aso On the Cultivation and Manufacture of Wbad. 



plough ; and some dibble it in, (.in quincunx form, by a stick 

 with a peg crossways, about two or two and a half" inches 

 from the point, according to the land,) putting three or 

 four seeds in a hole, and these holes to be from twenty 

 inches to two feet apart, according to the richness of the 

 land: for good land, if room be given, will produce very 

 luxuriant plants in good seasons ; but if too nearly planted, 

 so that air cannot circulate, they do not thrive so well : 

 attention to this is necessary in every way of sowing it. 

 I have been most successful in this last process. Woad 

 very often fails in its crop, from the land not being in 

 condition, or from want of knowing how to destroy the 

 botts, snails, wire-worms &c. that so often prey upon and 

 destroy it, as well as from inattention to weeding, &c. 

 Crops fail also from being sown on laud that is naturally 

 too dry, and in a dry season ; but as the roots take a per- 

 pendicular direction, and run deep, such land as I have 

 described (with proper attention to my observations) will 

 seldom fail of a crop : and if the season will admit sowing 

 early enough to have the plants strong before the dry and 

 hot iveather comes on, there will be almost a certainty of 

 a great produce?. 



These plants are frequently destroyed in the germination 

 by flies, or animalculas, and by grubs, snails, Sec. as before 

 observed ; and in order to preserve them, I have steeped the 

 seeds with good success in lime and soot, until they began 

 to vegetate ; first throwing half a load or more of flour 

 lime* on the acre, and harrowing it in. Then plant the 

 seeds as soon as thev break the pod, taking care not to have 

 more than one day's seed ready ; for it is belter to be too 

 earlv., than to have their vegetation too strong before it is 

 planted, lest they should receive injury; yet f have never 

 observed any injury in mine from this, though I have often 

 f^een the shoot strong. Either harrows or rollers will close 

 the holes. If the ground be moist it will appear in a few 

 days ; but it will be safe, and a benefit to the land, to throw 

 more lime on the surface, when, if showers invite snails 

 and erubs to cat it, thev will be destroyed, which I have 

 several times found; particularly once, when the leaves 

 were two inches long, and in drills very thick and strong, 

 but the ground was dry. When a warm rain fell, in less 

 than two hours I found the ranks on one side attacked 

 by these vermin, and eaten entirely oft by a large black 

 gfub, thousands of which were on the leaves, and they 



• if the seeds arc not sown within a day after the time, it will lose much 

 c^ct. 



cleared 



