Chap. XII. Of St. Foin, 161 



finding the proper Depth to plant at, which, in this 

 Cafe, let be half an Inch : This being done, the 

 Quality of the Seed will be known. But until fre- 

 quent Trials have furnifh'd Experience enough to 

 the Planter to know the Difference, let him obferve, 

 that the following are good Signs ; viz. The Hufk 

 6f a bright Colour, the Kernel plump, of a light- 

 grey or blue Colour, or fometimesof a mining black ; 

 yet the Seed may be good, tho' the Hufk is of a dark 

 Colour, if that is cauied by its receiving Rain in the 

 Field, and not by heating in a Heap, or in the Mow ; 

 and if you cut the Kernel off in the Middle, crofs- 

 ways, and find the Infide of a Greenifh frefh Co- 

 lour, it's furely good; but if of a yellowim Colour, 

 and friable about the Navel, and thin, or pitted, thefe 

 are Marks of bad Seed. 



The Quantity, or rather Number of Seeds con- 

 venient to drill, ought to be computed by the Num- 

 ber of Plants (b) we propofe to have for making 

 the beft Crop, allowing for Cafualties (V). 



In 



(b) Not that we need to be fo exacl as to the Number of 

 Plants, whether they be Two, Three, or Four hundred upon a 

 fquare Perch. Neither is it poffible to know beforehand the pre- 

 cife Number of Plants that may live ; for fometimes the Grub 

 kills many, by eating off the firitTwo Leaves. 



(c) Many even of the belt of Seeds, both fown and drill'd, 

 are liable to Cafualties, but not equally; for about Twenty-eight 

 Years ago, my Servants (being prime Seedfmen) had a Fancy in 

 my Abfence to try an Experiment of the Difference betwixt /ow- 

 ing and drilling of St. Foin ; and in the Middle of a large Field 

 of my beft Land they fow'd a fquare Piece of Three Acres, at 

 the Rate of One Bu(hel to an Acre, not doubting but, by their 

 ikill in fowing even, it would fucceed as well as if drill'd ; 

 but it fucceeded fo much againft their Expectation, that the 

 Land all round it, which was drill'd at the fame Time, with 

 the fame Proportion of the fame Seed, brought extraordinary 

 good Crops of St. Foin; but the fow'd Part was fo very thin, 

 that tho' it lay ftill with the reft for Eight Years, it never was a 

 Crop, there not being above Three or Four upon a fquare Perch, 

 taking the Three Acres all together; Not that it can be fuppofed* 



M thac 



