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would be convinced of its certainty without waiting 

 the iflue of a harvefl;. The confequence of which 

 has been, that I have neither feen nor heard of a 

 fmutty ear in this diflrift; which, I believe, hath in 

 no preceding year been free from them. In fine, 

 not only from the experiments already adverted to, 

 but from others which might be adduced, I am 

 fully perfuaded that the confirmation of this dif- 

 covery (and it has been many years back fuggefted) 

 will lead to an incalculable advantage; for it is not 

 alone a prefervation of the mod indifpenfible article 

 of human food from an appearance and flavour truly 

 difCTuftful, but while it renders it more nutritious, 

 augments its quantity ; for every fmut-ball might 

 have been a perfect grain, by ufing the fimple procefs 

 referred to. To this let me add, that other kinds of 

 bread, as well as our more general beverage, may be 

 augmented and improved, fince barley and oats equally 



thefe fdr a recipe from a gentleman, to whofe opinion he paid much 

 deference, but it proved, that on this change he had more brand than 

 before: he thence refolved to ufe no more preparations, but brought all 

 his feed-wheat to the pump, and has not had (he fays) any brand fince. 

 And, which is ftill more confirming, a gentleman farmer in this vicinity 

 applied to me for R. T's. procefs, in confequence of his whole crop of 

 wheat being fo exceflively infeifled with fmut, that his threfhers daily, 

 at the clofe of their labour, cleanfed themfelves in water, they being, as 

 he exprefied it, black as chimney-fweepers; yet his fubfequent crop of 

 wheat from th'is feed, fcoured in repeated wafhings, efcaped the taint, 

 fave a piece of land in contiguity with the homcftcad, which this gen- 

 tleman afcribed to the pollution which fled over it from divers drefiings- 



efcape 



