Chap. IV. OF GRANARIES. 459, 



Experiments on Ji'mety-four cubic feet of wheat (not dried) ivhkh %ms 

 preferved above fx years by ventilation only. 



N May, 1743, ninety-four cubic feet of wheat was put in one 



of the httle granaries before-mentioned. It was of the harvefi: 

 of 1742, and of an excellent quality, perfectly clean, and lb dry. 

 that it loll only one-fixteenth of its weight upon drying a fniall 

 quantity of it, for a trial, on a kiln with the heat at hfty degrees 

 of M. de Reaumur's thermometer. This wheat was well cleaned 

 from duft, and dcpofited in the granary without being dried by 

 lire. 



During the firfl three months, it was ventilated for eight hours 

 ©nee a fortnight: the reft of the year 1743, and all 1744, it was 

 ventilated once a month : all the year 1745, and part of 1746, it 

 was ventilated half a day once a month ; and after that, but once 

 in two or three months. 



In June 1750, the granary was emptied, and the wheat look'd 

 and fmelt very well, but felt a little rough in the hand, becaufe, 

 not having been moved for fix years, the little hairs that are at the 

 extremity of the grains, and the particles of the bran, were roughed 

 up y but after pafling twice through the wind fcreen, that objedtion 

 was entirely removed. We caufed fome of this corn to be ground, 

 and made into bread, which proved very good. To be ftill more 

 certain of its quality, we fent fome of it to market, where it was 

 fold in fmall quantities to the bakers, without faying how it had 

 been kept, left that fliould prejudice them againft it. x'^fter having 

 ufed it,- they acknowledged that it made excellent flour, which took 

 more water in kneeding, and yielded more bread, than any other. 



This was corn of eight years old, feven of which it was pre- 

 ferved in the granary, without any fenfible diminution, and without 

 any damage from rats or other animals : it cannot be faid, without 

 any expence, becaufe a man was employed from time to time to 

 ventilate it : but it is very eafy to reduce that expence almoil to 

 nothing, as will be fliewn hereafter. 



The Rev. Dr. Hales propofes the following method of preferving 

 corn, as a thing that may be very beneficial to the poor, who fre- 

 quently keep fmall quantities of corn in facks. 



" Provide a reed-cane, or other hollow ftick, made fo by glew- 

 ** in? together two fticks grooved hollow : let it be about three feet 



N n n 2 " nine 



