Chap. III. OF THE CULTURE OF RICE. 305 



Now it is eafy to conceive that the feed which drops out of the 

 box D into the trough F, and from thence into the pipes GH or 

 NO, comes out at the openings /or M, and falls into the furrows 

 as the fhares open them : and the roller L which follows, fills up 

 the furrow. But we fee no moderator here, by the help of which 

 more or lefs feed may be fown at pleafure. If the pipes and outlets 

 are too large, the feed will drop in too great quantities; and if they 

 are too fmall, they will be apt to be choaked up, and the feed will 

 not drop at all. Perhaps any one that has (ttn this plough work, 

 might be able to anfwer thefe difficulties : but as it appears to me, 

 I doubt it would not do for fowing wheat according to our princi- 

 ples. 



This IS thought to be the plough which the Chinefe make ufe of 

 to fow rice : if fo, their culture of that plant is ftill more like the 

 praiflice which we recommend for corn in general. 



CHAP. IV. 



Experiments on Leguminous Plants. 



"[\/r Eyma, of Bergerac, near Bourdeaux, fowed peas, beans, and 

 ^^* kidney-beans, each feed a foot diftant from another in the 

 rows, and the rows two feet afunder. They yielded a much more 

 abundant crop, than any in the common hufbandry. 



In April 1753, M. de Villiers fowed 80 fquare perches of 22 

 feet each, with peas, in double rows. Not being provided with any 

 proper inftrument to hoe the alleys, he made ufe of a narrow angular 

 kind of fhare, which llirred only three or four inches on the outfide 

 of the rows. Almofh all the peas in that country were deftroyed this 

 y.ear by a kind of vermin called vine-fetters. His were hurt the 

 leaft of any; which was probably owing to the greater vigour of 

 the plants, or to the infedts being killed by the flirring of the ground. ' 

 By a comparifon which he made of the produce of this fpot, he found 

 that it yielded fix times as much as the fame extent of the befl land 

 in thofe parts. In a good year, the difference would not have been 

 fo great : but flill this experiment fliews, that plants cultivated in 

 the new way, are better able to refift the inclemencies of the feafons, 

 and other accidents, than thofe which are cultivated according to 

 the old method. ' 



The next year, being provided with M. Duhamel's drill and 

 liorfe-hoe, he lowed peas, and barley. The alleys were but two feet, 



Rr and 



