282 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS, 



Remedy; to 

 foak it firft in 

 water. 



Experimental 

 proof. 



timing recom- 

 mended; byira 



■eerfion. 



are no longer cultivated with the fpade and the harrow, but 

 with the mattock and the pick-axe ; the plough, however, on 

 account of its ftrength, can ftill be employed to till the ground, 

 except in compact lands, and thofe which are ftiffly bound. 

 But it is not enough that the land (hall have been tilled to en- 

 able us to fow it, the feed mutt alfo germinate, without which 

 it dries and periflies, or becomes the food of animals and in- 

 fe6ts. For without rain, or dew which moiftens at leaft the 

 lurface of the foil, there can be no germination. In the mean 

 time the feafon advances, and the feed-time is already late. 

 Let us point out, then, to the hufbandman, a method of pre- 

 venting the inconvenience of drought ; it is, not to commit his 

 feed to the earth, until it is impregnated with the moifture 

 necefTary for its germination. 



We may refer to a great example : the Chinefe do pot de- 

 pofit a tingle feed in the earth until it has been immerfed in 

 water. And I will adduce an experiment nearer home, which 

 is in favour of this practice. Five years ago, I fowed half art 

 acre (arptnt) of land with wild fuccory, lucern, and pimper- 

 nel. With a view to compare the produce of thefe plants, I 

 fowed them in rows two feet afunder. The fpring was very 

 dry, and I foaked each of the feeds in water for forty eight 

 hours. The quantity foaked was not fufficient ; for there was 

 required as much more as to fow nine rows, three of each 

 kind. I took advantage of this circumftance to compare the 

 effect arifing from the feed being prepared or not prepared by 

 imraerfion. The refult was, that in the nine rows fowed with 

 the dry feed, not more than thirty plants came up in five 

 months : while the remainder of the land was covered, and 

 formed a moft beautiful artificial meadow. The rain fell too 

 late to fow thefe nine rows, and it was necefTary to fow them 

 again in autumn. 



Let us now apply thefe facts to the fowing of corn. 



The hufbandman is in the habit of liming his wheat when 

 he apprehends the rot. This year he has no need to dread 

 that evil ; neverthelefs let-him ufe the lime, but by immerfion ; 

 for in general the method of application is defective. The 

 operation is ufually confined to a fimple fprinkling of the heap 

 of wheat with lime water, while it is turned over with a 

 ftovel. 



The 



