Chap. XV. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. 85 



ly bad. When the ears are good, they grow on upright flalks, 

 witli blades a little curled. 



8. The abortive grains refemble very young peas, and have fome- 

 times one,, two, or three fpots in thofe which are quite formed, fo 

 that they look like tv/o or three grains joined together. 



9. Abortive grain, which ufually grows on > rickety flalks, is 

 fometimes mixed in the lame ear with fmutty grains, which laft 

 generally grow on upright llalks, whofe blades are not curled.. 

 Oi frniit hereafter. 



10. R-ickety ftalks carry ears which fometimes contain found 

 grain, and at other times abortive grains. 



11. The abortive grains are feldom at the bottom of tl^e'ear; 

 for which reafon they flied eafily when the hufk or chaff is 

 opened. 



12. The bloflbms of abortive grain are feldom duely formed. 



13. The plants are fometimes render'd quite abortive, before 

 the corn fpindles. '-^ 



14. After the abortive ears have been fome time expofed to the 

 air, they grow white, and the grains become black and dry. 



15. We fometimes meet with llalks of wheat, which, tho' of 

 the rickety kind, are ftrait and tall, and have only the blades of 

 tlie third or fourth joint flirivelled or curled. 



All thefe fymptoms do not unite in the fame flalk, but where 

 the diflemper is at the worft. "When the grain is ripe, or rather 

 when it is dried, it turns black, and looks fo like the feed of 

 cockle, that many farmers, who are unacquainted with tjiis dir 

 flemper, confovmd the abortive grains with the feeds of that 

 plant. 



M. Tillet fufpefts, that this diflemper is occafioned by infedls. 

 He has found infedls on the diflemper'd ftalks, where he faw 

 drops of a very clear liquid, which he took to be the extra- 

 vafated fap. 



uiCCIDENrS occafioned by INSECTS. 



BESIDES infefts, v/hich are properly the fubjedl of this article, 

 there are feveral other animals which do confiderable damage 

 to corn. Field mice eat not only die grain, but oftentimes * the 

 plant itfelf. Rooks alio deflroy great quantities of corn with their 

 ftrong beaks, and hares and rabbits e«it it whilA green, and weaken 



the 



