^58 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part II. 



produce of land, when laid out in beds. They will fee, that 

 there can be no hazard in making a few trials. Thus it is that 

 feveral have been determined to cultivate fome of their lands tliis 

 year in beds. 



" That thefe arguments {hould have their full weight with men 

 ^«apable of reafoning, is not to be wondered at : but I confefs I 

 have been agreeably furprized, to find this convidlion extend to peo- 

 ple who can feldom be prevailed on to leave their beaten track. 

 Some peafants in thefe parts fent a meflenger this winter to tell me, 

 that they began to have a good opinion of the method I pradifed ; 

 that they were aftoniflied at the beauty of my young plants, the 

 like to which they had never feen before ; and that if they conti- 

 nued to do well, and met with no accident, I ought to have a 

 prodigious crop. After this preamble, he continued, faying, that 

 .he was diredled to beg of me to give him the particulars of my 

 experiments ; that they fhould meet, feveral of them together, to read 

 them over in the winter, and make their little reflections upon 

 them. He concluded with adding : " I believe we fliall agree to 

 " fow in equally diftant rows, with the drill-plough ; and perhaps 

 " too we may, by and bye, lay our lands out in beds." 

 ii-rA*) I own I found a great deal of good fenfe and prudence in 

 this conduct of the peafants. I gave them the experiments of 1753* 

 and fent them word, that both my advice and my drill-plough were 

 at their fervice, and that it fhould coft them nothing if they chofe 

 to make a trial of it. They have been well fatisfied with what 

 athey have read, and feem difpofed to accept of my offers. 

 ir " I have experienced this year, more than ever, the facility with 

 • which lands are cultivated in the new way. No part of the farm 

 where I fometimes make a little ftay, is any longer cultivated after 

 the old method. The moil troublefome part is now over : my lands 

 were fowed in a favourable feafon ; the plants rofe extremely well, 

 and flouriflied perfectly till the beginning of winter: but the feverity 

 of the frolls has proved fatal to many parts of my fields, and will 

 certainly be a detriment to my crop. 



SECT. 



