which an Tar aft lies of the Wheat. 1 15 



'the common praclice jufl: mentioned of drefling the feed, as anfwer- 

 ing no good end, and dcftruiflive of the grain (/). Some take the 

 •duft for the eggs of infers, and others adopt, what to me appears 

 •the moft prohable opinion, that this evil is occafioned by a minute 

 vegetable of the order of Fungi. 



Mr. Bryant founds his hypothefis upon few ex^ieriments, and thofe 

 .not very precifcly ftated [k) : the one was favourable rather than 

 otherwife to the pradice which he is endeavouring to fet afidc (/}. 

 This was made upon a fmall fcale in his garden. From his larger 

 ^experiment no fair confequences in fupport of cither fide of the 

 ■qucflion can be drawn ; for it was made in two leparate fields, the 

 corn being fown unprepared in one, and drefTed as ufual in the 

 ■other (/k). Whether thefe fields were near to each other, or far 

 afunder, or of a fimilar or different foil, he does not inform us. The 

 refult of this experiment was rather in favour (not much he con- 

 fefles) (») of the undrefTed feed. Now, as fome years are much 

 more favourable to the produftion of Brand, it is probable, than 

 others (0), and it is not to be expected that any precaution fhould fo 

 infallibly fecure our crops as that they fhall never be injured, no 

 found reafoner would venture to build a fyftem upon experiments, 

 •much more numerous and decifive than thofe related by Mr. Bry- 

 ant, which were made in a fingle year. Again, as fome foils may 

 ■be more given to the produ£lion of this difeafc, or whatever we arc 



(/■) In juftice to this gentleman, I mud acknowledge, that, with refpefl to this circum- 

 .ftance, his opinion fecms founded upon fa£l ; for I am informed by intelligent farmers, 

 that much of the grain does perifh, as they fufpeft, by the ufe of lime. Kut is the evil 

 ■incurred, greater than the evil prevented ? 



{k) liryant, p. 24, 25. (/) Id. p. 32, 33. (m) Id. p. 24, 25. {») Id. p. SI- 



{0) A tenant of mine, in the year 1797 I think, told me that his wheat that year was very 

 jnuch injured by the Brand, although he prepared it in the fame manner as he had done 

 •for un yeais before, and always till then with fuccefs. 



Q 2 to 



