[ 40 ]' 



t\it\v ftamina vitiated, the remainderj befides here- 

 ditary defcents, or what they may acquire by juxta 

 fofuion. 



The fmut in wheat, I have long been of opinion, 

 is generated by a very wet feafon happening during 

 the time of its being in bloflom. This I efteem 

 the caufe and origin of the difeafe^ but I am well 

 afiured it may be, and often is, propagated and 

 continued by ufing the corn thus vitiated for feed. 

 Laft year 1 made fome experiments on fmutty 

 wheat, hoping to obtain fome information I might 

 rely on. I fowed part of a ridge in drills about 

 twelve inches apart with good found feed^ another 

 part, immediately adjoining, with feed taken from 

 very fmutty corn. It had been previoufly wafhed 

 in two feveral waters i what fwam at top was care- 

 fully fkimmed dff, and the wafhing continued till no 

 blacknefs remained. Another portion of the fame 

 ridge, adjoining the former, was drilled with part 

 of the fame fmutty wheat unwafhed, juft as it came 

 from the ear, without any preparation whatever j 

 the refult was as follows : 



The crop from the found feed was perfe6bly free 

 from fmut, clean, and good. That from the fecond 

 had many fmutty ears among it, perhaps one in 

 twenty. The third and laft was miferably fmutty 



indeedi 



