Cultivation of Arable Land.Preferving of Grain Circumstances in. 501 



or when put up in fucks. A perfectly dry room or bin mould conftantly be pro 

 vided for its immediate reception, the bufinefs being performed as much as poffible 

 in a dry ftate of the atmofphere. And in the fecond, a great deal may be accom- 

 pliflied by means of proper flides, mutters, or other fuitable contrivances being con 

 veniently fixed in the pipes, funnels, or other openings intended for the purpofe 

 of ventilation, in the corn-rooms or granaries, which mould be kept clofely fhut up 

 whenever the atmofphere is fo much charged with moifture as to prove detrimental 

 to the grain. 



And as frequent turning or ftirring the grain, and ventilation,arefound by experi 

 ence to be eflentially neceffary for preferving and keeping it perfectly fweet and fit 

 for fale, it is obvious, on the above principle, that this fhould only be attempted 

 when the weather is fine, or the air in a dry elaftic ftate. In damp weather, or when 

 froft prevails, it mould be excluded as much as poffible. Befides air, light is like- 

 wifc advantageous in the prefervation of corn, under fimilar circumftances, as, with 

 out its being admitted, a fort of vegetable mucor, ufually denominated mould, is 

 apt to fix upon the grain and produce much mifchief, as it is faid to poflefs the fame 

 property as that of other fungufes, of growing where there is fcarcely any change 

 of air, and in fituations where there is little or no light, provided there be a fuitable 

 degree of warmth and moifture.* On the fame principle, with the intention of 

 retaining the grain in a (late as free as poflible from dampnefs, it might be ufeful 

 to have well conftructed ftoves in the bottom parts of corn chambers or granaries,- 

 for the purpofe of occafionally communicating fuch moderate degrees of heat to the 

 grain as would be fufficient to dry up and expel any injurious moifture, that it might 

 have attracted in damp wet feafons. On this ground it has indeed long ago been ad- 

 vifed on the bafis of experience, by an intelligent writer, f to preferve wheat by ex- 

 pofing it to the action of a funftiine degree of heat, on a hair cloth in a malt kiln, pro 

 duced by the combuftion of clean ftraw, for fuch a length of time as may be necelfary 

 to remove the dampnefs j as from four or five to ten or twelve hours, according to 

 the proportion in which it may exift. In this method the heat mould always be kept 

 fo moderate as not to deftroy the vegetative property or life of the grain ; as by 

 that means its putrefaction and decay would be promoted. The degrees of heat 

 that would be the moft calculated to anfvver the purpofe in different cafes would be 

 eafily regulated by thofe instruments that are in common ufe for meafuring the heat 

 and moifture of the atmofphere. 



The principles advanced above, aflift us in reconciling the differences of 



* Darwin s Pbytologia. i Mr. lull. 



