Chap.II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 145 



the common way, but fowed with the drill plough, in equally di- 

 ftant rows, without any intermediate alleys. 



Firjl EXPERIMENT. No. I. 



"T Have already mentioned, (p. i 39.) that this fpot was fowed with 

 -■■ wheat, the beds being now made in the middle of the former 

 alleys. The fummer hoeings had brought this ground to fo fine and 

 loofe a ftate, that, after one plowing, I fowed the three beds with 

 the drill-plough, on the twenty-fifth of September ; and to prevent 

 the accidents I before met with, I increafed the quantity of feed 

 to nine ounces fifteen pennyweights. 



*' The wheat rofe extreamly well, and the rows were full of plants, 

 which became very ftrong and thriving before the winter. The fnails 

 deftroyed a great number of the plants, as they had done the year 

 before: yet, I judged the rows fuHiciently ftored with plants, and 

 thought that this accident would do no great damage to the crop. 



" The winter was very favourable to corn in general. My plants 

 made very ftrong flioots in the fpring : but I found fome chafms 

 in the rows, which I had not perceived in the autumn. I imputed 

 it in fome meafure to the inclemency of the winter, which had 

 undoubtedly deftroyed feveral weak plants. Thefe chafms were 

 but few, and the worft of them had about two plants in fifteen 

 inches. 



" I horfe-hoed the alleys for the firft time on the ninth of March, 

 and a fecond time the twenty-fifth of May. The ground was in fo 

 loofe a ftate, that I thought it needlefs to hoe it afterwards, efpeci- 

 ally as the wheat was in an exceeding good way. It continued of a 

 very deep green till it ripened ; the blades were extreamly large ; and 

 the plants branched much more than they had done the year before. 

 It was a common thing to find plants with between 60 and 70 

 ftalks, which, in general, grew to above five feet and fome inches 

 high, and were crowned with large ears quite full of grain. 



" As foon as the wheat had done bloifoming, I found it neceilary 

 to defend it againft the birds. Thanks to the care that was now 

 taken, they did it lefs hurt this year than the laft': but flill they 

 eat a great deal of it, though I cannot precifely determine the quan- 

 tity. 



" As foon as the wheat appeared to be near ripe, in order to pre- 

 ferve it from the farther plunder of thofe robbers, I reaped it, on 

 the twentieth of July, though I would rather have chofen to let it 



U ftand 



