t) tr N a 289 



ears : but becaufe it was fown too late, the en- 

 creating heat made it thrive too faff, fo that it 

 grew pale before it could fet the grains, and 

 only contained fhriveled hulks in thofe fine 

 ears. If it had been fown like the wheat in 

 the cooler feafon, it would undoubtedly have 

 afforded a plentiful crop. From thence I con- 

 cluded that as thefe fpecies of corn fucceed ex- 

 ceedingly well, when fown and tranfplanted 

 in a well-prepared moid: field ; fo the cool 

 weather mufl be more ufeful to the growth 

 than the hot. 



The manner of threfhing rice and wheat is 

 the fame, and is performed as in our country 

 with flails. The wheat after it is threfhed is 

 paffed through a kind of fcreen for cleanfing 

 it, which carries off all the duft, before it is 

 ground. If the mills at Canton were made 

 as convenient as thofe machines, the people 

 might fave a deal of trouble ; but the method 

 of grinding with hand-mills is exceedingly 

 troublefome. It is peculiar, that the Chinefe 

 have many pretty inventions to make little 

 works more eafy; but in greater works, fuch 

 as fawing, grinding, and the like (which re- 

 quire greater powers), they do every thing by 

 the hand ; though they have fufHcient oppor- 

 Vol. II. U tunities 



