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Article XVII. 



An inquiry concerning the Smut in Wheats 

 I. Of its Caiife. 2. Of the Means of pre-- 

 venting it. 3. Of its Remedy. 



MA.NY are the nojlrums which are faid to be 

 infallible in preventing or remedying this 

 commoti evil j and many more are the pretenders 

 to choice fecrcts, which are efFedlual, certainly, to 

 the farne moll valuable purpofe. But every prac- 

 tical farmer of common obfervation knows, afTu- 

 redly, to his forrCw, that in unfavourable feafons 

 none of the boafted means he has ufed hath ever 

 efFedlually anfwered his purpofe. 



The firft ftep towards the remedying any evil 

 either in the animal or vegetable kingdom, is the 

 true knowledge of its caufe; without it, all is 

 quackery, and too often the artifice of defigning 

 adventurers, who hope to m.ake a finifter advantage 

 of the weak and credulous, who are too apt to fwal- 

 low the hook which is covered with a gilded bait. 

 Every one embraces with pleafure what he is per- 

 fuaded will promote his intereft. 



The previous queftion is, what is the ^^i^ which 



generally produces the fmut in wheat? 



To 



