306 ON THE MATURATION OF GRAIN 



country in general. Whenever grain is allowed 

 to get fully ripe, it becomes exceedingly liable 

 to shed itself in both reaping and gathering, 

 which is not the case when less so. And when 

 the cultivator knows that he thereby gains no 

 advantage, but even sustains, a little loss in the 

 quality of his grain, by allowing full maturation 

 to overtake it, then his own profit will lead him 

 to reap earlier, in order to secure a greater and 

 better return therein. And even this is a trivial 

 advantage — compared with that of housing his 

 grain in good condition ; (which an early harvest 

 almost invariably secures to him in our fickle 

 climate), especially in late seasons, when a fort- 

 night is of more consequence to the welfare of 

 the nation — than to be thrown away by the 

 ignorance of custom — or the follies of farmers' 

 fancies. Whenever, then, fructification ends and 

 maturation begins — grain ought to be reaped, be 

 the season what it may. For though the per 

 centage gained in quality thereby, may be 

 apparently very small — the saving of quantity 

 throughout the kingdom of what is uselessly shed 

 on the ground, averages year by year, not much 

 less than the quantity of the seed sown. 



What is true of wheat, oats, &c. is true also of 



