90 BISTEMPERS OF CORN. Parti. 



opinion, that it is not the rain, but the moiflure of the earth which 

 occafions it. " I was confirmed in this, fays he, by feveral plants 

 " of wheat taken up when they were in grafs in the fpring, and 

 *' ptac'd in troughs in my chamber window, with fome of the roots 

 *' in water. Tnefe wheat plants fent up feveral ears each, but at 

 " harveft every grain was fmutty ; and I obferv'd, none of the ears 

 •* ever fent out any bloffom. This fmuttinefs could not be from 

 " any moiflure that defcended upon it, but from the earth, which 

 *' was always kept Very moift. The wheat plants in the field from 

 " whence thefe were taken, brought very few fmutty grains, and 

 ^' much larger ears than thefe." 



This experiment would feem decifive, if it had been repeated 

 often enough. If the fmut was occafioned by the wetnefs of the 

 earth, a much greater number of fialks would be infefted in the 

 lower parts of the ridges than in the higher, which we never heard 

 to be the cafe. 



The Reverend Dr. Hales, fufpedling that the fmut might proceed 

 from the feed's being bruifed by the flail, took a number of grains 

 of different fizes, and bruifed tJaem with a hammer. They fprouted 

 and grew very well, without any fmutty ears. This mofl fkilful 

 philofopher concludes from thence, that this is not the caufe. 



After the publication of M. Duhamel's firft volumes, the academy 

 at Bourdeaux propofed for the fubjedt of their annual prize, the bejl 

 account of what renders black the mealy fubjlance of grain. Of the 

 many that were given in, our author mentions only M. Tillet's, 

 which carried the prize. He likewife gives the fubftance of a me- 

 moir, prefented to the royal academy at Paris by M. Aimen, M. D. 



Both thefe gentlemen give, if we may be allowed the expreflion, 

 an accurate anatomical account of this diftemper, drawn from obfer- 

 vations founded on their knowledge of the llrudture of plants. But 

 as thofe difquifitions are rather curious, than ufeful to farmers, we 

 fhall give only their pradical remarks, referring the learned in thefe 

 matters to the Original, or rather to the Original Memoirs in the 

 Tranfaftions of both the Academies. 



In anfwer to Mr. Tull's allegation that too much moifture is the 

 caufe of fmut, M. Tillet planted a tuft of wheat in a veffel in which 

 he kept the earth extremely moift, and had not one fmutty ear. 



He is of opinion that it does not proceed from any inclemency of 

 the weather, or want of impregnation ; becaufe it takes place before 

 the ears have appeared, 



I M. 



