Means to prevent the mildew of Wheat \ Esfa. 77 



operations that shortly after took place in the country 

 which was the immediate object of his researches, oblige 

 him to confine his whole attention to Flemish agricul- 

 ture; and I apprehend that every farmer who raises 

 grain will be grateful for the important discovery which 

 has been brought into notice ©f the world at large through 

 his agency. 



Smut is almost the only malady in wheat, known in 

 the neighbourhood of Ostend : at Bruges it prevails more 

 in oats and rye than in wheat. 



The Flemish farmers, very philosophically ascribe the 

 diseases of wheat, andjthe mildew in particular, to a succes- 

 sive degeneracy in the organs of vegetation in ttir pLats 

 sown ; and they maintain that such maladies can in a great 

 measure be prevented, first by sowing the ripest and >est 

 grain for seed : second, by frequent change of seed, (in 

 many cases every second year) though when the best seed 

 of their own growth is used, and it is properly prepared, 

 such a change in some districts is prolonged for eight 

 or ten years. Thirdly, by the preparation of the seed. 



The effect of these measures may be judged of when 

 it is considered that in the celebrated Pays de IVaes, situ- 

 ated between Ghent and Antwerp, and whic ; is reckoned 

 the best cultivated district in Flanders, or perhaps on 

 the continent, he Niette or mildew is unknown, although 

 the fields are small, and usually inclosed by trees and 

 hedges (of course not well ventilated) the fields surround- 

 ed with ditches filled with water, and the wheat cultiva- 

 ted there, being of the white sort which is peculiarly lia- 

 ble to mildew. The climate is also variable, and often 

 very rainy in spring and in harvest. 



The ancient steeps for wheat in the Pays de Waes 



