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Chap. II. BY M. DE CHATEAU-VIEUX. 255 



time, and with fcarce any more expence than the bare coft of other 

 feed, which, in fuch times of general diftrefs, will produce crops 

 of other ufeful grains, even more profitable than thofe of wheat ! 

 An ineftimable advantage, which fecures the fubfiftence of the 

 people, and which cannot be obtained by the old huibandry. This 

 muft be evident to every one who confiders that all that is requifite, 

 in fuch a cafe, in the new hufbandry, is only to fow again ; whereas 

 in the old way, the hufbandman is obliged to plow before he fows, 

 to fow a great deal of feed, and to harrow that feed in after it is 

 fown. The vaft fwing made in the feed, in the new way, is like- 

 wife another very important article in a time of fcarcity. 



** I reafon here upon a fuppofition of the total lofs of all the crops 

 of wheat i which really was the cafe in 1709. 



Year 1756. 

 Referyed this field to fow it in the fpring, with the grain of 

 that feafon, with which I had not yet made any experiment, 

 except in fmall fpots of ground. I plowed it before winter : the 

 new beds were well made, and the earth was in fuch fine tilth in 

 the fpring, that I thought I might fafely fow it without any far- 

 ther plowing. Accordingly I did fo, on the. 26th of April ; the too 

 great wetnefs of the earth not permitting it to be done fooner. One 

 half of this field was fowed with beans, and the other half with 

 tares; in all, 153 pounds of both j which produced a crop equal 

 in value to 780 pounds of wheat. 



O B S E R VA r I N S. 

 " 'np'HIS year was extremely bad for all grains fown in the fpring : 

 ■*■ moft of which yielded hut the value of the feed : fo that 

 the produce of this field, compared to that of others cultivated in 

 the old way, ought to appear very confiderable. 



" The fuccefs of this experiment fhews, that when too much 

 rain, or too great drought hinders plowing -the land in due time, 

 and fome fields cannot be prepared for wheat in the autumn, they 

 may be fowed the fpring following with the different grains -ufually 

 planted in March. 



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