to ferment too much and too quickly, whereby the vinous fpirit is evaporated, and the liquor becomes vapid. To remedy this, in countries liable to much heat, there fhould be cool places built for carrying on this fermentation. A gentleman, who had no fuch conveniency, contrived the following method to fupply the want of it. Near his houfe was a fpring, the water of which he conveyed by pipes into a cellar of an out-houfe, and when he had a mind to check the fermentation, he raifed the water in the cellar to what height he found proper, fo as to cover the whole or part of his vef- fels. If the vefTel was entirely immerfed in the water before the liquor had begun to ferment, he found that it continued in the fame ftate for months. Thus, having preffed fome apples, and having immediately immerfed the containing veflel in his cellar, he let it remain there till the fpring, when, on his carrying it into a warmer place, it fermented, and became excellent cyder. Mr. Boyle relates a parallel inftance, in his Hijiory of Cold. In fome countries, they make it a general rule to gather their grapes when dry ; and in others they as carefully gather them only when they are wet with dew. In both, the circumftances of the feafons fhould, perhaps, vary this cuftom. Thus, when a warm kindly feafon has brought the grapes to a due maturity, fuch juice wants no addition : if a dry feafon has perhaps thickened their juice too much, the dew may remedy that defedt : and if a cold or rainy feafon has prevented their ripening thoroughly, and they ftill con- tinue Chap.XIL FOR MAKINC WINE. 417 tlnue m an acid wateiy ftate, fiirely the warmeft and dryeft, hours fhouid be chofen for gathering them. • We cannot here help lamenting the want of experiments perform- ed with accuracy and judgment on this lu'bjed:. When the grapes are to be gathered, a fufficient number of la-- bourers fhouid go into the vineyard, each provided with a bafket and knife, and cut, as dole as pofTible to the fruit, thofe bunches only which appear riper! and moft open; leaving for a future cutting fuch as are green, or clofe : for clofe bunches. never ripen thorough- ly. All rotten or burften grapes, whether occafioned by over ripe- ftefe or any other accident, fhouid alfo be avoided. The bunches thus gathered fhouid be laid gently in the bafkets, without bruifing or prefiing them. The more expedrtioufly they are gathered, the finer will be the colour of the wine, and the fooner they are prefled, tUe better will its quality be. - For white, wine, the grapes ihould be put immediately in the -prefe, which, being let down upon them, will, by its weight alone* iorce out the liquor plentifully. This full: running is efteemed the moft delicate. When the liquor ceaies to run, the prefs is raifed, and the cakes of grapes round its fides are pared off with an iron {hovel made purpofely for that ufe, and thrown up again, together with the loofe fcattered grapes. The prefs is then let down again on them, and fcrewed with great force, which occafions a fecond running, more plentiful than the firft, and little inferior to it in fla- vour or colour, but preferable in this, that it has a ftronger body, and will keep a conuderable time longer. This operation is repeat- ed, whilft any juice remains in the grapes. To make red wine, after the red grapes are gathered, in doing of which the fame caution fhouid be obferved as before, in regard to their ripenefs, &c. the bunches are thrown into large tubs, and there mafhed or bruifed to pieces, with flick?, or by putting children into the tubs to tread out their juice. This is repeated, till the vefTel is full : after which the grapes are let lie in their liquor 48 hours, during which time the whole mud be frequently ftirred together. This itirring raifes a fermentation, and increafes the colour of the wine, which becomes of a full bright red. The liquor thus ob- tained, is then poured off, and is higher flavour'd than that which is afterwards got by prefiing what remains at the bottom of the tubs : tho' this laft will have the ftrongeft body, efpecially if the prefs is lcrewed ib tight as to break the feeds of the grapes, Hhh The 4i8 GENERAL DIRECTIONS Part III. The grapes that were- left upon the vines at the time of the firft cutting, fhould be gathered as they ripen ; and fo on, to a third and other cuttings, according as it may be found neceffary. After the grapes have been preffed as dry as poflible, their cakes or hulks ftill afford a fpirit, or brandy, by diftillation. The new wines will generally ferment of themfelves, within a few days after they have been put into the calks. Thofe that do not, fhould be helped, by putting into them a little of the froth, or yeaft, that works from the others. The fineft wines will fer- ment the fooneft : and this fermentation will continue for about ten or twelve days, according to the fort of the wine, and the feafon of the year. < While the wine ferments, the bung-hole of the cafk mud be left open, or only covered with a thin cloth, to prevent any dirt from falling in : and this cloth fhould be laid hollow, fo that the froth arifing from the fermentation may have room to work off. When the fermentation is pretty well over, which is known by the froth's ceafing to rife fo faft as before, the bung may be clofed down, after filling up the cafk with liquor within two inches of the top. A vent-hole fhould then be opened and left, to carry- off whatever may be thrown up by any fubfequent fermentation. This filling up of the cafk to within two inches of the vent-hole, fhould be regularly obferved every two days, for about ten or twelve davs Tunning : for the fermentation will continue a confiderable time, though in a lefs degree ; and if your cafks are not kept fo full as that the foulnefs thrown up by the fermentation may be carried off at the vent-hole, it will fall back again into the wine, and render it foul and muddy. After filling up each cafk in this manner, to within two inches of the bung, for about ten or twelve days, it muft be filled to within an inch every five or fix days, for the fpace of a month ; after which, once a fortnight will be fufficient during die next three months. Tho' the fermentation will be over long before this laft mentioned time, yet. the calks muft be filed up once a month, fo long as they continue in the cellar : for as the wine will wafte infenfibly in the cafks, it will grow flat and heavy, if they are not kept continually ■riikd up. 'Twere needlefs to fay that the vent-holes muft be ftopt, when the fermentation is over. In fcveral parts of Germany, where their grapes, feldom coming to full maturity, are gathered fomewhat green, they have iron ftoves in Chap. XII. FOR MAKING WINE. 4i9 in their cellars, where they keep a constant fire, which, by rarefy- ing and heating the air, ripens and meliorates the -vines, and renders them much more palatable and agreable than they would otherwise be. As the wines drawn from the laft gathering of the grapes cannot be fo perfect as the others, for want of due maturity in the fruit, the people of Champaign and Burgundy have recourfe to the follow- ing method, to accelerate their ripening. When the wines have been about three weeks in the cafks, they roll them up and down therein for fome time, five or fix times a day, for four or five days running ; then two or three times a day, for three or four days ; afterwards, once a day, for about four days; then once a day, for about a week ; and after that, once in four or five days. If the grapes were gathered very green, the rolling in this manner is con- tinued, in all, for about five or fix weeks : but if they were tolerably ripe when gathered, rolling once in four or five days, for about a month or fix weeks, will be fufficient. This rolling of the liquor in the cafks Will heighten the fermentation, by the agitation of its parts ; and the violent motion thereof heats the wine, which caufes it to purify and purge itfelf, and accelerates its ripening, much better . than any other method can do. It likewife fweetens and ftrengthens it, by mixing and making it together with its lees, and renders it much more palatable. The fame method is alfo practifed when the wine is of too weak a body. About the middle of December, the wines may be drawn off from the lees into frefh cafks, for the firft time, taking care to fill the cafks up, and to place them fo that they may not be fhaken or difturbed, until the middle of February, when it will be right to draw them off again into other cafks, which fhould likewife be filled up, and kept where they may not be difturbed, till the latter end-of March, or the beginning of April, at which time it will be proper to fhift them again into other cafks. When the wine is fit for bottling, a frofty day, if the feafon of the year will permit,' or, for want of that, a cool and dry one fhould be chofen : experience having fhewn that wine drawn oft* either on a hot, or on a cold and moift, or a rainy day, will never be fo fine as that which is bottled in clear fettled weather. The fame rule fhould be obferved in lhifting the wine from one cafk to another. We fhall clofe this article with a few directions, which Mr. Mil- H h h 2 ler 42o GENERAL DIRECTIONS Part III. ler tells us have occurred to him from fome obfcryations and ex- periments more particularly relating to the making of wine in Eng- land. The grapes, fays he, being ripe, fhould be cut when they are perfectly dry, and carried into a large dry room, where they fhould be fpread upon wheat ftraw, in fuch manner as not to lie upon each other. In this place they may remain a fortnight, three weeks, or a month, according as there is conveniency ; obferving to let them have air every day, that the moiflure perfpired from the grapes may be carried off. Then, the preffes and other things being in order, all the grapes mould be pulled off the bunches, and put into tubs ; taking care to throw away fuch as are mouldy, rotten, or not ripe, •which, .if mixed with the others, would fpoil the wine: the ftalks of the bunches mould alfo be thrown away: becaufe, if they are preffed with the grapes, an auftere juice will come from them, which will render the wine fharp and acid. Mr. Miller is of opinion that the want of this precaution has fpoiled great quantities of wine made in England, which might otherwife have proved very good : for, as he rightly obferves, in Fiance, and other wine countries, thofe-who pay more regard to the quality than the quantity of their wines, al- ways pick the grapes from off the ftalks before they are preffed : much more ought we in England, where the climate is lefs favour- able, npt to omit any art which may be neceffary to help the want of fun. The grapes, being thus carefully picked, fhould be well preffed. If red wine is intended to be made, the hufks and ftones mould be put into the liquor, and if the feeds or ftones of the grapes are broken in the prefs, the wine will be the ftronger. The liquor and hufks muft be put into a large vat, where the whole fhould ferment together five or fix days : after which the wine fhould be drawn off, and put into large cafks, leaving the bung-hole open to give vent to the air which is generated by the fermentation. If the wine, after it is preffed out, and put into the vat with the hufks, does not fer- ment in a day or two at moft, it will be proper to add a little warmth to the room, by fires, which will foon put it into motion. For want of this, it often happens, where people prefs their wine, and leave it to ferment in open cold places, that the nights, being cool, check the fermentation, and caufe the wine to be foul, and almoft ever after upon the fret. Jf white wine is defired, the hvdks of the grapes fhould not re- main Chap. XII. FOR MAKING WINE. 421 main in the liquor above twelve hours, which will be long enough to fet it a fermenting : and when it is drawn off, and put into other veffels, it fhould not remain there above two days before it is drawn off again -, and this muft be repeated three or four times, which will prevent its taking any tincture from the hufks in fer- menting. When the greateft fermentation is over, the wine fhould be drawn off into frefh cafks, which fhould be conftantly filled up, as before directed, and the bung-hole be left open three weeks or a month, to give vent to the generated air, and room for the fcum to run over. In filling up the cafks, great care fhould be taken not to break that fcum, becaufe it would mix with the wine, make it foul, and give it an ill tafte. The beft way therefore is, to have for this purpofe a funnel, with a plate at the fmall end, bored full of little holes, that the wine may pafs through in fmall drops, lb gently as not to break the fcum. After the wine has remained in this ftate a month or fix weeks, it will be neceffary to ftop up the bung-hole, left, by expofing it too much to the air, the liquor fhould grow flat, and lofe much of its fpirit and ftrength : but it muft not be ftopt quite clofe, but fhould rather have a pewter or glafs tube, of about half an inch bore, and two feet long, placed in the middle of the bung-hole. The ufe of this tube is to let the air, which is generated by the fermentation of the wine, pafs off; becaufe, .being of a rancid nature, it would fpoil the wine, if it were pent up in the caik : and in this tube there may always remain fome wine, to keep the calk ful|, as the wine therein evaporates and fubfides. The reverend Dr. Hales has greatly improved this tube, by mak- ing it double, viz-, by having within the outer tube, which he direds to be made two feet' long and of about two inches bore, and to be fixed in the bung-hole by a pewter ibcket clofely cemented, another fmaller tube, of about half an inch bore. The lower tube fhould always be kept about half full of wine, which will fupply the veffcl as the wine therein fliall fubfide ; and there will be no room left in the upper part of the veffel, to contain any generated air, which . will pafs off through the upper fmall tube, which muft always be left open for this purpofe. As the wine in the lower tube fubfides, it maybe re-filled by introducing a (lender funnel through the fmall tube, down to the fcum upon the furface of the wine in the larger tube, fo as to prevent its being broken by the wine falling too violently 422 GENERAL DIRECTIONS,^. Part III. violently upon it. Dr. Hales adds, that if this experiment is tried with glafs tubes, it will give an opportunity to obferve what impref- fion the different ftates of the air have upon the wine, by its riling cr falling in the tubes : and if that fucceeds, it may afterwards be done with wooden or metal tubes, which will not be in danger of breaking. After the wine, and particularly that of countries where the fun is not very powerful, has palled its fermentation in the vat, and is drawn off into the cafks, it will require fomething to feed upon. To this end, it will be right always to preferve a few bunches of the beft grapes, which may be hung up in a room till there be occafion for them • when they fhould be picked off the ftalks, and two or three good handfuls put into each cafk, according to its fize. The larger the calks are, the greater ftrength the wine contained in them will acquire, and confequently it will be the lefs in danger of fuffering from the injuries of the weather. A P R A C- PRACTICAL TREATISE O F HUSBANDRY. PART IV. Of the Inftruments peculiar to, or nfeful in, NEW HUSBANDRY. the CHAP. I. Of PLOUGHS. IN our account of the experiments in 1750, we advifed, fays M. Duhamel, making the firfl trials of the new hufbandry, on fmall pieces of ground, in order to acquire by degrees a know- ledge of many circumftances, which, though they may feem of little confequence, are, in re- ality, of great importance. If thofe experiments had been made at once on large tracts of land, any bad fuccefs at firft letting out, might have difcouraged people from making farther trials. 6 We 4*4 OF PLOUGHS. PartlV. We find with pteafure, continues our author, that a fufRcient number of experiments has now been made, to create a confidence in this new method of cultivating land, and that proper instruments for that purpofe have been invented. It therefore remains that we give a defcription of thefe initruments, beginning with the ploughs. Two things are eflentially necefiary to all ploughs : the one is, that the (hare and coulter mould enter fufficiently deep into the unplowed earth, to turn it over into the furrow : the plough is fitted for this purpofe, by having its fhare and coulter placed in a direc- tion fomewhat oblique to the beam, inclining towards the ground that is to be turned over : and the other, which is fiill more im- portant, is, that the plough be made to pierce to a depth fuited to the quality of the foil. This is eafily effected with ploughs that have a fore- carriage : and as to thofe which have none, the plow- man may, by the help of their handles, if fufficiently long, as with 3. lever, make the mare pierce to whatever depth may be thought moft proper. M. de Chateau-vieux observes, that, in order to plow well, the furrow which is turned over ought not to be cut too wide. The breadth of it fliould be determined by the quality of the foil, accord- ing as it is ftift or light, dry or moifh His furrows are generally between eight and nine inches wide : and as to their depth, he is guided in that refpecT: by the nature of the foil. Sometimes he has plowed a foot deep.; but then the furrows were cut narrow, in order to proportion the refiftance of the earth, to the ftrength of the horles : for it is as eafy to them to plow twelve inches deep, with a narrow furrow, as it would be to plow only to the depth of fix inches, with a wider one. M. Duhamel took the firft hint of his plough, from one that he faw near Rochefort, the whole fore-carri3ge of which conlifted of only one very fmall wheel, whereby the beam was fupported at a proper height. While this plough was making, he received M. de Chateau-vieux's defcription oi his : but too late to follow entirely the ideas of that gentleman. However, he was ftill in time to make fome alteration in his fore-carriage, by means of which, he thinks his plough has all the advantages of M. de Chateau-vieux's, and that it is even more convenient in fome refpedfs. We, with M. Dn- hamel, frail leave the public to judge which of the two is heft, after giving a drawing and defcription of each of them. SECT. Chap. I. -OF PLOUGHS. 425 SECT. I. Defcription of M. de Chateau-vieuxV plough. Of the Plough head. /T*HE head of this plough is compofed of a wheel 32 inches in A diameter, which may be extended to 34 inches, or reduced to 30 : but to fall fhort of, or to exceed thofe meafures, would be at- tended with inconveniencies. This wheel may be made very light, efpecially if it be encircled with a thin hoop of iron. It is reprefented in Plate II. fg. 1, 2, 3. of which, fig. 2, is the plan, and fig. 1, the profile. The frame in which the wheel is placed, is formed by two fhafts A B, CD, fig. 2, diftant from each other 18 inches, from infide to infide j which fixes the length of the nave of the wheel. Thefe fhafts are four feet eight inches long, and may be reduced to four feet four inches, by fhortening them at the ends, C and A. They are about two inches and a quarter fquare : but the edges mould be rounded off. Thefe two pieces are fattened together by the two crofs ftaves E F, G H, which are two inches and a half wide, and about an inch thick. They are riveted to one of the fhafts, at E and G, where they are not to be loofened at all j and at their other ends FandH, the fhaft mull: be. moveable, fo as to be taken off, to let the two crofs ftaves through two mortifes in the beam 1 K of the plough ; after which the fhaft CD is put in its place, and fixed with two iron pins, a, b. Between the two fhafts is placed the wheel L M, the nave of winch is pierced through its center, with a hole proportioned to the thicknefs of the iron pin or fpindle NO, which ferves for an axle tree, and is -reprefented by the two pricked lines. This fpindle, or axle tree, the diameter of which is about three quarters of an inch, ought not to projeft beyond the out-fide of the fhafts, left it mould lay hold of or hurt the ftalks of the corn, when the plough is ufed. To fix it at N, that end is flattened, and bent ever the fhaft to' the .middle of'its upper fide, where it is faftened at d, by a fmall pin driven through it and tlie fhaft. On the upper furface of each of the fhafts, at the ends A and C, are the hooks AC, to which the harnefs is faftened : and at the other ends B and D, are two rings, the ufe of which will be explained hereafter. I i i The 426 OF PLOUGHS. Part IV The fhafts A B, CD, fhould be pierced with four or five" holes, to fet the wheel more or lefs forward or backward, in order to make the plough ftrike more or lefs deep into the earth, as may be feen in fig. i. a,b, c, d. The fame holes are indicated by the pricked lines on the two fhafts ofy%\ 2. from A to N, and from Cto O. Of the Plough "Tail. THIS part confifts of the beam IK, fig. 1 & 2 ; the ground-reft CD fig. 1, which is covered by the fhare L D ; the handles KP, K^fig. 2, and K P fig. 1. the fheat E F fig. 1, of which part is pricked in fig. I, and the end appears at X in fig. 2; the mould board R S fig. 2, part of which is feen at N in Jig. 1 ; the coulter G H fig. 1, and TV fig. 2, and the fhare L D fig. 1, part of which is feen at Tin fig. 2. The beam is four feet eight inches long, exclufive of the tenon which traverfes the handles. Three inches and a quarter fquare are very fufficient in its thickeft part, which is from X to V, fig. 2. The mortifes in the beam, which are under g, h, and through which the two crofs ftaves E F, G H, are Dipt, fhould be fo fitted, that the crofs ftaves may not fhake or be loofe in them, at the fame time that the beam fhould, by their help, flip with eafe over the crofs ftaves, either to the right towards E G, or to the left towards F H, accord- ing as the intended plowing may require. The beam fhould he fattened, either by two nuts, fcrewed on at tn n, which will fix it tight to the crofs ftaves E F, G H; or by two iron pins, ftuck through the holes p and q in the two crofs ftaves, one to the right in the crofs flaff E F, and the other to the left in the crofs ftaff G H. Thefe pins will keep the beam fteady in its place. The lower part of the ground-reft fhould be fomewhat concave, as is reprefented at CD, fig. 4, Pi. II. in order to leffen its friction againft the earth. The beam IK, fig. 1, and the ground-reft CD, are fattened to- gether by the fheat FE, and the handles P K, h, both of which are riveted to the ground-reft by two ftrong iron pins, the heads of which are feen at g and h ; and to the beam, as alfo the tenon of the beam which traverfes the handles at m,n; and by the two wedges, p, 0 and q, another ufe of which will be explained hereafter. Wood naturally crooked is beft to make the handles of, that they may be all of one piece, which mould be fo difpofed, that one third of Chap. ft OF PLOUGHS. 4*7 of the fpace between the two handles, (hould be on the left fide and the two other thirds on the right fide, in order to facilitate the plow- man's walking in the furrow. This diipofition is (hewed in fig. 2. in which a line e, j, drawn from the middle of the beam, between the two handles/gives to the left fide a third PJ of the diftance P 9 between the two handles, and the two other thirds / ^to the 0t For want of wood naturally bent to a proper (hape, thefe handles may be made of two pieces firmly riveted and fattened together ; and if it mould be more convenient to the plowman, the whole lpace be- tween the handles may be on the right fide, as in fig. 6; The (heat E F fig. 1, mould be very ftrongly and clofely fattened bv its tenon to the ground-reft, at g. An intelligent workman will eafily make it of a proper fize, which is about two inches and a halt wide and a full inch thick. The inclining of this piece with the ground wrift, gives it greater ftrength to refift, than if it was fattened to it at right angles. . The mould-board, reprefented by RS,fig. 2, and AB,fig. 7, is from 10 to 3 1 inches long, and ten inches high or deep. It ought to be placed as in fig. 8, where its end A forms an acute angle ter- minating at the junction of the fin of the (hare : its other end B ex- tends beyond the length of the ground-reft, againft which it ought to incline, in fuch manner that, fuppofing the ground-reft to be lengthened out as far as C, the line CB would be twelve or thirteen inches long, reckoning; from the fartheft lateral furface of the ground- reft to the fartheft lateral furface of the mould-board, which, being thus placed, will form the width of the furrow. The lower part of this mould-board is Hoped a little inwards, as is exprefied by the (hade in fig. 7 : and the part b fig. 7 mould jet out at leaft two inches beyond the part*. To tins end, the mould- board (hould be made of a plank about three inches thick, which will bear fcooping on both fides, in order to give it the concavity without, and the convexity within, reprefented in fig. 3 and 7. The mould-board (hould be well fattened, to-prevent its being dif- olaced by the refiftance of the earth. The upright piece C D fig. 7, ' which ioins to the handles at its end D, and to the mould-board at its other end 0, fupports it ftrongly. It is highly neceffary to cover the cart of the mould-board which bears upon the earth, with a thin hoop of iron, in order to prelerve it ; for othetwife it would foon be worn 0Ut* I i i 2 The 428 OF PLOUGHS. Part IV. The coulter GH, Jig. i. fhould be made of good iron well fteeled. A notch is cut in the beam to receive it, fig. 9 and 10 j and as the corners of that notch, C and B, againft which the coulter bears hardeft when the plough works, would loon be worn away if the wood was left bare, it is proper to fecure them with two fmall pieces of iron A B, CD, about the fixth part of an inch in thicknefs, fcrewed on with flat- headed fcrews. Thefe pieces of iron will keep the coulter lteady in its place. The coulter fhould be pierced with feveral holes, from £ to F, fig, 10, to take it higher up, or let it lower down, as occafion may require. It is fattened to the beam which is pierced at E, fig, 9, by a itrong iron pin with a fquare flat head, which is let into the beam and lies even with it, as in fig. 10. The other end of this plrj; E, jig. 10, is a fcrew, fitted with its nut, by which the coulter is fattened tight to the beam. Upon this fcrew hangs the handle A, Jig. t, which ferves to turn it, and at the end of which is the key which fattens on the nuts of the iron pins which fecure the fhare. By this means, the key to turn the fcrews is always carried wi.iithe plough. M. de Chateau-vieux's coulters weigh but five or fix pounds a-piece at molt, and frequently not more than three pounds. He places his coulter lb that its point G, Jig. 1. jets out about an inch beyond the outfide of the lhare L C. F.'g. 12 reprefents the plan of the fhnre, with its dimensions, as do aifo fig. 1 } and 14. The point lhould be made of goc.-d lied, and the reit oH good iron, neither too loft, nor too highly terrper'd, that it may not be fubject to break or bend. The tail of the fnare, A B, fig. 12, lhould be thicket from A to C, becaufe that is the part which bears the greatelt ftrefs. Its thicknefs dim.inithes gradually to B, where the lhare is fattened to the ground-reft. This tail is pierced with two round holes at A and B, fig. 13, through which are put the iron pins D E, F G, fg. 12. which have fquare flat heads, lying even with the tail of the lhare. Thefe pins pafs through the ground-reft, where they are fattened on the other fide by the nuts EG. A third round hole may be added at x Jig. 13, in order to fallen the fhare ftill more firmly to the ground-reft, with a fhert flat headed fcrew. M. de Chateau-vieux has likewife made fome ploughs with the round holes a b Jig. 1 3, near A and B, that the iron pins D E, FG, fe. 12, might not traverfe the tenons of the fheat and handles; and inltead INSERT FOLDOUT HERE Chap.!. OF'PLO!U'GHS, 429 inftead of thofe iron pins, he has riveted them with wooden pins, and found them keep the whole tighter together than the iron ones. 1 To the left fide of the plough mould be faftened the thin board N3 Jig. 1 & 7, the Life of which is to prevent the earth from tumbling over between the (hare- and the mould-board. Plowing wears the point of the (hare ; but much lefs than it does that of our common ploughs. However,- it muft be new pointed from time to time, al- ways obferving to make the point incline1 a little towards the earth, as is reprefented by the-pricked line D L>, flg. I ; that the (hare may fearceiy touch the ground at any other part than D and L, in order to leflen the friclion. The hind part of the plough, thus formed, is joined to the fore carriage, by running the crols ftaves E F, G Hy Jig. 2. through the incrtiks of the beam, g and b\ and fixed there, either by the (crews m n} or the pins p, q. The traces of the fir ft and fecond horfe are faftened to the hooks AC. ; and if a third horfe is ufed, the traces of that third horfe are faftened to thofe ot the fecond. Horfes will do better for this plough, than oxen, unlefs thefe laft have been ufed to be harnefled one before the other. The plough thus equipped, may eafily be carried to the field, if its hind part is laid upon the little carriage IE IV, Jig. 2. confifting of an iron axle tree IE T.V, two fmall wheels k i, I r, and the two pieces />',/, D v, at the end of which are the hooks B and D. Thefe wheels are about 21 inches or two kct diameter, and three feet fix inches, or even four feet afnnder. They are very light, having but a fmall weight to bear. The hooks of thefe two pieces B t, D 1), are hcohed to the rings B and D at the end of the (hafts ,* and by this means the plough will be carried upon three wheels, of which j%. r and 2 lhew fufficiently the arrangement and ufe. Fig. 5, (hews the (lope that (liould be given to the upper furface of the middle of the axie tree of this fmall carriage on which the reft of the plough is to be loaded in order to remove it from one place to another, that the ground -reft and other pieces may lie flat and fteady upon it. M. de Chateau- vieux'i directions for.tt/ing this pkvgb. 'TO open the firft furrow, the wheel muft be placed at the laft -*-' hole, towards the extremity of the (hafts. This m-akes the (hare incline the more, and confequently cut the deeper. But as it would be fomewhat troublefome to chanee the pofition of the wheel, 43o O F P L 0 U G H S. Part IV. at every firft cut of the plough, a very little attention will remedy that inconvenience. It is only inclining the handles of the plough to the right or the left, inftead of holding them even. The whole plough will incline with the handles, and the fhare will then enter into the ground with eafe, and open the firft furrow. The other furrows are plowed without any fort of difficulty} and for them, the plough is to be held even, or inclined but very little, either to the right hand or the left, as the fituation of the land may require. I generally reft the beam on the left hand fide of the fore-carriage: It is eafy to place it fo as to leave whatever diftance is thought proper between the outmoft row of corn and the furrow that is actually plowing. The forwarder the wheel is fet, the deeper the plough cuts : and fo on the contrary. But if one would have it cut ftill deeper, or Shallower, than it can be made to do by altering the pofition of the wheel, that too may eafily be effected. By loofening a little the wedge above the beam, p, o, fig. i. and driving farther in the wedge q, the plough will cut lefs deep : as, on the other hand, the fhare will be more inclined, and therefore cut deeper, if the wedge q under the beam is loofened, and the wedge p, o, over it is driven in tighter. SECT. II. Defcription of M. DuhamelV plough, afed in the experiments at Denainvilliers. THE chief differences between M. de Chateau- vieux's plough, and that of M. Duhamel, are as follow. 1. The beam of this laft, ACB, Plate III. is bent from C to B; whereas that of M. de Chateau-vienx's is nearly ftrait all along. 2. In confequence of this curve, the hindmoft extremity of M. Duhamel's beam, is joined at B to the hindermoft part of the ground- reft E, after paffing through a mortife F, in the lower part of the handles: fo that this beam is joined to the ground-reft by its extre- mity Bt the bottom of the handles F, and the fheat G ; whilft that of M. de Chateau-vieux's plough, is joined to the ground-reft by this fheat, another which this plough has not, and the lower part of the handles : for the beam does not anfwer to the ground-reft. 3. The mould board HI of this plough, is lighter than that of M. de Chateau-vieux's, and differently fhaped. In that refpect, the general cuftom of the country one lives in, may, and even fhould be complied with. 4. The chap. i. of Houghs, 431 4. The two handles K K, are at equal diftances from the beam, and are joined together by a crofs ftaff M. 5. The fhare N, is pretty much like that of M. de Chateau- vieux's plough, but fhorter and narrower ; fo that it cuts lefs wide furrows, which M. Duhamel thinks the beft way of plowing. 6. The coulter O of this plough paries through a mortife in the beam, which is ftrengthened in this place by hoops of iron, to pre- vent the beam's being fplit by the driving in of the wedges P P which fix the coulter. M. Duhamel thinks this hind part of his plough preferable to that of M. de Chateau-vieux's, for light lands : but it would not do fo well in ftiff foils, becaufe the earth would be apt to clog about the fheat at !%j whereas it is thrown off by M. de Chateau-vieux's plough. M. Duhamel likewife approves of making the beam (trait, as M. de Chateau-vieux's is, inftead of giving it the bending from C to B, es- pecially for ftiff lands. 7. The beam C A, is fixed to the crofs ftaves R R of the fore- carriage of this plough, by the fcrews and nuts S S. 8. The fhafts TT, are fattened before by a crofs ftaff V, which gives great folidity to the fore-carriage, and may be added to M. de Chateau-vieux's plough ; not only becaufe the wheel is too large, but likewife becaufe it muft be fet forwarder or backvvarder, in order to make the fhare cut more or lefs deep. The wheel of this plough is not (o large as that of M. de Chateau- vieux's, becaufe the pole, inftead of being inferted in the fhafts TT, is let into the fide pieces X, which are faftened to the fhafts by the fcrews 2nd nuts Y T. The advantages of having the wheel fmaller, are, i. That the plough is lefs apt to lean too much on its fide, and is more eafily held upright ; 2. That the crofs ftaff Fmay be added to the fore- carriage, by which it is rendered mere folid ; and 3. That the fore- carriage may be made fhorter than it otherwife could be. The bare infpeftion of the draught of this plough, fhews that it is made to cut more or lefs deep, by fere wing the nuts Y more or lefs tight, and putting a thicker or thinner wedge between the fide piece X and the fhaft ; which is an eafier and quicker way, than chang- ing the fituation of the wheel. But a readier method ftill, is, to have under the fhafts TT, a falfe fhaft Z Z, fixed with hinges at &: for then, by only flicking the peg a, into one pf the holes b, the beam 432 OF D R I L L - P L O U G H S. Part IV. beam is raifed or lower'd, in a moment, to whatever degree i« thought proper, without altering the poiition of the wheel. It is likewife evident, that in order to give the mare a greater or lefs degree of entrance into the earth, nothing more is requifite than to place the beam nearer to, or farther from, the right hand fhaft : for the horfes, which are harneffed one before another, go, as does alfo the wheel, in the laft made furrow, and the plowman goes in; the furrow actually making. dd. Hooks to faften on the harnefs of the horfes. c c. Cramps to faften the fore-carriage. ff. Pins to fix the beam to the fheat. g g. Pegs to faften the crofs ftaves. h. A ftrong pin which goes through the hole it to keep the mould board fteady. CHAP. II. Of Drill-Ploughs. SECT. I. Of Mr. Worlidge'.? Drill-Plough. THE two firft inventions of this kind were Mr. Wolidge's drill- plough, and Don Jofeph de Lucatello's Sembrador, both of which may claim the merit of being originals. As neither M. Tull, nor M. Duhamel, have taken any notice of this inftrument of Mr. Worlidge, which we are perfuaded will fully anfv.er all the ends he propofes, we think it a juftice due to one of the belt writers on agri- culture, to give his own account of it. " Befides the ufual manner of lowing corn, there are," fays he, " feveral other ways of difperfing it, as by letting, and hoeing of it *■* in, £?f. This art of letting corn feem's to be very ancient, as ap- " pears by Virgil, Unguibus infodiuat £jf ipfis jruges and hath been " a long time attempted to be brought into practice again, as appears " by Mr. Piatt's Adams Tool Revived." Mr. Worlidge then points, out the defects in Mr. Piatt's inftruments, and proceeds thus. " But to remedy and remove all manner of errois and inconve- " niencies that can be found in letting of corn, 1 fhall here give you " a plain and perfect; defcription of an eafy and fcalible inftrument " that • INSERT FOLDOUT HERE Chap. II. OF DRILL-PLOUGHS. 433 " that fhall difperfe your corn, grain, or pulfe, of what kind foever, " and what diftance, and in what proportion you pleafe to defign, " where the pins thruft into the ground, harden and faften the " mould, fo that unlefs the land be very light, it confines the roots " to too narrow a place, which in this way is prevented j as I have " obferved in garden beans, that thofe hoed in, proved better " than thofe fet with a flick. " By the ufe of this inftrument alfo may you cover your grain or " pulfe with any rich compoft you fhall prepare for that purpofe, " either with pigeon-dung dry or granulated, or any other faline or V lixivial fubftance, made difperfeable, which may drop after the *' corn, and prove an excellent improvement : for we find experi- " mentally, that pigeon's dung fown by the hand on wheat or bar- " ley, mightily advantageth it by the common way of hufbandry : " much more then might we expect this way, where the dung, or fuch '* like fubftance is all in the fame furrow with the corn j whereas in " the other vulgar way, a great part thereof comes not near it. M It may either be done by having another hopper on the fame 41 frame behind that for the corn, wherein the compoft may be put, " and made to drop fucceffively after the corn : or it may be fown u by another inftrument to follow the former, which is the better " way, and may both difperfe the foil, and cover both foil and " feed. " The corn alio thus fown in ranges, you may with much more iC conveniency go between, and either weed it or hoe it, and earth it tc up as you think good, and at harveft it will eafily repay the u charges, " Alfo the fore-wheels being made to lock to and fro on either " fide, you may have an upright iron pin fixed to the middle of the " axis, extended to the top of the frame: and from thence a fmall " rod of iron to come to your hand, with a crooked neck juft againft ** the neck of the hopper j by means of which iron rod, you may " lock or turn the wheels either way, and guide your inftrument, Jf and rectify it, if it deviate out of its right courfe. " The hopper muft be broad and mallow, that the feed prefs not " much harder when it is full, than when it is near empty, left it " fow not proportionably.. " Thi* Chap, m OF DRILL.PLOUGHS. 437 " This infirument, although it may at the firfl: feem myfterious " and intricate to the ignorant, yet I am confident it will anfwer to " every particular of what I have written of it ; and any ingenious " wheel -wright, joyner, or carpenter, may eafily make the fame with " very little inftru&ion, and any ordinary ploughman may ufe it." SECT. II. Of the Semb?-ador. TN the account given of this infirument, in the Philofophical Tran- -■" factions, N° 60. it is juftly obferved, that the perfection of agri- culture confifts in fetting the plants at proportionable diftances, and giving fufficient depth to the roots, that they may fpread to receive that nourishment from the ground, which is neceflary to produce and ripen the fruit : but this has been fo far from being obferved, that all forts of feeds are fown by handfuls at random ; whence it happens, that corn in fome places is fowed too thick, in others too thin, and the greater part of it either not covered, or not deep enough : where- by, it is not only expofed to be eaten by birds, but alfo in cold coun- tries to be fpoiled by froft, and in hot climates, by the fun. On thefe confiderations, Don Jofeph de Lucatello invented an inflrument, which, being fattened to the plough, at once plows, fows, and har- rows; whereby the fower's labour is faved, and the grain, falling in order, and in the bottom of the furrow, remains at the fame diftance under ground, fo that in five parts of feed, four are faved, and the increafe becomes very considerable. The following is the defcription of this infirument. "Fig. 2. Plate IV. is a box of wood: abed, the cover of that part into which the corn is put, which is open \njig. 3, at W: efhg kly the two fides that cover that part of the box where the cylinder, which is fluck round with three rows of little fpoons, is moved about to throw out the grains; which fides are taken offing. 3, that the cylinder R St and the fpoons x x x may appear. The internal fhape of thefe fides is exprefled in^. 4, where may be feen the four triangular pieces pppp, and the triangular interfiices qqq, which ferve to convey the corn, carried up in the fpoons, and discharged at the top of the cylinder, to run out of the holes underneath the box. " T, is one of the wheels: F, the other end of the cylinder, on. which the other wheel is to be fixed. "This 438 OF DRILL-PLOUGHS. Part IV. " This fembrador, or box, is, according to Don Lucatello's method, to be tied faft to the hind part of the plough, fo that the corn may fall in the furrow, and at the turning of the plough, its ears may cover the corn of -the laft furrow with earth. Care muft be taken that the wheels on the fides of this inftrument do always turn round, and never drag along without turning : to which end, it muft be faftened to the plough-beam, at fuch a height that the nails in the wheels may ftand on the ground, to make them turn round. The ears of the plough ufed on this occafion "muft alfo be made larger than ordinary, that they may cover the furrows better, when fovvn, and make wider furrows to receive the feed." Both thefe inftruments have their imperfections. The man- ner in which the wheels, and confequentiy the cylinder of the fem- brador are turned, muft occafion an unequal difti ibution of the feed, wherever the ground is rough or ftoney: and in Mr. Worlidge's drill, the feed is liable to be bruifed as it drops from the hopper, by the wheel in the neck of that hopper. We apprehend that a more ufeful inftrument may be formed out of thefe two, than either of them is as they now ftand : liz. by fixing the box of the fembrador, in the frame of Mr. Worlidge's drill. A fqnare frame, like that, will keep the box more fteady, and therefore render the difcharge of the feed more regular, than it can be either in Don Lucatello's manner, or in a fingle frame, as propofed by M. Diancourt, in an inftrument formed on thefe principles, and of which M. Duhamel gives the following de- fer iption. On the outfide of the fhafts a a, bb, (Plate IV. Jig. 5.) are two wheels. Their axle-tree ddd turns round with them. On this axle-tree are two pullies ee, which receive into their grove two lines jf, which turn the cylinder G g, fig. b and 7. This cylinder has three rows of fpoons fixed in it, and goes through the hollows zzzz ( fig. 8.) of the half barrel H b, Jig. 7 and S. This half barrel is placed floping in the box 7, f, Jig. 7 and 5, as is reprefented at the bottom of that box, at h, fig. 7. The box I is reprefented with its cover on in Jig. 5. In Jig. 7, one of the ends is taken off, to fhew at h the end of the half barrel g ; one of the ends of the cylinder K, and fome of the fpoons /, Jig. 6 ; with an inclined plane L, which forms a hopper, into which the feed is put, and from whence it drops to the bottom of the barrel h, Sir 7, through the pipes MMM, fig. 9 j and m mm, jig. 7. Thefe ^ o INSERT FOLDOUT HERE Chap. II. OF DRILL-PLOUGHS. 439 Thefe pipes are bent to the fhape of the infide of the half barrel, fig. 8, to which they are fixed fo as not to interrupt the motion of the fpoons, fig. 7 ; and they extend to the bottom of the barrel, in fuch manner that, reaching the grain, they give out the feed only in proportion to what is taken up by the fpoons. The direction of thefe pipes is not exactly reprefented in fig. 7, becaufe they do not there terminate in the barrel h. That part of the drawing is intended only to give an idea of their pofition. The fpoons throw the feed over at n, fig. 7, where it falls into the divifions 000, fig. 10, which are faftened to the fhafts a a, bb> fig, 5, underneath the box 7, and drops through the pipes p p p, fig. 10, which terminate behind the fbares q, fig. 11, paffing through the opening r. The fhairs, fig. II, terminate in a triangle at their bottom s, forming an angle forward, and a hollow behind. They are faftened by the fcrew t. Befides this, M. Diancourt has placed at v, fig. 5, a fmall roller, which is likewife reprefented by V, fig. 12. This roller, which is about fix inches diameter, is faftened to the ftaves x x, fig. 5, by the two upright irons yy, fig. 12, by which the roller is placed higher or lower, according as the feed is intended to be fown more or lefs deep : and laftly, he has fitted to the crofs ftaff z, fig. 5, a kind of fcraper, fig. 13, which clears the roller when it is clogged with earth. Two pullies, one on each fide, are perhaps preferable to the fingle wheel which Mr. Worlidge has fixed on his hind axle-tree. The quantity of feed to be fown, may be regulated by the fize of the pullies,' or wheels on the axle-tree : for the larger the pullies are, the more frequently the cylinder on which the fpoons are fixed, will be turned round, and the fpoons will confequently deliver the greater quantity of feed. The fize of the fpoons may likewife be adapted to the fize of the feed intended to be fown. SECT. III. Bejcription of M. Vandusfel'^ Rake. TV/T Duhamel, and feveral other gentlemen who have practifed the ■*■*-*■• new huibandry abroad, met with fo many difficulties and in- conveniences in the ufe of Mr. Tull's drill-plough, that they were obliged to contrive other methods of drilling their corn. One of the fimpleft inventions to anfwer this end, was M. Vandusfel's rake,, of which 44o OF DRILL-PLOUGHS. Part IV. which M. Duhamel gives the following defcription, which we fhall copy here for the benefit of fuch as have not a proper drill-ploi-gh ; eipecially as this inftrument may do very well, where the foil is light, and the extent of land intended to be fown is not large. It is, as in Plate IV. fig. 1 4, a ftrong kind of rake c c, with four great teeth a a, bb. The diftance from a to a, and from b to b, is nine inches. M. Vandusfel makes it a foot, becaufe, after his corn is fown, he buries it by drawing a cultivator with two mould boards between the rows. The diftance between the two inner teeth a and b, is three feet and a half ; which is the width of the alleys. To the head of this rake c c, are fixed the handles e, and the pole d, which anfwers to the beam of a plough. As this inftrument is drawn over ground in fine tilth, and a man prelles more or iefs on the handles **, it forms four fmall furrows f, g> K i i fo that the furrows i and h are nine inches afunder, and the furrows g and J the fame, and a fpace of three feet and a half is left between h and g} for the width of the alley //. In order to preferve the alleys always of the fame width, M. Vandusfel draws the teeth a a in the furrows before made by the teeth b b : Co that tho' four furrows are made the firft time this rake is drawn, only two are made each time after. Great care muft be taken to make the firft furrows very ftrait, becaufe the direction of all the others depends thereon. Women or children drop the feed by hand into thefe furrows, where it is afterwards covered with a harrow, or, as M. Vandusfel has done, with a cultivator with two mould boards, drawn between the two rows, as faft as they are fown. If any part chances not to be covered perfectly by this cultivator, it is eafily done afterwards with a common rake. M, SECT. IV. Defcription of M. Duhamel'^ Drill-Plough. Duhamel obferves, that though M. de Chateau-vieux's drill delivers the grain with the greateft exa&nefs, and therefore deferves much commendation, yet the price of it is too great for moft farmers. M. Duhamel's, which we are going to defcribe, has, for that reafon, been the moft generally ufed. We could wifti that the limits prefcribed to this work would permit us to give alio a full Chap. II. OF DRILL-PLOUGHS, 441 full description of M. de Chateau-vieux's drill-plough ; though we fear it would be too complex to be underftood or made by common workmen, and, we doubt, too nice in many of its parts for the rough hands of common plowmen. We hope, however, that the in- genious and curious among our countrymen will not, on account of this our omiffion, be any ways induced not to confult the original in M. DubamePs work, or not to endeavour to execute what has been fo well contrived by one of the greateff geniufes. in agriculture that this age can boaft of. M. Duhamel's drill is fixed to the fore-carriage of a common plough. The make of that fore carriage is fo well known, that it requires no particular defcription. The hind part of this drill confift-s of a plank S, S, fig. 1. P/afeV. at leaft three inches thick, which is called the table. Underneath this table, and to the bottom part of it, areftrongly fixed, as at TTT, three fhares. The beam, or pole, 7, I, is faftened to the fore part of the tcbJe: and the handles L,L, are let into mortifes in the back part of the table, in which they are fixed, a, 4> 5» 6> and 7- The beam AB is three feet and a half, or four feet long. It's diameter ought not to exceed three inches, at moft : and if it be fquare, the edges fhould be rounded off. It mould be pierced with the mortifes under the letters G, H, in order to let through the crofs ftaves /, L, in the fame manner as in the fore-carriage of the plough ; and is fixed by the keys K, M, or the pins a, b. The middle of the handles fhould be over-againft the beam, that is to fay, the fpaces between them mould be equal on both fides. Thefe handles fhould be made {lighter than the plough itfelf, and they fhould be fixed to the beam by a tenon in a mortife, rivetted at JV, and fupported behind by the prop P. The extremity A of the fliare, fig. 4, and the two fins B, C, are made flat. The crooked handle ABC, fig. 5, fhould be quite tri- angular, and fomewhat fharp before, to anfwer the end of a coulter,, as mfig. 3 and 6. This fhare is to be let into a notch cut in the under part of the beam, as reprefented in fig. 8 and 9 ; and fattened there by a fingle ferrir, as in fig. 10. If it fhould cut too deep, that may be remedied by altering thepofition of the wheel, as in the plough, or by inferting a very fmall wedge g, fig. 11, between the handle of the fhare and the beam. If it does not cut deep enough, that wedge muft be inkrted at Z>, fig, 12, at the other end of the handle, by the hook. When this inftrument is ufed, the beam before defcribed is to be fubfiituted in the place of that of the plough, which is to be taken off. The two crofs ftaves J, L, fig. 2. of the fore- carriage of the plough, are then run through the mortifes G, H, of the beam, by which means it is fixed thereto. This cultivator is very eafy to guide; the plowman may hold it upright, or incline it to the right or left, juft 4 quite clofe to them, and about two inches below the top of the mould-boards, to which it is riveted at both ends. This ftay helps to keep them firm : but its chief ufe is to prevent their being raifed up by the preflure of the earth againft their extremities A and B, which would throw their common angle H too forward, and mif- place the fhare. The proper flope of the mould-boards cannot be fo well defcribed bv words, as it may be conceived by the figure, which reprefcnts at F the convex infide of the one, and at ^ the concave outilde of the other. The diflance to which the earth is turned over, when the cultivator opens it in order to make a large furrow, depends on the degree of this bending, and the fpace between the two upper extre- mities of the mould-boards, E, F. The extreme back part of the mould-boards is cut floping at C and D, almoft in a fegment of a circle : this fhape helps to operate srgreater divifion of the earth. The plate of iron, before it is bent, fhould be cut nearly in the fliape of Jig. 17. The fize of the mould-boards, as well as the proper bending of them, depends a little on the quality of the land intended to be cul- tivated. I have found that, for light foils, they need not be bent quite Chap. III. OF HORSE-HOIS, 45, quite fo much ; fo that the diflance from C to D, fig. 1 6, may be twelve or thirteen, and even fifteen or fifteen inches. Thio fame cultivator may likewife be ufed in ftiff lands. Nothing hinders making thefe mould-boards two or three inches longer, from B to G, and from E to H; nor varying fome of their proportions, as the plowman may like beft. This fhare, with the mould-boards, is fixed to a beam, as in the fingle cultivator Jig. 2, where it is fattened to the fore carriage by the crofs ftaves 7, L. If this defcription does but convey a fufficiently clear idea of the Yhape and proportions of this cultivator, I will anfwer for its fuccefs when ufed. I defcribe it after one of the fame kind, which I have made ufeof for two years pan*:, with very great fuccefs. DireBions Jor ujing the Cultivator with two mcu!d-bcards> by M. de Chateau-vieux. ]N my account of the experiments of 1753, I faid that this cultl- -*- vator opened the great furrow in the middle of the alley, by turning the earth over on both fides at the fame time ; and that as much work was done by that means, by one turn of this inftrument, as could be done by two, and frequently three turns of the common plough, and that without ufing a greater number of cattle. I muft now prove this proportion ; tho' I am pcrfuaded that it will eafily be allowed by whoever only cafts an eye on Jig. 16, Plate VI, which reprefents the fhare of this cultivator. The vacant fpace between the outmoft row of corn on one bed, and the neareft row to it on the next parallel bed, which is what we have called the alley, and which is not fown at all, is the part that is to be cultivated at different times, from the firft fprouting of the corn, till it is ripe. The practice of the new hufbandry has already fhewn fufficiently, that too narrow alleys would fcarcely anfwer any of the ends they are intended for ; and that making them too wide, is a lofs of ground. About four feet, exclufive of the fpaces or partitions between the news of corn in the beds, is a good middling width. It is lefs neceffary to make the alleys quite (o wide in good foils: nor indeed do I think four feet fo abfolutely neceffary at any time, but that a few inches lefs may do. An intelligent hufbandman will eafily judge what is moft proper to be done in this refpect. But M m m 2 what 452 OF HORSE-HOES. PartlV. what greatly merits the attention of every one, and ought never to be loft fight of, is, that wide alleys are more eafily and much better ftirred than narrower ones : for when an alley is wide, the great furrow in the middle of it may be cut deep, there being then fuf- ficient fpace to turn the earth over towards the rows ; wbilft on the contrary, in too narrow alleys, the earth cannot be ftirred deep enough, nor cnn room be found for what is turned over out of the furrows, without danger of burying great part of the rows. I therefore fuppofe the general width of the alleys to be about four feet, But the whole of that width is not to be plowed or ftirred, either with the plough or cultivator, as foon as the field is fown. Neither of thefe inftruments ought to go too near the rows of corn, for fear of rooting up the plants : but a flip of earth, about fix inches wide, fhould be left untouched on the outfide of each bed ; by which means the part of- the alley that is to be ftirred, will be re- duced to the breadth of three feet ; and even that is lefTened in the firft plowing before winter, by a deep furrow which is then cut clofe to and all along thofe fix inch (lips, and the earth taken out of that furrow, or thofe furrows, is thrown into the great furrow in the middle of the alley, and ferve to fill and arch it up. Thefe two fide furrows make together a width of about eighteen inches, and con- fequently leave in the middle of the alley a breadth of about eighteen inches more, on which is heaped up the earth thrown out of the two furrows : and thus the alleys remain all the winter. . The firft hoeing in the fpring, fhould turn back towards the rows of corn, the earth heaped up in the middle of the alleys. The two furrows that were opened before winter, are then filled up, and a new one is cut in the middle of the alley. To perform this firft hoeing with the common plough, which may very eafily be done, two turns of that inftrument will necefia- rily be requifite, viz. one on each fide of the alley, as near as poflible to the beds. But as even with thofe two turns, the furrow will fre- quently not be well formed, but a great deal of earth will ftill remain between it and the bed, a third turn of the plough is often neceflary, .and fometimes a fourth, to form the middle furrow as it ought lo be. To perform this work with the cultivator with two mould-boards, that inftrument muft be placed in the middle of the alley, and the horfes in one of the two furrows. The fhare will eafily enter, and to Chap. III. OF HORSE-HOES. 453 to a great depth, into the earth that was laid there by the laft hoeing before winter : and as the horfes advance, that great ridge of earth will be divided into two parts, which will be turned over into, and will fill up the furrows that were made before winter on each G^e of the alley, clofe to the beds. Thus, the great furrow in the middle of the alley will be opened, and the whole operation performed by one turn of the cultivator. The earth fo turned over will be thoroughly fUrred, and fo much time and labour will be laved by this method, that the farmer may eaiily afford one or two ftirrings more in the fummer, which will always be of great fervice. I have found fo much benefit from making the furrow in the middle of the alley very deep, that I have fometimes given it a fe- cond plowing with the cultivator with two mould-boards, eight or ten days after the firft; by which means I have cut it fo deep, that I have been fure of having a depth of fifteen or eighteen inches of well loofened mould under the middle of my next year's beds. My lands have been brought to fo fine a tilth by the plowings of former years, that I have not had any occafion for a coulter to my cultivators : however, it may be proper to ufe one, where the ground has not been fufficiently loofened by the preceding culture. To fliew to what degree of pulverifation my lands have been brought, and how extremely light they now are, I fhall only mention the following fact. I ufed only one and the fame cultivator with two mould- boards during the whole courie of the years 1753 and ?754, and never had occafion even once to have the fhare new pointed. The friction and refiftance of the earth were fo little in my grounds, that the point -of my fhare was not worn at all, whilft, in the fame years, my neighbours were obliged to have the fhares of their common ploughs new pointed almoft every day. SECT. V. Defcription of M. de VilliersV Cultivator. HP HI S inftrument is compofed of a fhare, Plate VI. fig. 18, the ■*• two fins of which are eight inches and a half wide at their ex- tremities a, b. The focket c, which is bMwedi the two fins, projects fome inches, and the hollow in it is three inches long, and one inch wide. It does not defcend fo low down as the fins, to prevent its touching the earth. The length of this fhare, from the point d, to 454 OF HORSE-HOES. Part IV. to the extremity of the fins a or b, is from 12 to 13 inches. Five inches from the point d, is a hole e, into which is inlerted the crooked point /, of the iron fafeguard, Jig. 1 9, which is ufed in this country in order to faften the ear to the fhare of the plough. Upon the fhare is placed a fmall triangular ear h, Jig, 21, 22, and 23; fomewhat concave at bottom, that the two fmall ears may join ex- actly to the fliare at about an inch diftance from the edge of the fins. This ear is about two inches and a half high at a, Jig. 22, and is faflened firmly to the fhare by a double and angular fafeguard, which covers its edge as far as b. It is fixed at one end by its point, which enters into the hole e, Jig. 18, in the ihare, and by four fmall pins faftened to the ear. Fig. 19 and 20 reprefent this fafe- guard. The double ear is faftened at its other extremity, by the fheat, or upright piece e, g. jig. 22, which pafles through the ground- reft of the hinder part of the ear and beam, and by a piece of iron c d bent in a right angle. This piece of iron covers the fore part of the fheat, and refts upon the tail of the ear, againft which the beam prefies it very tight, by means of a wedge e, driven into the fheat. The piece c d may likewife ferve to fix two mould-boards from g to c. It is nine inches high, f is another fheat or upright piece, which joins the beam to the ground-reft, to add to the ftrength and folidity of the inftrument, which is increafed alfo by the lower part of the handles being fixed in the ground-reft at /, and traverfed by the beam at k. M. de Villiers, in a letter to M. Duhamel gives the following ac- count of his manner of ufing this cultivator. " Finding it, fays he, impoflible to plow my alleys well when that fituation being alone capable of making the *' corn tiller, and pufh ftrongly : though the affiftance of culture is " likewife neceflaiy, to fupply the fralks and ears with plentiful nou- " riuhment. " I am the better pleafed with this method of bringing the hoe- " plough almoft clofe to the rows, as it facilitates a very important " operation, flrongly recommended by M. Duhamel, and which I " never before thought practicable : 1 mean, the raifing up of the " earth about the bottom of the plants, as well to give them greater " nourifhment, as to prevent their being lodged. The following is t! my method on this occafion. " When I fill up the furrow which I have cut as clofe as poffible " to the row, I hold the plough Hoping, in fuch manner that the " earth is forced away from it, and is raifed up about the plants. " If this flope is not fufficient, which may fometimes depend on " the condition of the ground, or the dexterity of the plowman, I " in that cafe make the mould- board two or three inches wider, " when I ufe it to fill the furrow, than it was when I made that " furrow : and to that end I fcrew on to the extremity of the mould " board, a thin plate of iron about four or five inches wide. Thcfe " who practife the new hufbandry in fo extenfive a manner as to em- " ploy feveral ploughs, will find no inconvenience in having one, "■ larger than the reft, purpofely for this important operation. As f' I do not give this fecond hoeing with the plough, till after the " corn has begun to fpindle, it is eafy for me to avoid burying the " plants, efpecially if there are no great clods in the ground : but at " all events I always earth the plants up as much as poffible, when " there is no other danger than that of burying here and there a few " of them, becaufe that accident is eafily remedied afterwards, if it " be worth while. " When I am to give the third hoeing with the plough, I con- " fider the condition of the ground. If it is in good tilth, well " loofenedj and free from weeds, I ufe only the cultivator: other- *' wife I ufe the plough, three or four turns of which are fufficient " to perform this operation, in the following manner. " The firfr. cut, turns the earth over into the middle furrow : the 5* fecond and third are in a contrary direction, and the fourth takes '• up what was loofened by the third, whereby the furrow is repla- " ced in the middle of the alley. Some time after this, and efpe- " cially if a fhower of rain has fallen, I cut that furrow flill deeper, « by Chap. IV. ..OF GRANAJIIES. 4j9 " by one turn of the fingle or double cultivator, as M. de Chateau - f vieux directs. " But as, even after all thefe plowings, the great furrow may " chance to be neither deep enough, nor furhxiently cleared of mould, " owing either to the imperfection of the inftruments made ufe of, " or to the inaptitude of the plowman, that defect may eafily be f* remedied after harveft, by giving one plowing more, which is to " be begun by throwing up the earth to the right hand and the left, " towards the fummit of the beds, that is to fay, over the ftubble. " This practice is alfo confirmed by M. de Chateau- vieux's in- '? ftructions. *i The one plowing extraordinary which this operation requires, " ought not to be thought much of, becaufe the moft important " thing in the new hufbandry certainly is, the providing of a good " depth of well ftirred mould, for the plants to extend their roots " in." C H A P. IV. Of GRANARIES. THO' we are not, in this kingdom, under the fame necefllty as fome foreign countries, of building large edifices for gra- naries, becaufe our harvefts are much lefs apt to fail us ; yet, as it muft be of great advantage to every farmer to be able to preferve his corn of all kinds from infects and putrefaction, we think it will be right to give fome directions for this purpofe, which it may be in the power of any one to put in practice : referring thofe who can afford to be at a more considerable cxpence, to the larger means pointed out by the writers on this fubject. Among thefe, the. firft place is moft defervedly given to that beneficent friend to mankind, the Rev. Dr. Hales. M. Dubamel has more particularly applied the ufe of ventilators to the prefervation of corn, and has likewile added the ufe of ftove-granaries. As the erecting of thefe laft is attended with an expence which the generality of farmers can feldom be at, the kiln may be fubftituted in their place : and in regard to public granaries, we recommend to the perufal of the curious, as well worthy their at- tention, an ingenious performance * lately written on that fubject, by a lady of our own country. , * A plan for ere&ing public granaries. N n n 2 The 46o OF GRANARIES. Part IV. The editors of Mr. Line's hufbandry having given a concife abridg- ment of the experiments in M. Duhamel's treatife on the prefervation of corn, we mail copy from them what is mod: efiential therein, and then add the farther experiments mentioned by that gentleman in his treatife on agriculture. M. Duhamel caufed a cafe or little granary to be made, of oak plank two inches thick, forming a cube of five feet every way. At fix inches from the bottom, he made a flooring, or fecond bottom, of lattice work, placed upon joifts of five inches thick, covering it with a ftrong canvas : and this little granary was filled quite full of good wheat. It contained ninety-four cubic feet, weighing five thoufand and forty pounds. This granary being filled quite full of corn, is to be covered with good oak planks, fo clofely joined, that neither rats, mice, or even the fmalleft infect can get in ; leaving only fome vent-holes, with trap- doors, or covers fitted very exactly to them, which will be fpoken of hereafter. By this means, the corn is depofited in a fmall compafs, and per- fectly fecured from rats, mice, birds, and even infects, provided there were none before in the granary, or among the corn : but if there fhould, the means hereafter pointed out will deftroy them. It is well known that, in this climate, corn laid up in great heaps will foon ferment and fpoil : to prevent which, it is necefiary to force out the tainted air, and fupply its place, from time to time, with frefh : in fhort, to eftablifh a current of air, which mall pais through the corn, and carry off the dampnefs. To this end, M. Duhamel made a falfe bottom of lattice work, covered with coarfe canvas, (but if it were for a large granary, wire, in the manner of a neve, migHf do better,) through which the air could pafs, and be forced out at the vent holes at top. This purpofe is anfwered by bellows, and the moft proper for this end are thofe contrived by doctor Hales, they being conftructed without leather, or any other matter liable to be destroyed by vermin. A large pair of thefe bellows being fo fixed as to receive the air from without, and convey it between the bottom and falfe bottom of the granary ; when you would ventilate the corn, open the vent- holes at top, and work the bellows, which will drive the air through ihe. whole body of the corn withfuch force as to make the duft fly out Chap. IV. OF GRANARIES. 461 out at the vent-holes, and when confined to one fmall opening will blow up fome grains of corn a foot high. ': _^ ' The corn I chofe for this experiment, continues M. Duhamel, was of good quality. I ventilated it not more than fix days m a year, without the help of fire j which was fufficient to keep it fo well' that the beft judges allowed it to be as good as could be. When the bellows had not been worked for fome months, the corn was allowed, by good judges, to look and ftnell perfectly well : but they obieded that it did not handle well, that is, that it had fome little dampnefs in it, The bellows were worked for half a day, and that objection was entirely removed. In hot countries, corn may be preferved a long time by being de- pofited in a vault or ciftern, fo clofely flopped, that the air can have no accefs : but experience (hews, that this method will not fucceed in our climate, the fun not having power to exhale the moifture from the corn, fufficiently to prevent its fermenting when laid in a latere heap : and this is farther proved by feveral experiments of corn dried in a kiln, which, tho' its weight was confiderably diminifhed, did not lofe the vegetative quality, but grew very well. From thefe obfervations it follows, that it is neceffary to take away- the fuperfluous moifture, and bring our corn to the fame degree of drynefs as that of the hotteft countries, in order to preferve it in great bodies. Experiments on ninety-four cubic feet of wheat (not dried) ivbich was- preferved above fix years by ventilation only. TN May, 1743, ninety-four cubic feet of wheat was put in one of -*• the little granaries before-mentioned. It was of the harveft of r742, and of an excellent quality, perfectly clean, and fo dry, that it loft only one-fixteenth of its weight upon drying a fmall quantity of it, for a trial, on a kiln with the heat at fifty degrees or M. de- Reaumur's thermometer. This wheat was well cleaned from daft, and depofited in the granary without being dried by fire. The firft three months, it was ventilated for eight hours once a fortnight : the reft of the year 1743, and all 1744, it was venti ated once a month : all the year 1745, and part of 1746, it was vent.lated half a day once a month > and after that, but once in two or three months. : , ,, In June 1750, the granary was emptied, and the wheat lookd and fmelt very well, but felt a little rough in the hands, becauie, not 1 having- 462 OF GRANARIES. Part IV. having been moved for fix years, the little hairs that are at the extre- mity of the grains, and the particles of the bran, were roughed up : but after parting twice through the wind icreen, that objection was entirely removed, and it was found by the bakers, paflry- cooks, &c. to be perfectly good. This was corn of eight years old, feven of which it was preferved in the granary, without any fenfible diminution, and without any damage from rats or other animals : it cannot be faved without any expence, becaufe a man was employed from time to time to ventilate it : but it is very eafy to reduce that expence almoft to nothing, as will be (hewn hereafter. The Rev. Dr. Hales propofes the following method of preferving corn, as a thing that may be very beneficial to the poor, who fre- quently keep fmall quantities of corn in facks. " Provide a reed-cane, or other hollow flick, made fo by glewing " together two flicks grooved hollow : let it be about three feet nine " inches long ; and, that it may be the eafier thrull down to the " bottom of the corn in the fack, its end is to be made taper to a " point, by a wooden plug that is fixed in, and flops the orifice. " About an hundred and fifty fmall holes, of one eighth of an inch cc diameter, are to be bored on all fides of the flick, from its bottom, " to two feet ten inches of its length; but no nearer to the furface of " the corn, left too great a proportion of the air thould efcape there. " By wreathing a packthread in a fpiral fcrew-like form round the " flick, the boreing of the holes may be the better regulated, fo as " to have them about half an inch diftant towards the bottom, but " gradually at wider diftances fo as to be an inch afunder at the " upper part: by which means the lower part of the corn will " have its due proportion of frefih air. To the top of the flick let " there be fixed a leathern pipe ten inches long ; which pipe is to be " diftended by two yards of fpiral wire coiled up within it. At the c< upper part of the pipe is fixed a taper wooden favvcet, into which " the nofe of a common houfehold bellows is to be put, in order to " ventilate the corn. " If corn, when firft put into facks, be thus aired every other, or " third day, for ten or fifteen minutes, its damp fweat, which would " hurt it, will, in a few weeks, be carried off to fuch a degree, that " afterwards it will keep fweet with very little airing, as has been " found by experience. V By the fame means many other kinds of feeds, as well as corn, " may be kept fweet, either in facks or fmall bins : but then in bins the Chap. IV. OF GRANARIES, 463 ,c the air-holes muft be made only near the bottom of the canes, * becaufe the air muft in that cafe all afcend upward, fince it *"' cannot go through the fides of the bin, as it will through * facks." "Experiment on j$ cubic feet of new wheat, extremely moift, and which had already contracted a bad fmell. np H E harveft of 1745 was very rainy, and all the corn had -*- grown in the ear. In the common granaries, it was always in a ftate of fermentation, tho' laid but a foot deep, and turned every four or five days. Seventy-five cubic feet of this grown corn, which fmelled very ill, and was fo moift as to wet the floor of the granary where it lay a few days, were put, in this condition, and without being dried, into one of our little granaries, with fmall hopes of fuccefs. As the corn was very hot when put into the granary, it was ven- tilated three or four times the firft week, and once a week during December and January : and as it had loft great part of its bad fmell, from that time till June it was ventilated but once a fort- night. Then, perceiving, by the running of one's hand into the top of the heap, that it heated, we concluded it was going to be entirely corrupted 5 which determined us to empty the granary : but when we had taken out about a foot of the top, we were greatly forprifed to find the reft cool, with very little bad fmell, and drier than that which was preferved in the common granaries. The reafon why the top was the worft, was, the. moift vapours being always forced upwards in ventilation : and we apprehend that if, inftead of emptying the granary, it had been ventilated oftener, the moifture that was at the top might have been dried away. This experiment teaches us one important thing, which is, that in this fort of granary the top of the heap is moft fubjecl to heat ■ fo that if the grain taken out of the vent-holes is in good condition, you may conclude the reft to be ftill better. Where the corn is too moift for the granary, M. Duhamel prn- pofes drying it in a kiln, previous to its being put into the granary of prefervation. This agrees with a ftory which Mr. Tull relates oi a neighbour of his in Oxfordshire, who acquired a large fortune by this practice. His method was, to dry his wheat on a hair- cloth, 464 OF GRANARIES. Part IV. in a malt-kiln, with no other fuel than clean wheat-ftraw ; never fuffering it to have any flronger heat than that of the fun. The longeft time he let it remain in this heat, was twelve hours ; and the fhorteft time, about four hours : the damper the wheat was, and the longer intended to be kept, the more drying it required : but how to dilringuith the degree of dampnefs, and the number of hours pro- per for its continuance on the kiln, he faid, was an art impoffible to be learnt by any other means than by practice. His fpeculation, which put him upon this project, was, that it was only the fuper- fiuous moilture of the grain that caufed its corruption, and made it liable to be eaten by the weevil. When dried, the bakers allowed it to work better than new wheat, and every grain would grow after it had been kept icvcn years. Mr. Tull adds, that the moil fecure way he knows of preferving wheat, is by drying it. Experiment en 90 cubic feet cf fine wheat, which was preferred without ventilation, after having been dried en a kiln. npHIS wheat, tho' very full of fmut and duft, was fo well cleaned ■"- as to have no fault remaining but dampnefs. It was dried in a kiln, by which it loft a little difagreeable fmell it had before ; and when it was thought to be fufficiently dried, it was laid up in one of our granaries of prefervation, which had bellows adapted to it : but there was no occafion to ufe them. It appears by this experiment, that wheat well cleaned and dried need not be ventilated. Experiment on 75 cubic feet of fmall it-beat, mixed with Jmut, which had been dried on a kiln. /^vUR different fcreens clean'd the large wheat perfectly ; but with ^^ all our care we could not free this fmall wheat from fmut, duft, GV. of which much remained, and the kiln did not clear it from the bad fmell it had contracted. Frequent ventilation would undoubtedly have taken away that bad fmell : but this experiment being to try the effect of the kiln only, we determined not to ventilate, unlefs there was great danger of the wheat's corrupting, which did not happen : but yet the bad fmell in- creafed lb much, that we were obliged to kiln-dry it again after it was Chap. IV. OF GRANARIES, 465 was taken out of the granary, and to fcreen it feveral times, by which means it made tolerable good bread. This experiment mews, firu\ how necefTary it is to clean the corn well before it is put into the granary of prefervation, and that, in fome cafes, both ventilation and kiln-drying are necefiary : fecondly, that corn which has contracted a bad fmell, may be cleared of it by the kiln and wind-fcreen. Having found by the foregoing experiments, that good corn, well cleaned, and properly kiln-dried, may be preferved without ventila- tion, and that good corn tolerably dry may be preferved by ventilate n only, we conclude that it muft be moft advantageous to join both methods, efpecially for large magazines. Experiment on 825 cubic feet of fine wheat lightly kiln- dried, and 'ventilated. THIS wheat was of the year 1750, and confequently but of a middling quality. After being well cleaned, and lightly kiln- dried, it was put in the granary of prefervation, about feven feet deep, which granary had bellows worked by a wind-mill. This corn had a bad fmell, which was not entirely diffipated by the kiln, but it was quite cleared of it by ventilation. It was not only well preferved thereby, but was fo meliorated, and became of fo gvjocU quality, that the bakers preferred it to all other, and gave two pence a fack more for it, than for the fame wheat preferved in the common way. It is certainly moft advantageous to unite both methods, not only becaufe they are moft effectual in preferving corn, when joined to- gether, but alfo becaufe they are then leaft troublefome and ex- penfive : for to kiln-dry it fufficiently to keep without ventilation, requires a large fire and long attendance ; and to preferve it without kiln-drying, will require very frequent ventilation ; whereas, by join- ing the two methods, both are rendered very eafy and lefs expenfive, and the fuccefs is more certain. In all thefe experiments, we have never fuffered any thing by moth, or weevil, tho' the common granaries were greatly infefted with them at the fame time. This is a good prognoftic : but we muft not conclude from hence, that this method will abfolutely pre- , vent the mifchief. It may be fuppofed, that the care we had taken, in thefe experiments, to clean the corn, had entirely freed it from O o o them : 466 OF GRANARIES. Part IV. them : and it may be objected that this great care cannot be taken in large ftores, and that, if any fhould get into the heap, they would be by fo much the more dangerous, as they would remain longer undifturbed. Thefe reflections determined us to make the follow- ing experiment. Of the Moth or Worm. /"T^ H E moth lays its eggs on the corn, and thofe eggs produce -*- worms or caterpillars, which feed on the corn, and lpin a filky web, which extends fometimes to three or four inches deep, and entirely fpoils all the grain within that depth, befides communicating a bad fmell to the whole mafs. In the winter of 1746, we collected from our ordinary granaries,, all the wormy cruris thus formed, which were very thick, the moths having been very numerous the preceeding fummer : thefe crufts were broken and fcreened, and what grain could be got from themr which undoubtedly was impregnated with the eggs of the moths, was put into one of our granaries of prefervation, which contained feventy-five cubic feet, and was ventilated from time to time all the winter. About the end of May, if the vent-holes at top were opened, a vaft number of moths flew out ', which mewed they did not like their iituation. In June 1747, the granary was emptied : the moths and worms were all perifhed, and there remained only a thin cruft, about one eighth of an inch thick, on the top of the corn, which had fo far loft the bad fmell it had when put into the granary, that it fold for. the current market-price. Dr. Hales obfervts, that kiln-drying often makes corn grind un- kindly ; and therefore propofes the following method of drying fmutty corn, after it has been warned ; cold air not hurting it, as. kiln-drying is found to do. " That I might be well affured, fays •* he, of the good effect of thus drying fmutty corn, having pro- " cured a quantity of very fmutty wheat, which weighed feven " pounds and fifteen ounces, on the twenty-fixth of May, at five in- " the morning, it was wafhed clean in four feveral waters, which " was done in a few minutes, and was then laid to drain in an oat- " fieve, till half an hour after five, when it had increafed in weight, " by wetting, ten ounces, befides the moifture that was equal to the " weight Chap. IV. OF GRANARIES. 467 " weight of the fmut-balls and fmut that was wafhed from the " wheat. It wafted but two ounces and an half, by the firft two " hours ventilation ; two ounces and five drachms in the fecond two " hours, vise, from eight to ten ; in the next fix hours, viz. from " ten to four in the afternoon, it wafted at the rate of four ounces " every two hours ; from four to fix, two ounces and an half; and " from fix to eight, one ounce and an half: in all, about twenty " ounces; fome allowance being made for what corn was wafted by " handling and biting fome of it from time to time. It was venti- " lated in thefe fourteen hours with about forty thoufand gallons of " air, which pafled upwards through it, and made it fufficiently " hard and dry, fo as to be fit for grinding : it w2s well coloured, " and handled well ; and, from {linking, as fmutty wheat does, it " became much fweeter. The vifible dewy moifture was blown off " in three hours ; but it continued damp and cold to the feeling till " two o'clock, when fome little duft began to fly off it. M And whereas it wafted off much lefs moifture during the firft: " four hours ventilation, when it ought to have wafted the moft, on " account of its being then wetteft, this was owing to the foggy ha- " zinefs of the morning : which as it went off, and broke out into " fine warm fun-fhine, towards ten o'clock, fo the air being there- " by become dry, it imbibed moifture more ftrongly from the corn : «' and that this was the true caufe of the difference, is farther con- <{ firmed by a like experiment which I had before made on a gallon " of wheat, April the firft, there being then a very dry north-eaft: d all this month, and the fky almoft continu- ally cloudy. Some few grounds which had been left un-fown laft month, were fown in the beginning of this.. December.. 488 OBSERVATIONS Part IV. December. As it froze almoft continually during all this month, the culture of the earth was interrupted, and our horfes were employed in bringing wood from the foreft ; which could not be done in the fummer, on account of the badnefs of the roads. General idea of the temperature of the air, and of the productions of the earth, during the Tear 1756. "f X7E may be faid, in general, not to have had any frofts this ** winter, fince there was not ice enough to fill our ice-houfes. The air having been cold all the fummer, the vegetation of pjants made but little progrefs, tho' the earth was always very moift. Wheat. The corn came up very thin, and riller'd but little. The wetnefs of the weather made weeds grow, which, in many fields, got the better of the corn, and choaked it. The ruft which affe<£ted the blades of corn, ftopt the vegetation, fo that the plants were greatly ftinted in their growth. Thele accidents aid more hurt to the grain that grew on ftiff grounds, than to that which was on lighter foils. As we were threatened with rain during the harvefr, our farmers houfed their corn before the weeds were well dried : the confequence was, that fome of it heated fo in the barn, that part of the grain was injured. Thofe who ufed this grain for feed, perceiving that it had been hurt, fowed it very thick : but feveral others fowed much too thin. The worft was, that many poor farmers, finding their corn not good enough for fowing, left part of their fields unfown, rather than buy other corn, which was then worth 24 livres, and which was expected to fall to 1 8, after the harveft. Twenty-four fheaves of the beff. corn of this year's growth will not yield above 80 pound weight of wheat ; and, taking them one with another, there muft be near 30 (heaves to produce that quan- tity ; though 12 will do it in a good year. This is not all: the feptier of befr new wheat makes but 18 or 20 loaves, and fometimes but 14 or 15 ; whereas good old wheat makes 24. Notwithstanding this difference, the old wheat fells for no more than 24 or 25 livres, whilft Chap.V. ON THE WEATHER. 489 whilft the new varies, according to its quality, from 1 8 to 2 1 livres the feptier. Oats. The beft lands did not yield the mod oats this year : on the con- trary, the worft produced the greateft quantities ; which has made people call this a good year for that grain. Its quality is good, and it is worth from 5 livres to 5 livres 1 o fols the feptier. Barley. Barley too iucceeded very well. Leguminous Plants. There was fufficient plenty of peas, beans, and lentils. Pot-Herbs. Our kitchen gardens were well ftored with pot-herbs : and not- withstanding the continual rains, and the coldnefs of the air, all our melons were very good. Hay. As the fainfoin was very fhort when it was cut, there was con- sequently but little of it : but its quality was good. The meadows afforded plenty of grafs ; but the almoft inceffant rains prevented its being got in in time, and a great deal of it was loft. Hemp. This year's hemp was of a. good quality, and fucceeded even in pretty dry grounds. Wine. The white grapes having burft very much, the quantity of fruit upon our vines was, in fact, not great : but what there was, pro- mifed extremely well till about a month before the vintage, when the fharpnefs of the air made the grapes drop off the bunches, and the bunches themfelves rotted or withered j which obliged many people to make feveral vintages, in order to fave as much as they could. In confequence of this, the price of old wine rofe from 60. R r r to 490 OBSERVATIONS Part IV. to ioo livres a hog mead : and the heft, new wines fold for only 50 livres. The quantity of thefe fmall wines, which may be compared to thofe of the year 1725, was not great. Fruit. The caterpillars having eaten up all the leaves, and even the buds for the next year's moots, in the autumn of J755, the trees had but few bloffoms on them. The caterpillars this fpring deftroyed all that had efcaped thofe of the laft autumn ; 10 that there were neither pears, apples, cherries, apricots or plums, and very few peaches, in great gardens. In fmall ones, where conflant care was taken to deftroy the cater- pillars, there was a little fruit, efpecially apples. Wild fruits, fuch as the acorn, the beech-maft, &c. failed entirely : but there were nuts and chefnuts in pretty great abundance. Nurseries and Plantations. Tho' the caterpillars devoured the firft tender fhoots of trees j yet, being full of fap, they afterwards recovered. Saffron. This year's crop of faffron was excellent in quality, but very fmall in quantity : for the fame fpace of ground which had produced from 26 to 28 pounds, two years before, yielded this year but 5 or 6 : and the faffron of this year's growth fold for no more than 19 livres a pound, whereas that of two years before fold for 24 livres. Distempers. There was no contagious epidemical diftemper this year. Cattle. The larger kind of cattle, fuch as horfes, cows, and fheep, were not fubject to any contagious diflemper. Game and Poultry. This year there were great quantities of hares, thrufhes, larks, par- tridges and quails. Our Chap.V. ON THE WEATHER. 491 Our dove-houfes afforded but few young pigeons : and tho' the poultry had plenty of water, numbers of fowls were attacked with the pip and fhankers in the throat. We have already faid how they were cured of this diftemper. Height of the Water. Our rivers were greatly fwelled during all the winter: they were likewife very full all the reft of the year : but yet our high fprings afforded no water. THE END. Dir eel ions to the Binder, for placing the Plates. Plate I. at page 382. II. . . . 430. III. . . . 432: IV. . . . 440. V. • • • 444- VI. . . . 456. ERRATA. Page 117. /. 9. for broad cart-way, read broad caftway. 224. loft line, for tables, read table. INDEX. Page. A. ALLEY, what, . . • 6i ■" fliould be wider for large plants than for fmall ones, and for thofe that remain long on the earth, than for thofe which are but a fhort time on it, . 63 when firft to be ftirred for wheat. 74 when ftirred a fecond time, ibid. rules for the feveral ftirrings of them for wheat, . . IS Arpent, proportion of it to the Eng- lifh acre, . . vid. Preface Artichokes, experiment on the cul- ture of them, . . • 3J6 Afparagus, experiment on the cul- ture of it, 3*6 B. pARLET, one grain produced 200 ears, . . . . ' *>7 produce of a bed of it fown in clufters, 2-35 fown with fuccefs where wheat had failed, . " . . • 25s experiments on it, . 295, 309 Beans, great increafe of them in the new hufbandry, . . 126 experiments on the culture of them, 310 at what diftance they fhould be planted, 310 Page. Beds, what, 61 defcription of them for wheat, 7 1 how many rows of corn beft to be fown on them, . 73, 232 • Beet, experiments on the culture of it, . . 3X4> 3l6> 3l8 Blights, divided by the French into feveral kinds, .... 84 empty ears, ibid. caufes of it, .... ibid. parch'd and fhrivell'd corn, 85 chief caufes of it, . . 86 how prevented, . . . ibid. glazed corn-, defcription of it, 88 abortive or rickety corn ; defcrip- tion of it, .... ibid. accidents occafioned by infects, 90 Burning, directions for burning weeds, &c. on commons, 16 directions for burning or burn- beaking of land, ... 43 Bujhel, proportion of the French to the Englifh, . . vid. Preface fABBAGE, experiments on the *^ culture of it, 313, 316, 318, 319 Carrot, experiments on the culture of it, . . • 314, 3l6' 3l8 cultivated for the food of cat- tle, 32° Chalk, a good manure for clay, 23 Clay, a good manure for fand, 24 improved I N D Page, improved by fand, . : 21,51 . by fhell-marle, . . 23 . . by various kinds of dung, ib. . by chalk, .... 36 - — — by frequent tillage, 213 or ftrong foils, not to be plowed when wet, 72 Clever, culture of it, . . . 362 Cole, culture of it, . . . .323 Colliflower, experiment on the cul- ture of it, : . . 3 1 6, 3 1 9 Corn, lefs liable to be lodged in the new husbandry, than in the old, . . 86, 117, 158, 167 preferved in the granary, by ven- tilation, 461 preferved by drying, . . 463 experiments on the prefervation of it, 468 Crops, companion of them in the old and the new hufbandry, 115, 116, 119, 122, 125, 130, 132, 137, 141, 146, 150, 151, 155, 157, 161, 173, 180, 218, 223, 226, 251, 269, 273, 299. Cultivator, . . . vid. Horfe-boe D. T\IS TEMPERS of Com, viz. *-* Mildew, 79. . vj Blights, 84. . . vid. Eights Smut, 93. . . . vid. §Mntt Diitemper in rye called ergot, 104 "Drill, drops the feed in due quanti- ty and at a proper depth, 60 dtfeription of Slx.lVorlidge\ drill- plough, 43- — — 01 the SetHbradoT, . .437 . of M. Vandusfel'% rake, 439 of M. DukamPs drill- plough, 440 Dung, more neceflary to clayey lands than to any other, . . 13 afts by fermentation, . . 19 Mages of mixing lime with E X. Page. it> 12, 19 difad vantages attending the ufe of it, 12, 19, 20 tillage more beneficial than dung, 20 horfe, fheep, deer's, pigeon's, poultry, and human dur-g, good manures for clay, . 23 experiment on the ufe of it for wheat, in the new hufban- dry, 133, 266. E. EXPERIMENTS on Wheat, by M. Dubamel, from 113 to 123 — — by M. Diancourt, from 123 to 128 by M. De la Croix, from 128 to . . . . . .131 — by M. Rouffel, from 131 to 139 by M. De Cbateau-vieux, from 142 to 283 Barley, Oats, and Rye, . 295 Leguminous Plaits, . . . 309 Pot-herls, 313 F. ~pALLOW, time of performing the winter fallow, . . . 66 fummer fallow, . . 6y directions for fallowing, . 6j time for manuring fallow grounds, 6g Flax, experiments on the culture of it, • 334 Food of plants, . . . vid. Plants Fuller's thijile, . . . vid. Teazel G. fRANJRIES, directions for pre- ferving corn in them, . 460 experiments mewing the ufeful- nefsofthem, ... 461 H. I N D Page. H. TJTEATHS and Commons, how to be managed when broken up, -.16 enrich'd by burning the weeds they produce, . . . ibid. Hemp, experiments on the culture of it, 334 its fuperior quality when raifed by the new husbandry, . .336 Horfe-hoe, defcription of M. Duba- mel's, 445 ■ of M. De Cbateau-vieux's fingle cultivator, . . 446 of M. De Cbateau-vieux's double cultivator, . . 448 of M. De Cbateau-vieux's cul- tivator with mould-boards, 449 • of M. De Pillar's cultiva- tor, . 453 Horfe -hoeing, advantages of it, 57 experiment proving theie advan- tages 58 of wheat, rules for, and effects of it, . . 75, 114, 160, 205 Obfervations on it, by M. De Fitters, 4.56 I. INDIAN Corn, . . vid. Maiz InfeSis, the caufe of blights, 87,90 deltroy the roots of wheat, 127 K. V IDNET-Beans, experiments on ^ the culture of them, . 309 L. J EAVES, the organs of perfpira- tion in plants, .... 4 effects of ftripping plants of their leaves, ..... ibid. Lime, advantages of mixing it with dung, 12, 20 a manure for clay, . . .23 E X. Page, a manure for loam, ... 39 for grafs, .... 43 different methods of ufing it, 40 Loam, how improved by dung and all animal fubltances, . 31 improved by plowing in green fucculent plants, . . .32 — — by rotten vegetables, 33 ■ ' by tanners bark, . . ibid.' by afhes of vegetables and peat-afhes, 34 — — by foot and malt-duft, 35 by chalk, .... ibid. Lodging of Corn, productive of di- ftempers in it, ... 86 Luferne, culture of it, . . . 346 will bear great cold, . 351, 361 mould not be fown with any other Plant, 351 excellence of this fodder, 352, 3Co-> 363- experiments on it, 354, 364, 365 method of tranfpianting it, 355 its produce when cultivated ac- cording to the new hufban- drv> • • • 357> 359> 361 when its roots are cut, their di- rection is altered, . . 358 M. MAIZE, the culture of it by M. Aimen, . . . . 2S3 in North America, . 287 Marie, fhell-marle a manure for clay, ...... 23 where and how found, . .27 the feveral kinds of it, . . ibid. great ufe made of it by the Ro- mans, 29 defcription of a clay refembling it, and prejudicial to vegeta- tion, 30 Manures, the different kinds of them, 19, 246 fit for clayey foils, ... 20 time I N D Page. time of manuring fallow grounds, 6g Meadows, how broken up, . 18 when wet, muft be drained, i& improved by chalk, ... 37 by water, . . 375,378 M. De Cbateau-vieux's manner of dreffing them, . . . 379 how to be drained, . . . 381 Melon, experiment on the culture of it, 3l6 Mildew, called by the French rou'ille or rujl, 79 defcription of it, . ibid. caufes and effects of it, 79, 210 the cure of it, .... 83 dangerous to feed cattle with fod- der that has been rufted, 84 Millet, the culture of, . . 305 N. 3\7£^ Hujbandry, comparifon of the number of ftalks of corn on an acre in the new and in the old husbandry, . 61,77 brings frefh earth to the roots of plants, - .62 advantages attending it, j$, 192 comparifon of the increafe of corn in the old hufbandry and the new, 75 • - • v*d- Crops ■ compared with the old, 77, 197, 201, 255. fupplies the want of dung, 232 prelerves garden plants in vigour without watering, 315, 317, 319 O. 0 ATS, common culture of, 66 their roots apt to be deftroyed by infects, 90 experiments on, . . . 296 Onions, experiment on the culture of them, . . . . . .318 E X. Page. P. S pARSLET, culture of it, 322 Parfnep, culture of it, . ibid. Pafture Lands, muft be foftened by the autumnal rains before they are plowed up, ... 18 fhould be incloled, . . . 371 how improved, .... imNT what feeds are beft for upland paftures, 373 Peas, experiments on the culture of them, 309 Perfian-wheel, defcription and ufe of it, 376 Plants, their food ; . . . 4 Earth their principal food, . 5 not probable that the different fpecies of them are fed by dif- ferent food, .... ibid. their food diftributed within the earth, j.q Plough, defcription of a ftrong, and of a light plough, for common ufe, 48 ufe of Mr. Tull's four coulter'd P]ough> 55 Chinefe, defcription of it, 308 M. De Chateau-vieux's three coul- ter'd plough, . . . 380 properties of ploughs, . . 424 defcription of" M. De Chateau* vieux's plough, . . . 425 directions for ufing it, . . 429 defcription of M. Duhamel's plough, 430 light plough, . . 445 Plowing, fteep hills to be plowed nearly horizontally, . . 50 manner of plowing ftrong foils, 5*i 53- ■ light foils, . . . 52, 53 wetlands, . . 54, 185. advantages of plowing deep, 1 39, 185. advantages INDEX. Page, advantages of frequent plow- ing, 205 Pot-herbs, experiments on the cul- ture of them, . . . 313 great advantages of the new husbandry in the culture of them, 315 R. r>APE, culture of it, . . 323 * Rice, the culture of it in China, 306 Ridges, whether the produce of land is increafed by making them high ? . . . 54. Roots, their divifion into tap or car- rot, and fibrous, 1 experiment to Ihew how far they fprcad, 2 of trees, extend to a great di- ltance, 3 when broken, never grow longer, but produce lateral roots, ibid. freih earth brought to them by the new hufbandry, . . 62 the effects of different roots upon the foil, 65 of corn, liable to be deftroyed by infects, 90 of beans, extend upwards of 3 feet from their italic, . 127 of wheat, extend iS inches per- pendicularly, . . . 127 Roivs, of corn, how many mould be on each bed, . 73, 232, 300 Rufi, vid. Mildew. Rye, fubject to a diitemper which the French call ergot, . 104 caufes and effects of this diitem- per, 105 experiments on it, . . 295 cut for fodder, .... 297 Page. S. CJINFOIN, culture of it, 337 quantity of feed to an acre, 340 when and how to be cut, . 341 precautions to be obferved in making it into hay, . 342 how to threih it, and preferve tue feed, ...... 343 experiments on it, . . . 345 Sand, ufed as a manure for clayey foils, 22 fea-fand an excellent manure for clay, ...:.. 21 improved by clay, . . 24, 25 • . fea-oufe, ... 26 marie, . . . 27, 53 A ltercorary for the improvement of fandy foils, ... 29 Seed, at what depth it mould be fown, 59 the drill drops it in proper quan- tity, and at a proper depth, 60 beit where the plants arrive at the greater! perfection, . . 63 necefiary to change it, . . 64 Sembrador, account of it, . . 437 Septier, a meafure containing 12 French bufhels, vid. Preface Scorzonera, experiments on the cul- ture of it, . 314, 316, 318 Sicilian Wheat, experiment on it, <•' • 199 Smut, defcription of it, . . 93, 95 caufes of it, ... . 94, 95 means to prevent and cure it, 96 the kind of it called uftilago, or burnt grain, .... 100 Smyrna JVheat, experiment on it, 249, 290 at what degree of maturity to be reaped, 250 S s s Soiv- INDEX. Page. Page. Sowing, time of fowing wheat, 72, fteep for preferving it from the 129, 186, 227. fly, 333 of corn in clufters, 235, 245, 247. v- advantages of fowing thin, 302 T/ENTILAT'OR, applied to the Spelt, experiment on it in the new " prefervation of corn, . .461 hufbandry, .... 195 Vine, the culture of it, . . 383 Steeps, method of making one, 98 experiments on the culture of various ingredients recommended it, 403 for making them, ... 98 good effects of the new In- directions for fteeping grain, 100 bandry in the culture of experiments to (hew how far they it, 42 are of ufe, .... 106 Vineyards, the management of them for preferving turneps from the * in England, .... 389 fly, 333 . difpofition of the vines in Stercorary, defcription of it, . 38 them, '. 406 Strawberries, experiment on the cul- UftUego, or burnt grain, . . 100 tureofthem, . . . 316 caufesofit, 101 means of preventing and curing T. it> 10^ '-TEAZEL or Fuller's thiftle, ex- W> ■ periment on the culture of TTfEATHER, account of it du- .it, 317 ring the years 1 755 and 1756, 'Tillage, necefiary to enable plants by M. Duhamel, . . . 473 to extend their roots in fearch Weeds, how deftroyed on com- of food, 11 mons, 17 preferable to dunging of land, inftrument invented by G. Piatt ibid. for grubbing them up, ibid. beneficial to ftrong lands, 12, names of the moft hurtful to 14. farmers, 109 to light lands, 13,14 means of deftroying them, no defign of it, $$ Wheat, how to obtain the beft for rendered more perfect by Mr. feed, 6g Tull's four coulter'd plough, how fown in the common 55. way, . . . . ■ . . ibid,. "Twnep, common culture of it, 323 may be cut before it is full culture of it according to the new ripe, ibid. hufbandry, .... 324 how benefited by the new huf- ilireftions for feeding cattle with bandry, 70 ir, 327 time of lowing it, 72, 129, 186, experiments on the culture of 227. it, ....*.. . 329 quantity INDEX. Page. quantity proper to be fown on different foils, .... 73 in the new hufbandry, 140, 159, it;6, 234-, 239. at what depth it mould be fowri on different foils, ... 73 how many rows fhould be upon each bed, ... 73, 232 when proper to horfe-hoe it firfr, 74 the fecond time, ibid. rules for repeating the horfe- hoeing of it, . . . . 75 how affected by the different hoe- ings, ...... ibid. its roots liable to be deltroyed by infects, '90 directions for the choice and pre- paration of the feed, 97,228 lefs liable to- be lodged in the new husbandry, than in the Page old, . . . 86, 117, 209 Experiments on the culture of it, lid. Experiments good effect of the fpring-hoe- "4 method of drilling it in equally diftant rows, . . . .155 Sicilian, experiment on it, 199 what temperature of the feafon beft for fowing it, . . 230 Smyrna, experiment on it, 249 of different countries, experi- ments thereon, . . . 292 how cleanfed from fmut, . 466 preferved from infects, by venti- lation, 466 Wine, general directions for making it, • 4'4 Wcod-land, how to be managed when broken up, 15 BOOKS printed for J. Whiston and B. White.' In ONE VOLUME QUARTO,. ( Price 15 s. fewed ) With a fine Print of E R A S M U S, by Mr. H o u sto n, lrpHE LIFE of ERASMUS. By JO PIN JORTIN, D. D. Ulud certe p- Copper-Plates, colour'd. Price 1 2 s. half bound. ■ 'M Hr