120 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT. Part II. 



It is proper to obferve, that this ground, being of a nature not 

 to retain wet, had no winter plowing : nor was it plowed in the 

 fpring, becaufe the alleys ieemed to be clear of weeds : but, as 

 M. Dianccurt himfelf acknowledges, this laft plowing is of con- 

 fequence, becaufe it gives the corn frefli vigour, and begins to pre- 

 pare the earth for the next fowing. Plowever, the barley grew 

 very well ; but there was a neceffity for pulling it up towards June, 

 in order to plov/ the alleys; becaufe the wheat had branched fo much, 

 and its blades were grown fo long, that, covering the ground from 

 1 8 to 24 inches round, the horfe was obliged to go almoft in the 

 middle of the alleys, that the fliare, which followed in a parallel 

 direilion, and at a fmall diflance from the rows, might turn ths 

 earth up towards them, and lay new mould about the plants. 



The tufts of wheat had from 20 to 93 fhallcs ; and moft of them 

 from 40 to 72. What made thefe plantc fo very fine, was, that their 

 roots could extend themfeives freely in the alleys v/hich were very 

 wide, and in the rows v/here the feed had been fowed very thin : 

 but at the fame time a great deal of ground was loft, as M. Diancourt 

 obferves. 



The evening before St. John's dny, a violent hurricane beat down 

 all the plants of this experiment, without breaking fcarce any of 

 the ears. A fpot often perches, which could not be cultivated with 

 the plough, but had been dug twice with the fpade, and looked very 

 fine on the 15th of April and loth of May, was hurt more than 

 any other part. But the damage was repaired in 24 hours, by hand- 

 hoeing frefii earth round about the plants. This had fo good an 

 effeft, that they were not at all injured by a very high v/ind which 

 blew fome time after. 



M. Diancourt, from the beginning of fpring, always turns the 

 earth up towards the rows. This is attended with three advantages. 

 I. The new mould gives additional nourilhment to the wheat. 2. 

 It fupports the plants, and prevents their being laid fo eafily as 

 otherwife they might. 3. This operation forms a large furrow in 

 the middle of the alleys, which being filled up after harveft, and 

 the bed then made over that furrow being raifed high and arched 

 above the level of the ground, the next fown plants have an excellent 

 depth of mould to ftrike their roots in. 



The wheat of this fpot had begun to bloflbm before the hurricane 

 on the eve of St. John ; and within a week after it was hoed, M. 

 Diancourt was greatly furprifed to fee it all in full bloom, and fo full 



of 



