Chap. XV. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. -j-j 



*< Other part thereof refts on the ears and ftalks of wheat, be- 

 " fpotting them with a different colour from what is natural i and, 

 *' being of a glutinous fubftance, by the heat of the fun, doth fo 

 " bind up the young, tender and clofe cars of the wheat, that it 

 *' prevents the growth and compleating of the imperfedl grain 

 « therein ; which occafioneth it to be very light in the harveft, 

 " and yield a poor and lean grain in the heap. 



" But if after this mildew falls, a ftiower lucceeds, and the wind 

 " blow fliffly, it waflieth or fliaketh it off, and are the only natural 

 " remedies againfl this fbmetimes heavy curfe. 



" Some advife in the morning, after the mildew is fallen, and be- 

 " fore the rifmg of the fun, that two men go at fome convenient 

 " diflance in the furrows, holding a cord ftretch'd flreight between 

 " them, carrying it fb that it may fliake off the dew from the tops 

 " of the corn, before the heat of the fun hath thickened it. 



" The fowing of wheat early hath been efleemed, and doubtlefs 

 " is the beft remedy againfl mildews, by which means the wheat 

 " will be well filled in the ear before they fall, and your increafe 

 " will be much more. For curiofity fake, wheat was fown in all 

 " the months of the year : that fown in July produced fuch an in- 

 '* creafe as is almofh incredible. In France, they ufuaily fow be- 

 " fore Michaelmas. 



" Bearded- wheat is not fo fubjedl to mildew as the other, the 

 ** fibres keeping the dew from the ear." 



Mr. Miller takes the true caufe of the mildew appearing moft 

 vipon plants which are expofed to the Eafl:, to proceed from a diy 

 temperature in the air when the wind blows from that point, 

 which ftops the pores of plants, and prevents their perfpiration, 

 whereby the juices of the plants are concreted upon the furface 

 of their leaves, and being of a fweetifli nature, infed:s are incited 

 thereto ; where, finding proper nutriment, they depofit their ^'gg?., 

 and multiply fo fafl as to cover the whole furfaces of plants, and, 

 by their corroding the veffels, prevent the motions of their fap : 

 and it is very probable that the excrements of thefe infedls may 

 enter the veffels of plants, and, by mixing with their juices, may 

 ipread the infeftion all over them ; for it is obfervable, that when- 

 ever a tree has been greatly affedled by this mildew, it feldom 

 recovers it in two or three years, and many times never is entirely 

 clear from it after. 



M. Chateau-vieux, whofe accurate and judicious experiments will 



form 



