APPENDIX. 



409 



experience has taught two, three, or even four grains in a hole 

 are neceflary, and may be produ&ive of a fure crop. 



When a grain of corn vegetates, it appears with two blades 

 flicking together, till about three inches high, then it parts 

 and falls flat on the ground, to each fide of the root ; at that 

 period, it is what we call weaned from the kernel, and then 

 begins to take its nutriment from the earth, whereas, the firft 

 two blades are, in faft, no more than the kernel or flower of 

 the feed, turned into a green 'leaf; when this fprings up, it 

 leaves in the ground the hufk or bran, which may be faid 

 to refemble a blown egg, and thefc will remain, undecayed, 

 even till after the corn is reaped. By thus obferving minute- 

 ly the progrefs of the plant, through all its ftages, led mc to 

 find out the caufe and preventative of fmutty wheat, a malady 

 well known among the farmers to be the deftrnttion of many 

 a good crop ; having hit upon the caufe, it was cafy to find 

 out an effectual cure, which I have done, is well known to 

 numbers that have read my works, and, I believe, I may fay, 

 I was the firft author that fo minutely and fo largely treated 

 on the fubjeft, through all its ftages of growth, from the feed 

 to the fickle — but to return to the letting : the feed plant 

 which fprings froin the kernel, generally produces the ftouteit 

 ftraw, largeftear, and boldeft grain, though, indeed, all the 

 ficceeding fhoots, which fpring from the fides, may be good, 

 yet, in general, they are not, but abate fomcthing of the lizc 

 of the ear and number of the grain of the firft fhoot. 



Nature is very prolific, and will not fail of filling the 

 ground, fo long as fhe can find food to feed the plants. 

 The car in the middle, which fills the kernel, will be the 

 largeft, and, if good land, perhaps, contain from go to ioo 

 prdins ; the next cars may abate fomclhing of the number, 

 and fo on till they become very final!, perhaps, only a few 

 grains in an car; but, were any of thefc branches flipt off while 

 young Mid tranfpUnted, they would ftrike root and produce 



D d «an 



