RAI 



R A 1 



355 



bers of toad-stools will start up in 

 forty eight hours. Diy; the ground 

 over again and sow the seed, and 

 the radishes will grow with great 

 rapidity, and be free from the at- 

 tacks of insects. They will grow 

 uncommonly large. Buck-wheat 

 bran is an excellent manure of it- 

 self." Farmer'^s Assistant. 



RAIN, condensed vapour, which 

 falls in drops, and waters the earth. 

 This is of more advantage to the 

 husbandman than all his labour and 

 care. No kind or degree of cul- 

 ture will secure a crop,if the ground 

 do not receive a considerable quan- 

 tity of moisture from the clouds ; 

 for if the earth be not frequently 

 moistened, the food of plants in it 

 will become tixed ; and there will 

 be no fermentation in the soil ; so 

 that the roots of plants cannot re- 

 ceive any nourishment. Was it 

 not for the falling of dews the want 

 of rain would be much oftener de- 

 structive to plants than it is. Dews 

 are often great in a dry season ; and 

 from dews plants receive a consid- 

 erable part of their nourishment. 



The due quantity of moisture 

 might indeed be supplied by water- 

 ing by hand, as long as wells,springs 

 and rivers were not dried up. But 

 the labour of doing it would be 

 worth more than all the crop. Nei- 

 ther would artificial watering have 

 so good an effect as rain, on account 

 of the inferior quality of the water 

 for this use, and the mode of apply- 

 ing it. The gentlest rains are gen- 

 erally most conducive to the growth 

 of plants, and the fruitfulness of the 

 soil, as all parts are more equally 

 soaked ; and cloudy weather,which 

 most commonly happens before 



rain, helps to predispose the earth, 

 and its vegetables, to receive the 

 greater advantage from the water 

 that falls. It is also believed the 

 electric fluid, which is conducted 

 to the earth by rains, conduces 

 much to the invigoration of plants. 



Rain not only gives fluidity and 

 motion to the food of plants con- 

 tained in the soil, but contains in it- 

 self more or less of the ingredients 

 of it. The atmosphere contains 

 abundance of saline, earthy and 

 oleaginous particles; so that rain 

 water cannot fail of being impreg- 

 nated with them. 



It has been proved by a variety 

 of experiments, that a much great- 

 er quantity of rain falls at the sur- 

 face of the ground, than at the top 

 of a house, or other building ; 

 which may be partly owing to the 

 vapour contained in the lower part 

 of the atmosphere, which is joined 

 to the drops in their descent. 



Perhaps the action of the sun's 

 heat is proportionably greater in 

 vallies than on summits of hills ; if 

 so, there is a happy balance between 

 heat and rain on all parts of the sur- 

 face of the earth. Though it is oft- 

 en regretted that low hollows are 

 overcharged with water, it is com- 

 monly soon exhausted by the heat 

 ofthe sun in summer, which is much 

 greater in vallies than on hills. 



It may be asked, would it not 

 have been better, if a greater pro- 

 portion of rain had fallen on hills 

 than on vallies ? But they need it 

 not so much, because ofthe great- 

 er coolness of the air on hills. 

 More ofthe fine mould would have 

 been washed down into the hollows, 

 and deeper channels would have 



