IND 



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215 



the calf 20s. So that the increase 

 from a cow worth 4/. in three years 

 may be worth 6/. Consequently, 

 he that lets out a cow for half her 

 increase, as is the practice in some 

 places, gets 25 per cent, simple 

 interest on the money he buys her 

 with. No man therefore that has 

 a due regard to his own interest, 

 will choose to hire cows at this 

 rate ; or take them to the halvey 

 as it is called, engaging to return 

 the cow and half her increase at 

 the end of three years. When 

 cows are thus let the owner ought 

 to risk the cow and her otf- 

 spring. 



The increase of sheep is a mat- 

 ter of greater uncertainty, as they 

 are liable to more fatal diseases 

 and accidents than black cattle 

 are. But as they often bring two 

 at a yeaning, it many times hap- 

 pens that ewes increase as fast as 

 cows, or faster. But as a lamb 

 grows to maturity in one year, and 

 a she calf not in less than three 

 years, ewes may be said to increase 

 three times as fast as cows, even 

 when they bear single. 



INDIAN CORN, Ze«, a well 

 known and useful plant of the 

 grain kind. It is called maize in 

 most countries, zea in some. 



The parts of generation are on 

 different parts of the same plant. 

 The panicles, or tossels, contain 

 ihe farina fmcundans^ which fall- 

 ing on the silk, or the green 

 threads at the end of the ear, im- 

 pregnate the ear, and render it 

 fruitful. If the tossels, or spin- 

 dles, were cut off before the grain 

 in the ear is formed, the crop 



would be spoiled. This has been 

 proved by experiment. But this 

 effect will not take place, unless 

 all the tossels be removed ; be- 

 cause one of them will be suffi- 

 cient to impregnate twenty plants. 

 The silks, or threads, must be un- 

 disturbed to the time of impregna- 

 tion. They are as necessary as 

 the sowing itself. If part of them 

 are taken away or pulled out as 

 soon as they appear, part of the 

 corn will be wanting on the ear: 

 For every single grain has one of 

 these threads. It is therefore a 

 bad practice to sutTer weaned 

 calves to go among the corn, as 

 some do, at the season of impreg- 

 nation. 



Maize is considered, in this 

 country, as a most important crop. 

 It is preferred to wheat and rye, 

 because it is not subject to blast- 

 ing, nor to any other distemper 

 that is apt, in any great degree, 

 to cut short the crop. A good 

 soil, well tilled and manured, 

 seldom fails of giving a good pro- 

 duce. 



Though it be not so light and 

 easy to digest as most other sorts 

 of corn, it is found, that people 

 who are fed on it from their in- 

 fancy, grow large and strong, and 

 enjoy very good health. There 

 are a variety of ways of preparing 

 it for food. The Indians parch it 

 in embers, then reduce it to meal, 

 and carry it with them, when they 

 go forth to war, or hunting. When 

 they eat it they reduce it to a paste 

 with water, for it needs no other 

 cooking. It is called nocake. 

 The green ears, either roasted 



