352 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



of the intended allowance of seed one way, and the other 

 half crosswise. 



Previous to sowing, seeds should be soaked in some fer* 

 tilizing liquor; and tor this purpose a solution of saltpetre 

 with lie of wood ashes and old urine is believed to be 

 best ; but, in such case, let the seeds be sowed immediately , 

 or they will not readily vegetate. Mr. Johnson fout.d his 

 crops of wheat and Indian corn greatly benc fiied by soaking 

 the seeds in a solution of saltpetre and lie of wood-ash^s 

 alone. Let the seeds be soaked about twelve hours in 

 most cases ; but, for preventing smut in wheat, about 

 twenty-four hours are necessary. 

 See SMUT 



Let the seeds be dried, before sowing, with a sprinkling 

 of gypsum } or lime^ or wood-ashes, may be used, when 

 gypsum is not to be had. 



Grain that is designed for sowing should always be kept 

 well aired ; for, if deprived of this for a considerable length 

 of time, it will not vegetate. Mr Miller took fresh seeds 

 of different kinds : A part of each he put into vials, and 

 sealed them so as to exclude the air; and the rest he kept 

 exposed to it. Alter a twelvemonth, he sowed each on dif- 

 ferent p \rts of the same bed when all those came up that 

 were exposed to the air, but none of those which were ex- 

 cluded from it. 



Where land is very rich, it ought generally to have more 

 seed than if it be poor; and if the size of the grains be 

 large, the quantity sown should be greater than where they 

 are small. 



SPAVIN. A swelling about the joints of Horses, caus- 

 ing lameness. There are two kinds of this disorder; a 

 blood-spuvin and a bag-spavin. The former is a swelling of 

 the vein that runs along the inside ot the middle joint of 

 the hind legs, which is frequently attended with a lameness 

 of the joint. 



To cure it, says Mr. Gibson, first apply restringents, and 

 a bandage tightly drawn round the joint ; for these, if early 

 applied, will generally effVct a cure , but, if by these means 

 the vein is not reduced to its usual dimensions, the skin 

 should be opened, and the vein tied with a crooked needle 

 and wax-thread, passed underneath, above and below the 

 swelling, and the turgid part will then digest away with the 

 ligatures. Let the wound be daily dressed with a mixture 

 of turpentine, honey, and spirit of wine. 



The bag spavin is merely a cyst, or bag, filled with the 

 gelatinous m alter -of the joint, irrupted from its proper 

 place. To cure this, cut into the bag, and let the matter 

 -discharge 'ress the sore with lint diped in oil of tur- 



