148 



Plan for preserving Grant. 



[Sept. I, 



exppiice fo be incurred for its peren- 

 nial preservation, consists in phitlornis, 

 trong^lis, and ciicsts of coarse materials. 

 Store houses, formerly used, will be in- 

 fested with vermin ; but reitcated fumi- 

 gations with sulphur, washings with 

 <juick-lime, and properly ventilating', 

 will fit them foronr purpose. The plat- 

 forms may be made of open canvas, 

 stretched upon wooden frames; wattled 

 Tvork, or seasoned lath, so close as to 

 retain the seeds, yet so far asunder, that 

 while cooling', the grain may be per- 

 Taded by every breeze stirring in the 

 atmosphere. Each platform must have 

 a trap-door for conveying its contents 

 into troughs; and tliese platforms must 

 have edges half a foot in height to pre- 

 vent the grain from running over. They 

 must stand so distant from the wall, 

 and from all other bedies, that rats or 

 mice may not be able to leap upon them; 

 and. Unit these invaders may not make 

 their way fiom the joists of the house, 

 each platform must have a shelter pro- 

 jecting beyond its edges. Several plat- 

 forms may be placed in tiers ; the 

 lowest to be at least two feet above the 

 floor ; and, that vermin may not ascend, 

 all the pillars must recede a foot and a 

 liali' within the frame; for rats and mice 

 caimot creep in a horizontal position 

 with their back downwards. The same 

 pillar should nni up to sustain the whole 

 <icr of platforms, and their shelter. The 

 troughs arc to have handles, as llicy are 

 to' be employed in carrying the grain, 

 'i'lie chests of well-seasoned, massive, 

 nudressed boards, firmly grooved to- 

 gether, must have lids of the same du- 

 rable construction, with a smaller 

 opening for receiving the stores; and an 

 aperture in front, near the bottom, for 

 drawing them out. The chests must 

 liave every scam and snperficc plaistcrcd 

 with lime, and they must stand on feet, 

 to guard against damp. Several chests 

 are preferable to one of vast capacity, 

 as the demand for grain may occur at 

 distinct periods. Tlie apparatus may 

 be obtained for a moderate sum ; the 

 greater part will last half a century, and 

 the grain saved from corruption and 

 from vermin-depredators will overpay 

 the expence in one year. We shall 

 snpjiose the crop ready to take from the 

 stubble. The invention of threshing 

 machines affords ample facilities for 

 laying up the grain in the best state for 

 preservation. After dressing, it is to be 

 immediately, but very gradually, dried 

 upon a kiUi, that has previously under- 

 goue a purgation, as above djicctcd. It 



is then to be thinly spread on the plat- 

 forms, and passed through all the valve* 

 into the scrnpnlonsly dean troughs, in- 

 stantly returning it, several times daily, 

 to expedite the hardening and drying 

 jiroeesses. When completely cold, let 

 it be removed to the chests, which, 

 when filled to the brim, and the small 

 lid shut up, must have every crevice 

 plaistcrcd with lime. When the build- 

 ings, or utensils, are in request for an 

 ensuing harvest, they must be cleaned, 

 as already recommended, and in tim» 

 for thorough seasoning. The large lids 

 of the chests arc to be moveable for the 

 convenience of purifying the interior, 

 and they must have a new coat of plais- 

 tcr, in time for being perfectly aired. 

 The next autumn, I hope exjieriments 

 may be made in diflerent parts of our 

 empire to prove the effect of those sim- 

 ple operations, as copies of the project 

 have been widely diffused. Attempts 

 of a similar nature have succeeded on 

 the continent of Europe, and in tiopicai 

 regions. WMicat stored at Metz, A.D. 

 1.370, made palatable bread in 1707 ; 

 and another deposit, tiiat lay 110 year* 

 in the castle of Sedan, when baked int» 

 bread, gave satisfaction to the French 

 court. That grain was prepared for 

 keeping by drying on a kiln very tem- 

 perately heated, cooling on an airy floor, 

 and then gathered into ridges six feet 

 deep ; unslacked lime sifted two inches 

 in depth over the whole, soon became an 

 impervious crust. Chests occupy less 

 si)ace, ofi'cr better security for their con- 

 tents, and will give less trouble to the 

 farmer ; and, when plaistcrcd with lima 

 on all the snperfices, must be impene- 

 trable to rats and mice. To the north 

 of Scnnaar, in Africa, the superabun- 

 dance of each crop is sedulously re- 

 served, in case hostile neighbours may 

 ravage the standing corn. The driest 

 and most elevated situations are exca- 

 vated for granaries, and plaistcrcd with 

 a mixture of clay and cow-dung; th« 

 latter being esteemed an antidote to 

 vermin. The grain dressed off the field 

 and crisped in the sun, is poured into 

 the pits, which have been fully seasoned. 

 They are never filled to the surface, but 

 a good covering of straw, laid over th« 

 grain, is plaistered at the sides and bot- 

 tom; and, when dry, further shielded 

 from injury by the sand or gravel dug' 

 out of the hollows. Sheds are erected, 

 and guards appointed to defend th» 

 subterranean treasure. To these facts 

 may be added, that a field Mhich had 

 beeu fifty years pastured ou the farm of 

 A, paiUU 



