FALLOWING. 105 



the difference of the seasons. This giyes a general sig- 

 nal for sowing ; nature declaring that she has then cov- 

 ered the earth against the inclemency of the winter, and 

 enriched it with this manure. 



It can, therefore, only be observed in general, that it 

 is better to sow early in autumn, than too late, provid- 

 ed the season will admit of it ; because the plants are 

 better able to resist the severity of the winter, after the j 

 have acquired a certain degree of strength ; and their 

 roots being then longer, and better fixed in the earth, 

 will be less liable to be thrown out by frost. 



A spot that has been newly cleared by burning, may 

 be sown later in autumn than other land, to prevent the 

 grain from attaining too large a growth before winter, 

 which will render it liable to be killed by frost. 



Where land is very rich, it ought generally to have 

 more seed than if it be poor ; and if the size of the 

 grain be large, the quantity sown should be greater than 

 when the}^ are small. When seed is very large and full 

 growH, two bushels may not be more than equal to one 

 that is sm.all and pinched. 



The expense of English grain, as we call it, has 

 brought the people of this country into the bad habit of 

 sowing it too thin. Need the farmer be told, that, in 

 all his operations, parsimony is never so ill judged, as 

 when exercised in withholding the requisite quantity of 

 seed ? The greatest increase from the seed, is not to 

 be accounted the most profitable crop. A yield of thir- 

 teen for one may be of more advantage than twenty for 

 one. If one bushel of wheat sowed on an acre, produce 

 twenty, and two bushels sowed on an acre, produce 

 twenty-six, it is manifestly more profitable to sovv the 

 two bushels. The farmer may consider one of the two 

 bushels as yielding twenty, and the other six. But as 

 the labor in both cases is precisely the same, it is clear- 

 ly more profitable in this case to have thirteen for one 

 increase, than to have twenty tor one. Besides, by 

 sowing thin, there is room given for weeds to rise, and 

 overrun the crop, without interruption. 



M. Dvhamel found, by experiments, that few seeds 



will come up, if buried more than nine inches ; that 



some will rise very well at six inches ; and that others 



will not rise if buried two inches. Those seedswhicK) 



*10 



