Chap. XII, O/St.Foin. 183 



it will in few Days ferment to fuch a Degree, that the 

 greateft Part of it will lofe its vegetative Quality : 

 The larger the Heap, the worfe: During the Fermen- 

 tation it will be very hot, and fmeli lour. 



Many, to prevent this, fpread it upon a Malt-Floor, 

 turning it often; or, when the Quantity is fmall, upon 

 a Barn-floor; but (till I find, that this Way a great 

 deal of it is fpoil'd ; for it will heat, tho' it be fpread 

 but an handful thick, and they never fpread it thin- 

 ner: Befides, they may mifs fome Hours of the right 

 times of turning it ; for it mud be done very often ; 

 it mould be ftirr'd in the Night as well as the Day, 

 until the Heating be over •, and yet, do what they can, 

 it never will keep its Colour, fo bright as that which 

 is well houfed, well dry'd, and threfh'd in the Win- 

 ter: For in the Barn the Stalks keep it hollow 5 there 

 are few Ears or Seeds that touch one another ; and 

 the Spirits have room to fly off by Degrees, the Air 

 entering to reeeive them. 



The only Way I have found to imitate and equal 

 this, is to winnow it from the Sheet ; then lay a 

 Layer of Wheat-ftraw (or if that be wanting, of very 

 dry-threfh'd Hay) ; then fpread thereon a thin Layer 

 of Seed, and thus Stratum fuper Stratum, Six or Se- 

 ven Feet high, and as much in Breath ; then begin 

 another Stack ; let there be Straw enough, and do not 

 tread on the Stacks ; by this means the Seed mixing 

 with the Straw, will be kept cool, and come out in 

 the Spring with as green a Colour as when it was put 

 in, and not one Stcd of aThoufand will fail to grow 

 when planted. A little Barn-room will contain a great 

 Quantity in this Manner. 



I have had above One hundred Quarters of clean 

 Seed thus manag'd in one Bay of a 1 mall Barn. We 

 do not flay to winnow it clean before we lay it up in 

 the Straw ; but only pafs it through a large Sieve, and 

 with the Van blow out the Chaff, and winnow, it 

 ctezn in the Spring. 



N 4 This 



I 



