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the Middle of Grounds, than to 

 the Outfidesi to the dry and gentle 

 Grounds, than to the moifl and 

 ftiflF Grounds. 



This was very apparent through- 

 out the Plantations where the Land 

 had the fame Workmanfliip and 

 Help beftow'd upon it, and was 

 wrought at the fame Time. But 

 if in either of thefe Cafes there 

 was a Difference, it had a different 

 Effedt i and the low and gentle 

 Grounds, that lay negletted, were 

 then fcen lefs diftemper'd than the 

 open and moift which were careful- 

 ly managed and look'd after. 



The Honey-Dews are obferv'd 

 to come about the 1 1 th of Junsy 

 v/hich by the Middle of July turn 

 the Leaves black, and make 'em flink. 



The faid Mr. Hales relates, that 

 in the Month of July (the Seafon 

 for Tire-blafisy as the Planters call 

 them) he has feen the Vines in the 

 Middle ot" the Hop-Ground fcorch'd 

 up almofl: from one End of a large 

 Ground to the other, when a hot 

 Gleam of Sun-fhine has come im- 

 mediately after a Shower of Rain, 

 at which Time the Vapours are 

 all feen with the naked Eye, but 

 efpecially with refleding Tele- 

 fcopes, to afcend fo plentifully as 

 to make a clear and diftind: Ob-" 

 jedt become immediately very dim 

 and tremulous. Nor was there a- 

 ny dry gravelly Vein in the Ground 

 along the Courfe of this Scorch : 

 It was therefore, probably, owing 

 to the much greater Quantity of 

 fcorching Vapours in the Middle, 

 than the Outlides of the Ground j 

 and that being a denfer Medium, 

 it was much hotter than a more 

 rare Medium. 



And, perhaps, the great Volume 

 of afcending Vapours might make 

 the Sun-beams converge a little to- 

 wards the Middle of the Ground, 



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that being a denfer Medium, and 

 thereby increafe the Heat confide- 

 rably: For he obferv'd, that the 

 Courfe of the fcorched Hops was 

 in Lines at Right Angles to the 

 Sun-beams about Eleven o'clock, 

 at which Time the hot Gleam 

 was. 



The Hop-Ground was in a Val- 

 ley which ran from South- Wcfl to 

 North-Eaffj and, to the beft of 

 his Remembrance, there was but 

 little Wind, and that in the Courfe 

 of the Scorch : But had there been 

 fome other gentle Wind, cither 

 North or South, 'tis not improba- 

 ble but that the North Wind gent- 

 ly blowing the Volume of rifmo- 

 Wreak on the South-fide of the 

 Ground, that Side might have beea 

 mod fcorch'd j and fo vice ver/a. 



As to particular Fire-blaffs which 

 fcorch here and there a few Hop- 

 Vmesy or one or two Branches of 

 a Tree, without damaging the 

 next adjoining ; what Aftron'omers 

 obfcrve, may hint to us a no very- 

 improbable Caufe of it, viz,. The/ 

 frequently obferve (efpecially with 

 refleaing Telefcopes) fniall fepa- 

 rate Portions of pellucid Vapours 

 floating in the Air, which, tho* 

 not vilible to the naked Eye, are 

 yet confiderably denfer than the 

 circumambient Air: And Vapours 

 of fuch a Degree of Denfity may 

 very probably either acquire iuch a 

 fcalding Heat from the Sun, as 

 will fcorch what Plants they touch, 

 efpecially the more tender. 



But to return to the Manage- 

 ment of Hops. 



About the Middle of July Hops 

 begin to blow, and will be ready 

 to gather about Bartholomew-tide : 

 A Judgment may be made of their 

 Ripenefs, by their flrong Scent, 

 their Hardnefs, and the Brownilh 

 Colour of their Seed. 



When 



