Chap. 11. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 231 



to the very thing we are in fearch of, they may at leaft difcover to 

 us others which may be of fervice. 



** According to our principles, the diftance between each plant 

 ought to be equal throughout the whole length of the rows, that all 

 of them may have an equal quantity of earth to draw their nourilh- 

 ment from. 



" Several experiments have fliewn, that fix inches is not too great a 

 diftance for the plants to be at from one another. In this cafe, 

 it would be fufficient to fow one grain of wheat from fix to fix inches. 

 According to this difpofition, a field v/ell prepared ought to produce 

 the greatefh crop. The plants v.'ill very commonly branch out fo as 

 to have 20, 30, or 40 ftalks: I have had fome with upwards of 80. 

 'Tis pity that this exad diftribution of the feed cannot fubfift long. 

 The accidents I met with foon convinced me, that it was necefiTary 

 to increafe the quantity of the feed, and that very confiderably. 



<' However, this does not yet hinder me from thinking, that if any 

 eafy method could be found, to have a plant of wheat exadlly at 

 every fix inches diftance in the rows, it would be the beft way of 

 fowing lands. I have often confidered how this could be reduced to 

 pradice, as well to fatisfy my curiofity, as that I might be the better 

 able to proceed in my operations. When a theory is known to be 

 good, one is ftrongly encouraged to draw all poffible advantages from 

 it for the pradlical partj one proceeds with confidence and pleafure. 



" Experience having convinced me that it never would be poflible 

 to have a plant at every fix inches in each row, by fowing only a 

 fingle grain of wheat at thofe diftances; it naturally followed, that 

 the way to have the ground better covered with plants was, to fow 

 more grains. The next quefi:ion was, how many grains fliould be 

 fowed in each place : fliould it be two, three, or more ? Experi- 

 ence only could clear this doubt. I therefore tried the following 

 experiment. I fowed a difl;erent number of grains in chijlers, Jix 

 inches diji ant from each other, putting one grain in the firft, two in 

 the fecond, and fo on to the fixth, which had fix grains : then I 

 began again, and went on as before, till the whole length of the 

 row was fowed in this manner. The produce of each clufter was 

 to (hew me whether it would be beft to double, triple, or qitadru- 

 ple the feed, which it was plain had been fowed too thiiii when 

 only a fingle grain was dropt at every fix inches. 



" The winter of 1753 was already far advanced when thefe thoughts 

 firft occurred to me. It was then too late to try this experiment 



with 



