203 APPENDIX. [March, 



The quantity used, should be in a great measure governed by the state 

 and quality of the land upon which it is sown. Soils naturally rich or 

 such as are improved by cultivation and manure, will require much 

 less seed than those in an unfertile state : on the contrary, the lighter 

 and the less cultivated the soil, the greater will be the quantity of seed 

 which it requires. The reason is obvious, plants tiller more in rich 

 and strong than in unfertile soils, and therefore occupy respectively a 

 greater space ; they are less liable to be killed on good soils in the 

 winter months : and every plant generally comes to maturity ; the 

 straw also becomes more luxuriant and consequently requires a greater 

 circulation of air to preserve it in health and vigor; whereas the 

 plants on light soils will but weakly and partially tiller ; this deficiency 

 of stock on the land must be supplied by producing a greater number 

 of plants , and as the straw will not be so liable to rot or mildew on 

 light soils, little danger need be apprehended on such from growing 

 too thick a crop." — British Husbandry, p. 147. 



These are the opinions of an experienced cultivator. Undoubtedly 

 there may be an excess of seed, but the habits of our farmers are in 

 almost all cases to sow too little seed. An experienced and successful 

 farmer, in Hampden County, says he has found great advantages in 

 sowing a liberal quantity of seed. Formerly, he sowed not more than 

 three pecks or one bushel of rye to an acre, now he sows three bushels 

 to an acre on the intervale land of Connecticut river, and finds an 

 advantage in it. 



Mr. Coke was led to adopt the practice of sowing very liberally 

 from accidental circumstances, which I shall give an account of in the 

 words of his steward. 



" In this case, at Holkham, Eng., the wheat was drilled, distance not 

 given. The first was on a field of thirty acres. One drill man de- 

 posited four bushels to the acre; the other gauged his drill wrong and 

 deposited only three bushels to the acre. The four-bushel-seedino- 

 escaped the mildew and was a very fine crop ; the three-bushel-seeding 

 was mildewed and was th% only thin wheat, and the only mildew wor- 

 thy of notice on the farms. 



The other experiment was in a field of thirty-five acres. Part of 

 the field was drilled with five bushels to the acre, and part with four 

 bushels. Many practical men gave it as their opinion, that the five 

 bushels seeding was the best in the field." — Blaikie on Mildew quoted 

 in British Husbandry, p. 140. 



