222 AGRICULTURE. 



The disagreeable smell of night soil may be de- 

 stroyed by mixing it with quick lime. 



If a thermometer plunged in dung does not rise 

 above 100 Fahrenheit, there is little danger of much 

 aeriform fluid flying off. 



Sea-weed. 



A heap of sea-weed, as large as a house, when 

 long exposed to the atmosphere, decays and disap- 

 pears, nothing remaining but a little black fibrous 

 matter. 



Predominating Grains. 



In respect to the predominating grains, the earth 

 may be divided into five grand kingdoms or divi- 

 sions, viz. those of rice, of maize, of wheat and rye, 

 of barley, and of oats. The three first are the most 

 extensive ; the maize has the greatest range of tem- 

 perature ; but rice supports the greatest number of 

 human beings.* 



Wheat, a Grass. 



Wheat, in its indigenous state as a natural produc- 

 tion of the soil, appears to have been a small grass; 

 and the case of improvement by cultivation is still 

 more remarkable in the apple and plum. 



The best soil for a crop of wheat is that in which 

 the earthy materials, the moisture and the manure, 

 are properly associated, and in which the decom- 

 posable animal or vegetable matter does not exceed 

 one-fourth of the weight of the earthy constituents. 



* The consumption of all kinds of grain in England during one 

 year has been estimated at 36,000,000 of quarters ; of wheat 

 12,000,000 quarters. 



