Chap.XIIT. THE CULTURE OF WHEAT. 71 



yielded a better crop of the fame grain, by means of his horfe-hoeing 

 hufbandry, than a field of equal goodnefs did after a fallow. 



3. That land cultivated in his manner, requires no reft; but on' 

 the contrary, is better fitted for wheat every year, provided the fame 

 culture be continued. 



Plovsfing, efpecially of ftrong lands, fliould be avoided as much 

 as poffible, when the earth is wet. Inftead of loofening the mould, 

 it would harden it. We know by experience, that where the bank 

 of a ditch is made up with dry earth, it foon moulders down; 

 whereas it will laft years when it is raifed with earth that is wet, or 

 a^ it were made into mortar. So, if land is plowed when too wet, . 

 it will be fo poached as fometimes to require feveral plowings to re- 

 cover it. We fay, fometimes ; for if great heats, which as it were bake 

 the clods, are fucceeded by rain, the clods crumble into duii, in 

 the fame manner as quick-lime. Froft has the fame effedi. 



It may therefore be laid down as an almoft general rule, that the 

 feafon cannot be too dry for plowing ; and that the earth is always 

 in fit condition to be plowed, if it be not fo wet as to be poached. 



When the earth is brought to a fine tilth, it iliould be harrowed 

 twice; taking care to keep the horfes in the furrows, that they 

 may not trample and harden the ground on which the wheat is to 

 be fo wn. 



Raifing the earth up into ridges during the winter, if the foil be 

 ftrong, will mellow it, by expofing a greater furface to the froft, 

 and thereby render it fitter for nourifhing the plants in the fpring : 

 for the frofl:, which enlarges the dimenfions of the water that is 

 mixed with the earth, powerfully divides the foil, and renders it 

 extremely fertile. 



The depth at which the feed /liould be fown, depends on the na- 

 ture of the foil. It muft be buried deeper in a light, than in a ftiff 

 foil. The depth of half an inch will be fufficient in the laft; and 

 it may be fowed three inches deep in the other. As by the new 

 Hufljandry ftiff foils are reduced to a fine mould, it is eafy, with 

 the drill plough, to fow the feed at what depth is thought moft 

 proper. . 



A fmgle grain of wlaeat, planted in a garden, has produced 80 

 and fometimes 100 ears. If, one with another, each ear contains 

 50 grains, it follows, that a fingle grain is capable of producing 5000, 

 It is certainly for want of proper culture, that every grain of wheat 

 which is fown in the earth, does not produce fo extraordinary an in- 



creafe. 



