244 EXPERIMENTS ON WHEAT, Part IL 



OBSERVATIONS. 



*• 'T^ HO UGH the produce of this bed was kfs this year than 

 ■*■ in 1755? I did not think it ought to be imputed to the in- 

 creafe of the quantity of feed that was fowed, becaufe the plants 

 were as ftrcng as could be wiflied, their ftraw as long as in the for- 

 mer years, and their ears as big : but I obferved that this bed had 

 not been quite free from ficknefs, and that it contained a pretty 

 Gonfiderable number of rickety plants,, which yielded but little 

 grain. 



"It refults from this experiment, that a certain quantity of feed, 

 is neceifary, to counterbalance the many accidents to- which corn is 

 perpetually liable. 



" Though this bed might have yielded a greater quantity of grain- 

 in a more kindly year ; yet its produdl, even in this, was very con- 

 fiderable : for if we reckon in proportion the produce of an arpent, 

 which I fuppofe to coniift of 100 fquare perches (the perch of 22 

 feet) containing 484 fquare feet, the breadth of which make four 

 beds of five feet and an half wide each, it would yield 3795 pounds 

 of grain, produced by 56 pounds, 10 ounces of feed; whicli is 

 after the rate of 67 for i. 



** To this it will be objed:ed, that tho' a fmall fpot of ground, 

 like that we have been fpeaking of, was made to produce fo con— 

 fiderable a quantity of grain j it would probably not be poffible to 

 obtain fuch a crop in proportion from an extent of ibme acres of 

 ^ land. — It may be fo : but fuppofmg the crop to be even greatly in- 

 ferior, it would ftill be much more confiderable than the common-, 

 crops. 



" Let us examine this queftion more minutely. It is of great: 

 Gonfequence not to embrace an opinion, and efpecially a difadvan- 

 tageous one, before it has been carefully coniidered. Let us fee then 

 to what the diminution of the crop may be owing. I fay nothing of 

 the particular accidents which may in general leffen crops : but, 

 fuppofmg all things equal, in fuch an extent of ground, my opinion 

 is,, that the firft and elTential caufe of the mifcarriage, can be imputed, 

 only to the cultivator himfelf, who fees what is befl to be done, 

 but negleiils it ; and who ought at leaft to endeavour, as much as 

 poflibly he can, to do that in great, which he fees fucceed. fo well 

 in fmall. 



« I grant. 



