Ch. IX.j ON THE GROWTH OF CORN. 127 



fine his system to as broad and simple a scale as possible. This we deem 

 the more necessary to impress upon him, because both time and attention 

 are sensibly wasted by passing from one species of work to anotlicr ; and 

 a great variety of crops, though interesting to' the naturalist in the progress 

 of their cultivation, may yet, if unguardedly adopted, lead him astray from 

 the main object of his pursuit — which should be solely that of doing justice 

 to himself and his landlord. 



When he has finally arranged his plan, he should not be induced to de- 

 part from it hastily by any representation of extraordinary advantages to 

 be obtained by novel modes of cultivation, unless clearly satisfied of their 

 evident utility. A prudent man, who wishes to steer clear of difficulties, 

 will indeed see, that however apparently profitable they may appear to 

 others, yet to him they may prove the reverse ; for, beside the various cir- 

 cumstances which may operate differently, there is the material considera- 

 tion of the employment of capital. Its liberal expenditure will no doubt 

 be, in most cases, proportionably repaid, if it be directed with judgment ; 

 but it is essential that the nature of the work on which it is engaged be 

 well understood, and that all the charges of management, as well as the 

 probable product, be rigorously examined : a plan, it may be observed, 

 which, if more regularly followed, both by farmers and writers upon agri- 

 culture, might prevent many egregious mistakes regarding the profit and 

 loss of husbandry. Whatever may be the system which he adopts, it 

 should be founded upon the basis of securing a sufficiency of manure to 

 carry it into complete eifect ; for, if he sows a crop upon land which is not 

 in proper heart to carry it to the highest pitch of average product, he will 

 assuredly be a loser. 



Chapter IX. 



ON THE GROWTH OF CORN. 



The plants of the description termed cereal grasses that are most commonly 

 grown in this country are, wheat, rye, barley and oats ; which partake of 

 one common character, and admit of great similarity of culture. To these 

 — which are used as bread-corn — we might add maize, buck-wheat, and 

 millet, which are also extensively employed for that purpose throughout 

 many parts of Europe and America, though here they are chiefly given to 

 poultry ; and maize, though long known in our gardens, is a plant of only 

 recent introduction to our climate as a field-crop. 



COMPOSITION. 



The chemical compositioyi of plants has, within these few year?, been 

 elucidated by numberless experiments, both in this and other countries. 

 The subject is, however, too extensive to be minutely treated of in this 

 work ; we shall, therefore, merely quote a brief extract from the observa- 

 tions of Sir Humphry Davy, " that the compounds in vegetables really 

 nutritive are very few : farina, or the pure matter of starch, glulen, sugar, 

 vegetable jelly, oil, and extract. Of these the most nutritive is gluten, 

 which approaches nearest in its nature to animal matter, and which is the 

 substance that gives to wheat its superiority over every other grain. The 

 next in order as to nourishing power is oil, then sugar, then starch, and 

 last of all, gelatinous and extractive matters. Sugar and farina, or starch, 



