Chap. X. OjTSmuttiness. 14,1 



wet. Next, fift on Quick-lime through a Sieve ; 

 turn the Wheat with a Shovel, and fife on more 

 Lime-, repeat this Sifting and Turning many times, 

 which will make it dry enough to be drilled imme- 

 diately ; and this has been found fufficient to preferve 

 uninfected Wheat from the Smut in a bad Year, the 

 Seed being changed. 



To dry it, we ufe (f) Quick-lime (that is, un- 

 packed), which, beaten to Powder, and fifted thereof 

 confines the Brine to the Surfaces of the Grains, and 

 fufTers none of it to be exhaled by the Air : But 

 when Lime has been long flacked, and is grown 

 ~weak, 'tis unfit for this Purpofe. 



Smutty Seed-wheat, tho' brined, will produce a 

 fmutty Crop, unlefs the Year prove very favourable. 



For 'tis to be known, that favourable Years will 

 cure the Smut, as unkind ones will caufe it : Elfe, 

 before Brining was n fed, and the bad Years had 

 caufed all the Wheat in England to be fmutty, they 

 muft have brought their Seed from Foreign Coun- 

 tries, or never have had any clean Wheat : There- 

 fore 'tis certain, that kind Years will cure the Smut: 

 'Tis therefore to prevent the Injury of a bad Year, 

 that we plant clean Seed, and well brined. 



But of the Two Remedies againft Smuttinefs, a 

 proper Change of Seed fome think the mod certain. 



A very worthy Gentleman allures me, that fmce 

 he has found out a Place that affords a Change of 

 Seed proper to his Land, which is for thefe Ten 



(f) But if this doth not afford Powder enough, the Pieces 

 mull be flacked immediately before uling ; for if the Lime lie 

 long after it is flacked (efpecially that made of Chalk), it will- 

 become weak, and lbfe moft of its drying Quality. 



Some Farmers ufe only to boil the ftrongeit Quick-lime in Wa- 

 te*-, with which, inftead of Brine, they fpnnkle their Wheat, * 

 affirming it to be as effectual as that for preventing the Smut : 

 .But this not being within the Compals of my own Experiente, 

 I am doubtful of it; yet I wifh it may be found effectual, becaufe 

 it would fave Trouble to the Sower, and more to the Driller. 



Years 



