i S i Of S t. F o i n, Chap. XII. 



Quantity to be thus threQYd: The fooner thele 

 thiefh'd Cocks are remov'd, and made into bigger 

 Ricks, the better ; and unlefs they be thatch'd, the 

 Rain will run a great Way into them, and fpoil the 

 »Hay, but they may be thatch'd with the Hay itfelf, 

 if there be not Straw convenient for it. 



But the chiefeft Care yet remains ; and that is, to 

 cure the Seed : Ii : that be neglected, it will be of 

 little or no Value (a) 5 and the better it has efcap'd 

 the Wet in the Field, the fooner its own Spirits will 

 fpoil it in the Barn or Granary. I have known it lie 

 a Fortnight in Swarth, till the wet Weather has turn'd 

 the Husks quite black : This was threfh'd in the 

 Field, and immediately put into large Veflels, hold- 

 ing about Twenty Bufnels each. It had by being 

 often wet, and often dry, been fo exhaufled of its 

 fiery Spirits, that it remain'd cool in the Veffels, 

 without ever fermenting in the lead, till the next 

 Spring 5 and then it grew as well as ever any did that 

 was planted. 



But of Seed threfh'd in the Field, without ever 

 being wetted, if it be immediately winnow'd, and 

 a finglc Buftiel laid in an Heap, or put into a Sack, 



(a) But there is yet another Care to be taken of St. Foin Seed, 

 beiides the curing it i and that is, to keep it from Rats and Mice 

 after 'tis cured ; or elfe, if their Number be large, they will in a 

 Winter cat up all the Seed of a conquerable Quantity, leaving 

 only empty Hulks, which to the Eye appear the fame as when 

 the Seeds rue in them. A Man cannot without Difficulty take a 

 Seed out of its Hufk : but the Vermin arc fo dextrous at it, that 

 they will eat the Seed alntoft as fall out of the Hulks, as if they 

 were pulled out for them. I faw a Rat killed as he was running 

 from an Heap of it, fchat had Seven peeled Seeds in his Mouth not 

 fwallowed ; which is a Sign, that he was not long in taking them 

 pnt, They take than out (o cleverly, that the Hole in the Hu(k 

 fhuts itfeif tip when the Seed is out of it. Eut, if you feel the 

 Hufk between your Finger and Thumb, you will find it empty. 

 Alfo a Sackful or them j ; very light; yet there have been fome i'o 

 jgnorant and incurious ai to fow fuck empty Huks for feveral 

 Years fucceiVivcly ; ivA none corning up, they concluded their 

 ;.,.;nd to be improper toi St. Fo'n. 



it 



