Chap.XV. DISTEMPERS OF CORN. 97 



fometimes fo firm, as not to be cruflied to pieces by the flail, (liovel 

 or fieve; but one of them ground to powder in the mill, is fufficient 

 to alter the colour of a confiderable quantity of flour. 



The burnt grains have a bad fmell, and retain a great deal 

 of moifl:ure : two qualities which render them very unfit for keep- 

 ing. 



As the burnt grains are lighter than the found, many of them 

 are feparated by throwing the corn to a dillance with the /hovel, 

 or by winnowing, or fifting it in the wind : but it is very difiicult 

 to get quite clear of them. When they are broken, they infecl 

 the found grains, and fl:ick to them, as we obferved of the fmut. 

 The French farmers give the fame name to both the diftempers 

 we have been fpeaking of, faying that the corn is mouchete, /potted, 

 or colour d at the end. This lalT; is eafily rubbed ofi'" with a cloth, 

 and is likewife lofh by long keeping after the corn has been fre- 

 quently fifted, efpecially in cylindric fieves. Some farmers wafli it 

 off in fair water ; which fbould always be done before fuch corn 

 is put into ajiy fteep. 



M. Tillet's memoir relates chiefly to this diftemper. We fliall 

 pafs over his accurate and curious experiments, and, as before, 

 give only the refult of his inquiries. 



He found, ift. That no kind of dung had any fenfible effefl in 

 producing burnt grain or fmut. The infected feed produced as 

 much burnt grain in places not dunged, as in others that were. 

 No kind of dung quickened or retarded the progrefs of this di- 

 ftemper. Sound feed-corn produced no more burnt grain in places 

 that were dunged, than in thofe that were not dunged. 



2. The ftraw of diftemper'd corn, putrified, did not produce 

 burnt grain : but fuch flraw, not putrified, feem'd to produce it. 

 The fame may be faid of the powder of burnt grain, when mixed 

 with the earth. 



3. In every trial of fowing corn [potted or coloured at the end, 

 whether gather'd on the fpot, or brought from a diftance, the 

 diflemper prevailed to that degree, that fometimes three-fifths of 

 the ears were bad. 



4. Chofen wheat, taken grain by grain out of pick'd ears, in 

 order to be certain that there were no difl:emper'd grains among it, 

 being fowed, fome in dung'd and fome in undung'd land, fome 

 with and fome without preparation, produced little or no burnt 

 grain. The fame chofen feed, fprinkled with the powder of di- 



O " ftemper'd 



