54. NOTES. 



distinguished from such as was injured by frost. It was soon found by expe- 

 rience, that no stress at all was to be laid on the appearance of the grain in its 

 natural state. In regard to oats, it xvas found ; 1. That the clearest, and best 

 looking oats, when sown, often produced the worst crop ; 2. That" the grain 

 which yielded, when milled, the greatest quantity of meal, was far from having 

 tiie best vegetative powers ; and, 3. That because the grain sprung readily when 

 put into a pot of earth, it could not, therefore, he depended upon as good seed ; 

 for it often sprung readily through the ground, without having strength enough 

 to bring the plant to maturity. On the whole, it was found, that the best mark 

 by which sound seed oats can be distinguished from such as are injured by the 

 frost, was, to examine the grain, when stripped of the outer husk ; and to con- 

 sider that as the best seed, which, in that state, is plump, and clear, and free 

 from shrivelling, and darkness of colour, more especially at the extremities. 

 Statistical Account nf Scotland, vol. iv. p. 550. It has been found that seed, 

 when it has been much exposed to frost, will often never vegetate ; that above 

 double the quantity is necessary ; that it will not yield one-third of the produce 

 of good seed, and that the quality is much inferior. 



7O Coventry's Discourses, p. 82. 



7 1 General Report of Scotland, vol. i. p. 373. 



72 Gentleman Farmer, p. 335. Marshall's Southern Counties, vol. i. 

 p. 120 Farmers on the borders of Lincolnshire, make a considerable advan- 

 tage, by purchasing their seed wheat from the Fens. They find the change use- 

 ful, and at the same time save in the price. The annual change of the diffe- 

 rent seeds, is found to be of great advantage, as the same seed, sown successive- 

 ly for years, in the same soil, becomes gradually small and unproductive. Sta- 

 tistical Account of Scotland, vol. viii. p. 337. In Flanders, they never use the 

 grain or seeds grown on the lands to be sown, nor regard the additional expense 

 attendant on the purchase of seed that is heavier and more healthy. Their flax- 

 seed they bring from Riga or Memel, and their potatoes from Brabant. Van- 

 derstraetens Improved Husbandry, p. 51. The Farming Society of Ireland, 

 by its premiums, introduced the habit of sowing seed imported from England. 

 By this means, the quality of the Irish grain is greatly improved, and the sam- 

 ples of corn now produced for sale at the Irish, would not disgrace any English 

 market. Remark by the Rev. Thomas Radcliff. English grain, sown in Ire- 

 land, generally comes to maturity ten days, or even u fortnight, earlier than the 

 native seed under similar circumstances. Remark by Edward Burroughs, Esq. 

 Potatoes produced in burnt land, yield the best seed of Irish growth. Ditto. 



75 Gentleman Farmer, p. 530. To ascertain these points, an intelligent 

 farmer in the Lothians, sowed English seed wheat, from London, with some of 

 his own, and it was always earlier by several days. He has likewise tried sow- 

 ing seed wheat, equal in quality to his own, from a situation where the climate 

 produces crops ten days later than the farm he occupies, and it was nearly a 

 week later than his own seed sown at the same time. Husbandry of Scotland, 

 vol. i. p. 555. 



74 Gentleman Farmer, p. 527 to 536. 



75 Sir Humphry Davy's Elements, edit. 1813, p. 225 ; and the Philosophi- 

 cal Transactions for the year 1799. 



76 Marshall's Yorkshire, vol. ii. p. 20. 



77 Marshall's Norfolk, vol. i. p. 224. 



78 General Report of Scotland, vol. i. p. 456. 



79 Remark by John Middleton, Esq. 



80 Dickson's Practical Agriculture, vol. viii. p. 451. 



81 Impressed with this idea, Mr Coke of Norfolk sows, under the drill sys- 

 tem, four bushels of wheat, three of barley, and six of oats, per statute acre. 



82 Remark by .Edward Burroughs, Esq. 



