?2P EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, "'Part II. 



papers furnifli me with only the produd of now and then a year, 

 but not of any number of years together. Thefe detached hints 

 have however afforded me fonie curious and ufeful knov/ledge. For 

 example, I have learnt by them, that the produd; of land was the 

 fame iii the laft age as it is in this. In the year 1668, which is the 

 fartheft back that any of my papers take notice of, I find the crops 

 were like thofe which the^fame lands have yielded for thefe lail 30 

 or 40 years. ' . " . ~ 



" All my enquiries have Hiewn me that, ia this country, in what 

 are reckoned good years, the lands yield but three times the feed ; 

 feldom more, and often lefs. Some few fields indeed muft be ex- 

 cepted, which, being of a very extraordinary goodnefs, do produce, 

 more j and likewife, on the other hand, fome very bad lands which 

 do not yield fb much : fo that, upon the whole, this may be reckon- 

 ed the medium crop during any number of years. 



*• The neat produce does not by any means amount to the whole 

 of the crop, in the common hufbandry : for the good grain is fre- 

 quently fo mixed with bad, and with the feeds of weeds, that it 

 fuffers a "confiderable diminution thereby. The quantity of perfedt 

 grain is therefore what ought to be confidered ; and in. this many 

 are apt to deceive themfelves. Whenever people become fenfible of 

 the fmall advantage of the common hufbandry, tkey will be more 

 ready to attend to what is faid in favour of the new, and will be in-r 

 dined to verify it by their own experience. WJien fo convinced^ 

 they will endeavour to overcome the diflike which moft farmers have 

 to this new method. They are, in general, a fet of men, fit only to 

 execute what they are bid to do-; and therefore ought to be direft- 

 cd by perfons of better underftanding. Patience and perfeverance 

 may by degrees induce them to prad:ife the new hufbandry, which 

 time will bring to its greatefl perfed:ion, 



'' The following table will help to flrengthen thefe refledions. 



TABLE 



