Chap. XV. D I S T E M P E R S O F C O R N. 93- 



" taken up, after it had been foaked in fea-water : but it being 

 '■' unfit for making bread, a farmer fowed fome of it in a field; 

 " and when it was found to grow very well, the whole cargo was 

 " bought at a low price by many farmers, and all of it fown in 

 '*■ different places. At the following harveft, all the wheat in 

 " England happened to be fmutty ; except the produce of this 

 " brined feed, and that was all clean from fmuttlnefs." 



We fhall here copy the directions given by the author of the 

 Neiv SvJIem of Agriculture, for the choice and preparation of feed 

 corn : 



" Let your corn be brought into the corner of a large barn floor, 

 or great boarded hall, fucli as few country houfes are without : 

 order a man, with a broad wooden fhovel, to throw the corn, with 

 all his force, towards the oppofite corner of the barn, or hall : the 

 laft is generally the fitteft for it. In this exercife, all light, fmall, 

 ihrivell'd grain, and the feeds of cockle, darnel, and other weeds, 

 not being fo heavy as the folid corn, will fall Ihort, and lie neareft 

 to the man who throws them ; Vv'hile fuch as are large, plump, 

 and weighty, out-flying all the reft, are feparated widely, and may 

 eafily be gathered in what quantity you pleafe. Experience only is 

 capable of making men believe the wonderful advantages of fowing 

 feed thus chofen. 



" Take your corn, when it has been thus obtained, and throw 

 it, by a bufliel at a time, into a large veflTel full of water : let a 

 man ftir it with a ftaff, as violently as he can, for a confiderable 

 while together, and then, giving it a little time to fettle, ikim off 

 all that fwims upon the furface ; and repeat this labour till no 

 more rifes : after which, take out the corn which is funk to the 

 bottom, and lay it by for feed ; proceeding in the fame manner, 

 till you have your intended quantity. 



" Now make a brine, by throwing bay-falt into rain-water, till 

 it becomes of ftrength enough to bear an egg. In this liquor fteep 

 your feed corn for thirty hours : lefs time will have no manner of 

 effedl. Obferve this, and regard not the contrary opinions of any 

 men, let them pretend to never fo much (kill. 



" When you take your corn out of this brine, fpread it upon 

 a fmooth floor, and, fcattering upon it good ftore of xhc fine-ground 

 powder of Jlackd lime, fweep it up and down, and mingle it with 

 the corn, till every grain leaves clinging to another, and becomes, 

 as it were, candied with the lime : and in this condition let it 



be 



