ON THE BLIGHT IN WHEAT. 343 



furze-land in the autumn, with intent to sow it to wheat, ture and ma- 

 It was run back in the spring, and cross- ploughed early in nure * 

 the summer, so as to be quite close and firm before wheat 

 sowing; but having occasion to plant two acres of po- 

 tatoes, I took part of this land and manured it well with 

 rotten dung, and planted the potatoes therein. They were 

 ripe early, and when dug, the two acres were sown with 

 wheat; on the same day, the rest of the piece, which had 

 not been dunged at all, was sown. The wheat on the two 

 acres was much the proudest during the winter, and the 

 best crop when it came into ear ; but when it was just ripe, 

 (which Was ten days after the other part,) the blight struck 

 it, and it was as black as a coal, while the rest was as 

 bright as silver. In fact the two acres were scarcely worth 

 reaping. 



Again, with respect to late-ripening crops being subject Ripening a ces- 

 to the blight, I am of opinion, that the act of ripening sation of action. 

 wheat and all annual graminiferous plants is not so much 

 an effort of nature, as a cessation of nature's efforts ; and 

 that no crop of grain can be a good one, unless the whole 

 ripens together ; and if by any cause, particularly by the 

 seed being sown too thin, or by a partial failure of the 

 plants from a severe winter, the plant is forming new 

 roots, or one part of it is doing so, while the other is or 

 ought to be ripening its seed, the straw keeps green and 

 moist, instead of turning yellow and dry, and the blight is 

 sure to take it. And this has brought drilling into dis- Circumstance* 



grace more than all other causes, particularly when the? 6114111 ?. 1 ,?' 

 i » . * % « brm S driving 



crop has been sown too thin, or the hoe has been used too into disrepute 

 late*. 



* I have just been a witness to the threshing a piece of drilled 

 wheat, which was injured by harrowing in grass seeds in April j the 

 harrowing made the wheat too thin, and caused it to throw out new 

 shoots ; it kept growing while it ought to have been ripening ; it of 

 course took the blight, and though the ears were six inches long* 

 the produce weighed only 40lb. per bushel 



IV. Jnszcer 



