68 On the Rust or Mildew. 



in support of the doctrine that treading will prevent the rust. In 

 1804, a farmer sowed 25 acres of a pea-stubble with wheat? After 

 the usual operations of ploughing, scarifying, manuring, sowing and 

 harrowing, it was trodden with sheep, to the consistency of a highway. 

 The produce was 32 bushels per acre. For the sake of comparison, 

 a part of the field was left in a light state, untrodden, and it was rust- 

 ed. The same farmer had 14 acres of wheat planted with potatoes. 

 The potatoe tops were pulled up, and the wheat sown on the surface. 

 The potatoes were then forked and dug up, and the wheat trodden 

 by the women and children in picking up the potatoes. The crop 

 was free from rust, and of excellent quality. It has often been re- 

 marked, that when a field has been destroyed with rust, the head- 

 lands, which the horses have trodden much in turning, have gene- 

 rally escaped *. 



7. The advantage of using saline manures, as a remedy against the 

 rust, (a late discovery), is an important circumstance. Its success 

 seems to be proved, by the practice of several farmers in Corn- 

 wall, who have been in the habit of sowing, about a fortnight before 

 the turnips, the refuse salt of the pilchard fishery, as a manure for 

 that crop, in the proportion of 31 J bushels of salt, (56 Ibs. each), per 

 statute acre. They all agree, that they have never had any rust on 

 their wheat, where this practice was adopted, though before, they 

 were greatly affected by itf. The expense would be inconsiderable, 

 since the tax on salt has been taken off. The uses of salt in animal 

 life, prove how beneficial it would be to vegetables. In animals, it is 

 found to promote perspiration, and to prevent corruption in the 

 juices J ; and consequently it is the most likely means of checking 

 the propagation of fungi, and preventing that rottenness and corrup- 

 tion, to which wheat is liable when it becomes rusted. This doc- 

 trine is strongly supported by the following facts : 1. Rust is rarely 

 experienced in the immediate vicinity of the sea, unless when the 

 ground is greatly over manured ; 2. When sea-ooze is employed as 

 a manure, impregnated as it is with saline particles, the crop gene- 

 rally escapes that disease ; and, 3. Rust is little known in Flanders, 

 where Dutch ashes, full of salts, are in use. 



8. As land in too rich a state, is apt to produce rust, it is found to 

 be an effectual remedy, if, previous to a crop of wheat, the dung be 

 applied to a smothering crop, as tares, hemp, or cole-seed, on strong 

 lands, or potatoes on light soils. Indeed wheat after cole-seed, is 

 scarcely ever known to be rusted II. The general culture of that ar- 



contrary, might much injure the crop. Light soils are more liable to produce 

 mildewed wheat, because the plants grow too fast in spring, and have long and 

 straggling roots. 



* It would not be difficult to invent a machine that would compress the land, 

 if that operation would effectually prevent the rust. 



f Particularly Mr Henry Sickler, whose practice was communicated in a let- 

 ter to a respectable Member of Parliament, Davies Gilbert, Esq. See also the 

 evidence of Dr Paris, before the Salt Committee of 1 8 1 8, p. 30. 



J Code of Health, 4th edition, p. 178. 



Essex Report, vol. i. p. 301 ; Dorset Report, p. 209. 



jj General Report of Scotland, vol. ii. p. 530; Dumfriesshire Report, p. 31, 

 and Appendix, No. VI. p. 581. 



