1 5-0 O/Blight. Chap. XL 



the Turnings, and is there fomewhat retarded : and 

 the reft moving nofafter than in the ftrait River, the 

 whole Stream of the crooked mud: be (lower in its 

 Courfe, than that of the ftrait River. 



The Air cannot pafs thro' fown Corn in a direc"V 

 Line, becaufe it muft ftrike againft, and go round 

 every Plant, they (landing all in the Way of its Courfe, 

 which muft ftop its Current near the Earth. 



And the Air amongft fown Corn is like Water 

 amongil Reeds or Ofiers in the Side of a River ; it is 

 fo ftopp'd in its Courfe, that it aimed becomes an 

 Eddy; and fince Air is about Eight hundred Times 

 lighter than Water, we may fuppofe its Current thro* 

 the Corn is more eaCily retarded, efpecially near the 

 Earth, where the Corn has occafion for the greateft 

 Quantity of Air to pafs : For, tho' the upper Part of 

 the Wheat be not able to ftop a flow Current of Air, 

 yet it does fo much raife even a fwift one, as to 

 throw it off from the Ground, and hinder it from 

 reaching the lower Parts of the Stalks, where the Air 

 muft therefore remain, in a manner, ftagnant; and 

 the thicker the Wheat is, where it ftands promifcu- 

 oufly, the left Change of Air can it have, tho' the 

 greater the Number of the Stalks is, the more freflj 

 Air they muft require. 



But the confufed Manner in which the Plants of 

 fown Wheat ftand, is fuch, that they muft all oppofe 

 the free Entrance of Air amongft them, from what- 

 ever Point of the Compafs it comes. 



Now it is quite otherwife with Wheat drill'd regu- 

 larly with wide Intervals ; for therein the Current of 

 Air may pafs freely (like W'ater in a ftrait Rivei^ 

 where there is no Refiftance), and communicate its 

 Nitre to the lower as well as upper Leaves, and carry 

 off the Recrements they emit, not fuffering the Plants 

 to be weaken'd, as an Animal is, when his Lungs are 

 fore'd to take back their own Expirations, if debarr'd 

 from a fuflicien.t Supply of f rem untainted Air, An4 



this 



