Cultivation of Arabic Land. Preferring of Grain Effects qf Infecls on. 30 -j 



be much more frequently turned over, than afterwards when it has acquired a 

 greater decree of drynefs Once or twice in every week or ten days may be re- 

 quifite the firft month ; afterwards, for four or five months longer, about once in 

 the fortnight may in general be fufficient ; and after that period only once in the 

 month, except when the feafon proves very moift and warm.* 



In fomeplaces empty fpaces are left on the iides of the heaps of corn and other 

 parts, into which they may be turned over when necetfary. But in others, fquare 

 holes are formed in the ends of the floors, and round ones in the middie, by which 

 contrivances the grain is thrown from the upper to the lower chambers, and back 

 again, by which it becomes more perfectly agitated and expofed to the air. This 

 method is practifed in fomc parts of Kent. 



As fuch frequent turnings in thefe methods are extremely troublefome and ex- 

 penlive in being executed by the fhovel, fliding mutters have been contrived 

 in the middle of the different floors which have an inclination towards the centre 

 of the granaries, by the occafional removal of which, and the opening of the windows 

 and ventilators, the grain is turned and ventilated at the fame time with great faci 

 lity and convenience. Monfteur du Hamel has found this mode of preferving 

 grain to anfwer extremely well, even in cafes where it was laid up in a moift ftate. 



But grain may be preferred without having recourfe to the procefs of ventilation, 

 by having it depofited, when in a perfectly dry ftate, in fuch dry deep wells, pits, 

 or other fituations below the furface of the ground, as that it cannot be affected by 

 heat, or the changes that take place in the feafon. But though corn has been 

 known to have been preferved in this method for a great length of time in countries 

 where it is the practice to ftore it up for times of fcarcity, it is not by any means fo 

 fafe or fo convenient a mode as the former. 



In whichever method corn is fecured, care mould be taken that fuch as is moift 

 or has been badly harveftcd, be not laid up with that which is dry and in a perfectly 

 found condition ; as from the quantity of moifture that it contains, and the ftatc 

 of germination that takes place in confequence, a mufty bad fmell is apt to be im 

 parted to the whole, and the fample be wholly fpoiled.f 



But befidcs the danger to which grain is expofed when laid up, from the want 

 of drynefs and ventilation, it is liable to be deftroyed by the depredations of ani 

 mals of different kinds, in the ftates before they allume that of the infect. + As 

 thefe are produced from ova depofited among the grain by the animals uhen in 

 their mo re perfect or infect growth, it is ob\ious that the beft means of guarding againft 



j- Communications to the Board of Agriculture:, vol. I. + Modem Agriculture, vol. II. 



$ The Moth, Weevil, and Beetle. 



