94 DISTEMPERS OF CORN. iPartl. 



be fowed, never entertaining a moment's doubt of the infallible 

 increafe of your harvefl." 



Several farmers vary this fteep, by adding to it a mixture of 

 pigeons or other dung. 



In moil of the provinces of France, they make no ufe of fait ; 

 doubtlefs becaufe it is too dear : but they fteep the wheat in lime- 

 water. For this purpofe, they put it into bafkets, and carefully 

 fkim off all that fwims on the top, moft of which would not fprout, 

 and is only fit to feed fowls. 



Other farmers pretend that the fureft way to be free from fmut, 

 is, to change the feed every year ; and that the feed which comes 

 off a ffrong foil, is the beft. A farmer in whom Mr. Tull had 

 great confidence, told him, that, for feveral years, he had his feed 

 corn from another farmer, who alfo changed his feed every year, 

 and that he was free from fmut, though the neighbouring farms 

 were always infedled with it : but above all, he affures us, that 

 the drill huibandry is the moft efieftual cure. 



M. Aimen, after giving an account of the feat and caufes of this 

 diftemper, enumerates the remedies recommended by authors : lyes 

 of lime, falt-petre, allum, verdigreas, vitriol, common fait, and 

 the afhes of plants, are recommended by Mr. Pluche. 



A mixture of water and urine, or a decodtion of cyprefs leaves, 

 are recommended as fpecifics by Columella and Pliny. The farmers 

 boaft much of the juice of houfe-leek and other cold plants j and 

 Virgil recommends lees of oil. 



As weak plants are moft fubjedl to fmut, M. Aimen recommends 

 good tillage, as a fure means of giving them flrength and vigour. 

 'Tis probably for this reafon that corn is very feldom fmutty when 

 managed according to the new hufbandry. 



He obferves that all the lyes generally made ufe of, preferve the 

 plants from mouldinefs : and of all of them, lime feems to him the 

 moft effedlual. 



On the whole, he advifes that the beft wheat be chofen for 

 feed ; that it be reaped in fair weather; that it be threflied out im- 

 mediately, and that it be fprinkled with lime the next day after it 

 is threftied. He adds, that every method he has tried to make 

 corn fo prepared grow mouldy, has been ineft'edtual, and that he 

 has never known it produce fmutty ears. 



M. de St. Mefmin de Lignerolle fays, that the fureft means of 

 avoiding fmut, and which he has pradifed with fucceis iever fince 



the 



