2-j6 Oft the EfeB of Frcjl on Grciving Cms, <^l\ Aug. 



to full maturity in ulmofl every fcafon — in nii early as well as in 

 a \Att year : but, if not hurt by froil ; by having bcj^un to vege- 

 tate, or by being heated in the Itack-yard, they will be found to 

 grow, when ufed in feed, jud in proportion to their llrengtli ; 

 that is, they will bring up plants, but not fo ilrong and vigorous 

 as thofe produced by heavier and better oats *, yet, if favoured by 

 a good feafon, they may come forward in the end to be a very 

 good crop. They cannot refdl bad weather as ftronger feed 

 would do ; and require more time on the ground, that is, they 

 arc not ripe and ready for the fickle fo e.irly as the ftronger 

 oats i but they are always to be preferred to feed, be its weight 

 or Itrengtli what it will, that is damaged by froil:, or in any 

 other way Vvdiatever. The weakell of all the oats known, is 

 the black one, with a ftrong hulk and a long bcartl, called in the 

 north of Scotland, fmali corn. The wild oat is very like this, 

 botli in fize and colour; and both of them refill l\vz frofl beyond 

 all others, there being fc;ircely an inilance of either of the two 

 being hurt by it fo much as to be rendered unfit for feed. But 

 this is of no great confequence, as the former are falling into 

 <hfufe ; and as to the other, it has ever been the endeavour of 

 every good farmer to extirpate them altogether, 



Mililew appears to be the greatell obllrucflrion (frofl excepted) 

 in preventing oats from coming to maturity, cfpeeially in an 

 early feafon. But this feems to alight more upon the item than 

 upon the grain, rendering it incapable of traiifmlrting any more 

 fubflance or weight imo the grain, but not hurting its vegeta- 

 tive power. So that, if it has got fufHciently far advanced in 

 ripening, a mildew will not rejidcr it unfit for feed; and if it 

 has not, it will (lill grow, but proportionubly feeble according 

 to its weiglit. Of this I have had fullicient proof; having fown 

 both the one and the other, nftener than once, in the fame field, 

 in order to afcertain the difi^'ercnce. Oats ripened very late in 

 a bad feai'on, if they have efcaped damage from froft, and have 

 been well kept through the winter, are to be judged of precife- 

 ]y in the fame manner. Barley that is late in ripening, or is 

 weak or filly grain, is never fit for feed, whether froiled or 

 not. 



The next thing to be conHdered, ate appearances by which 

 the dillinclion between good and bad feed can be readily afcer- 

 tained. 



This is no doubt the mofl interefllng and material inquiry of 

 jhe whole, and to which all the rell aie only fubfervient^ 

 But as I have already pointed out every circumllance that has 

 come under my obfervation, and is connecfled therewith, there 

 remains, therefore, the lefs to be difcuffed It has been already 



obfervedj, 



