Chap, IX. Of Wheat. 119 



as the Staple will allow •, turning the Earth towards 

 the Wheat, efpecially at the Jaft Hoeing, fo as to 

 leave a deep, wide Trench in the Middle of each In- 

 terval. 



We augment our Wheat-crops Four Ways-, not in 

 Number "of Plants, but in Stalks, Ears, and Grains. 



The Firft is, by increafing the Number of Stalks 

 from One, Two, or Three, to Thirty or Forty to a, 

 Plant, in ordinary Field-land. 



And we augment the Crop, by bringing up all the 

 Stalks into Ears, which is the Second Way ; for, if it 

 be diligently obferved, we fhall find, that not half (m) 

 the Stalks of fown Wheat come into Ear. 



I faw an Experiment of this in Rows of Wheat 

 that were equally poor : One of thefe Rows was in- 

 creafed (n) fo much, as to produce more Grains than 

 Ten of the other, by bringing up more of its Stalks 

 into Ears, and alfo by augmenting its Ears to a much 

 greater Bignefs; which is the Third Way : For, what- 

 ever Varro means by faying, that the Ears remain 

 Fifteen Days in Vaginis^ 'tis pretty plain, that the 

 Ears are formed together with the Stalks, and will 

 be very large, or very fmall, in proportion to the 

 Nourimment given them (0). 



The laft and Foureh Way of augmenting the Pro- 

 duce of Wheat-plants, is by caufing them to have 

 large and plump Grains in the Ears ; and this can no 

 way be fo effectually done as by late Hoeing, efpeci- 



[m) If a fquare Yard of Town Wheat be marked out, and the 

 Stalks thereon numbered in the Spring, it will be found, that 

 Nine parts in Ten are miffing at Harveit. 



{n) Thefe Rows were drilled a Foot afunder, not hoed ; and 

 were, by the Shallownefs and Wetnefs of the Soil, very poor in 

 the Spring ; and then, by pouring Urine to the Bottom of this 

 Row, it was fo vaftly increafed above the reft. 



(0) Like as the Vines, if well nourifhed, bring large Bunches 

 of Grapes; but if ill nourilhed, they produce few Bunches, and 

 thofe fmall ones ; and many Clafpers are formed, which would 

 have been Bunches, if they had had fufficient Nourimment given 

 them at the proper time. 



I 4 ally 



