Chap. I. BY M. DIANCOUP.T. 121 



of fap as to nouriih and bring to maturity feveral little ears from 

 which nothing was expected, and which neverthelefs grew four 

 inches long. Unluckily thofe fmall ears did not ripen till after 

 the large ones, many of which were feven inches long, and one 

 of which contained loi grains. 



One perch of 22 fquare feet produced 1 8 pounds 1 3 ounces of fine 

 wheat. If we multiply this quantity by 10, to have the produce of 

 the whole fpot of ground, or by 1 00, to have that of an arpent, 

 (which is equal to an acre and very near three quarters of a rood, Eng- 

 iilh meafure,) we Ihall be furpriled at the plentifulnefs of this crop, 

 reaped from a field in which fo much ground feemed to lay ufelefs. 

 M.Diancourt fays, that the lands of his farm produce one with another, 

 from five to eight feptiers an arpent, that is to fay, from 20 to 32 Eng- 

 liQi bufliels; and as the /^/>//>r weighs about 260 pounds, it follows that 

 the common produce ot a perch is at moil 20 pounds, which is much 

 lefs than lands cultivated in the conunon way fometimes produce. M. 

 Diancourt having cut down a fquare perch of wheat,fo extremely fine 

 that it was the admiration of every one, it yielded him 32 pounds of 

 grain. As the farmer had fowed this perch with two pounds and 

 a half of wheat, and M. Diancourt fowed at moft but half a pound, 

 the real produce of the perch was 30 pounds. Now as all that this 

 farmer can exped; from his land in three years is, one crop of wheat, 

 and one crop of Ipring corn, which is valued at a third of the crop of 

 wheat; he can have in three years no more than the equivalent 

 of 40 pounds of wheat : whereas Mr. Diancourt, who reaped but i 8 

 pounds thirteen ounces, deducting the feed for three years, after the 

 rate of 8 ounces a year, which is one pound eight ounces in all, will 

 have remaining nea,t for his three crops 5 i pounds i 5 ounces, which 

 is II pounds 15 ounces more than the farmer's crop. To judge 

 rightly of the advantage of the new hufbandrv, it muft be obi'erved, 

 I. That M. Diancourt fays he chofe the fined perch in forty arpents 

 of land, to make his comparilbn by. 2. That he tells us his alleys 

 were toowide. 3. That the feed of the oats is not reckoned in tljiis 

 calculation. If, with all thefe advantages on the other fide, the pro- 

 fit was one fifth in his favour, how much greater would it have been 

 fuppofing a parity of circumllances ? 



M.Diancourt likewife fowed three other fpots with wheat, viz. one 

 of 12 perches and a half, another of 10, and a taird of four. The 

 alleys of thefe three fpots were plowed in the beginning of May. 

 The plants here fuffered much lefs by the hurricane, than thofe we 



R fpoke 



