wheat, if only slightly affected, can, for the most part, 

 with good dressing, be almost entirely cleared of it : 

 from the experience I have had, 1 never found the crop 

 from seed prepared in this way, completely free of smut, 

 and have only practised it, because 1 have found that it 

 is equally effectual with the common method, and it is 

 not attended with any risk of losing the seed, nor is the 

 preparation so incommodious. 7. 1 have never made an 

 experiment upon a very smutty sample of wheat. 



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The most important particular connected with the cul- 

 ture of wheat in Scotland, is the practice of sowing win- 

 ter wheat in the spring months. Mr Brown of Markle 

 states, that he commenced this practice as far back as the 

 year 1779, as ^id n * s neighbour Mr Rennie of Fantassie, 

 about the same period. It was sown by several people 

 before that year, but not to any considerable extent, and 

 only in seasons, when, owing to the wetness of October, 

 it could not be sown at the customary time. It is of 

 great importance to be able to sow wheat after turnips, 

 for the month of March is not found too late when the 

 season is favourable. Mr Rennie of Oxwell Mains, in 

 East Lothian, states, that his March sown winter wheat, 

 anno 1809, was as good, both in respect to quality and 

 produce, as what was sown in November and December. 

 He adds, that wheat sown in autumn, very frequently 

 lodges in moist seasons, and on that account is deficient 

 both in quantity and quality. On wet soils, the farmer 

 often sows early in autumn, not from choice, but lest he 

 should lose an opportunity of doing it. In regard to the 

 difference between autumn wheat, and the same kind 

 sown in spring, as to the number of bolls, he thinks that 

 in ordinary seasons, the spring sown is equal in quantity 



