106 Of Wheat. Chap. IX. 



Some have thought, that a large Grain of Wheat 

 would produce a larger Plant than a fmall Grain •, but 

 I have full Experience to the contrary. The fmall 

 Grain, indeed, fends up its fir ft fingle Blade in Pro- 

 portion to its own Bulk, but afterwards becomes as 

 large a Plant, as the iargeft Grain can produce (a), 

 ceteris paribus. 



Six Gallons of middle-iiz'd Seed we moft com- 

 monly drill on an Acre ; yet, on rich Land planted 

 early, Four Gallons may fuffice -, becaufe then the 

 Wheat will have Roots at the Top of the Ground 

 before Winter, and tiller very much, without Dan- 

 ger of the Worms, and other Accidents, that late- 

 planted Wheat is liable to. 



If it is drilPd too thick, 'twill be in Danger of 

 falling •, if too thin, it may happen to tiller fo late in 

 the Spring, that fome of the Ears may be blighted ; 

 yet a little thicker or thinner does not matter. 



As to the Depth, we may plant from half an 

 Inch, to three Inches deep - 9 if planted too deep, 

 there is more Danger of its being eaten off by Worms, 

 betwixt the Grain and the Blade {b) \ for as that 



(a) Farmers in general know this, and choofe the thinneft, 

 fmalleft-grdned Wheat for Seed ; aqd therefore prefer that which 

 is blighted and lodged, and &at which grows on new-broken 

 Ground, and is not fit for Bread ; not only becaufe this thin 

 Wheat has more Grains in a Buftiel ; but alfo becaufe fuch Seed 

 is leait liable to produce a fmutty Crop, and yet brings Grains as 

 large as any. 



I myielf have had as full Proofs of this as can poflihly be made 

 in both Refpe&s. 



'Twas from fuch fmall Seed that my drill'd Lammas Wheat 

 produced the Ears of that monftrous Length defcribed in this 

 Chapter. I never faw the like, except in that one Year ; and the 

 Grains were large alfo. 



And as full Proofs have I fcen of thin Seed-wheat efcaping 

 the Smut, when plump large grain'd Seed of the fame Sort have 

 been fmutty. 



(b) A Wheat-plant, that is not planted early, fends out no 

 Root above the Grain before the Spring ; and is nouriuYd all the 

 Winter by a fingle Thread, proceeding from the Grain up to the 

 Surface oi the Ground, Thread 



