On the Cultivation and Manufacture of Woad. 331 



cleared as they went, not going on until they had destroyed 

 every leaf where they fixed. They had eaten six or seven 

 ranks.before I was called by oneot mv people to observe it. 

 Having plenty of lime, 1 immediately ordered it in flour 

 to be strewed along those ranks which were not begun. 

 This destroyed them in vast numbers, and secured the 

 remainder. Another time, having had two succeeding crops 

 on four acres of land, I considered it imprudent to venture 

 another. However, as the land after this appeared so 

 clean and rich, I again ventured, but soon found my error. 

 On examining the roots (for after it had begun to vegetate 

 strong, it was observed to decay and wither) I Found 

 thousands of the wire-worm at them, entwined in every 

 root. I immediately strewed lime, (four loads, of six quar- 

 ters each, on the four acres,) and harrowed it ; when rain 

 coming on soon after, washed it in, and destroyed them all, 

 and gave me an extraordinary crop ; but the first-sown 

 sideot the field, \\ here they had begun, never qmte recovered 

 like the rest. And I am fully satisfied, that when the grub 

 is seen in wheat, fee. the same treatment (if the weather 

 suited) would destroy them all, as well as chanoe the nature 

 ot the land. I need not enter on the wide and extensive 

 field of observations on the causes of weeds, grubs, &c. 

 (which so often counteract the labii)urs of the husbandman,) 

 that occur so differently in diflerent seasons, and after dif- 

 ferent treatment and improjier crops, — furlhcr than to ob- 

 serve that when your land has not a proper i/umg'S, then it 

 is that these are experienced in a more destructive degree. 



Further, it is in vain to expect a good crop of woad, of a 

 good quality, from poor and shallow land. The diflcrcnce 

 ol produce and its value is so great, that no one of anv ex- 

 perience will waste his labour and attention on such lands 

 upon so uncertain a produce. Warm and moist seasons 

 increase the quantity every where, but they can never o;ive 

 the principle which only good land affords/ 



In very wet seasons, woad from pf)or land is of very little 

 value. I once had occasion to purchase at such a tiine, 

 and found that there was no possibility of regulating n)y 

 vats in their fermentation ; and 1 was under the necessity of 

 making every possible cifort to obtain some that was the 

 produce of a more congenial season. I succeeded at last; 

 l)nt I kept the other three and four years, when I hnmd it 

 more steady in its fermentation ; but still it recpured a double 

 quantity, and even then its clfect was imt like that Iroin 

 g;)od woad. 



At this lime several dyers experienced much difiiculty, 



and 



