t 374 3 



than 200]. per ann. in the article of feed only, by 

 fowing with Cook's machine inftead of the common 

 method ; as I calculate, from eight hundred to twelve 

 hundred acres of wheat yearly. I am much afraid 

 fome error has here crept in, perhaps it is in my con- 

 ception of this matter. Pray can you remove the 

 difficulty? He has decided clearly and flrongly in 

 favour of the drill mode; but, taking the whole of 

 his paper into confideration, it fliould feem the ad- 

 vantage arifes more from the favings in the feed than 

 in an increafe of the produce; fo that the merit is 

 imputable to the machine rather than the drilling. 

 The fowing the feed regularly, as to diftance and 

 depth, is undoubtedly advantageous; but let the 

 ground be as well prepared for promifcuous fowing 

 by hand as it miiji be for the machine, and it will 

 be found that three bufliels of barley, fown upon 

 an acre in the old method, will be fuperior to two 

 bufliels fown wnth the: machine by three or four 

 times the difference of the feed ; of the truth of this, 

 I have had the cleared and mod fatisfa£lory ocular 

 demonflration. I am well latisfied the principal part 

 of the merit afcribed to this mode of fowing is, in a 

 great meafure, owing to the more perfcft culture of 

 the foil which is neccjfar'ily bedowed for that mode 

 of fowing; but in agriculture, nothing is more com- 

 mon than to afcribe effefts to caufes which had no 

 hand in their produ(fVion. This in praftice ever has 



been. 



