( 92 ) 
Its conversion into whiskey, is a use less approy- 
ed by reason and patriotism; but if a spirituous li- 
quor must be drank, we have no scruple of prefer- 
ring the form of whiskey, (of our own making,) 
as that, which, on the whole, is least injurious to the 
human body, and most beneficial for the body po- 
litic. . 
The species of this grain, cultivated here, are 
two; the black and the white ; for spring rye, [often 
mistaken for a species] is but a variety, produced by 
time and culture, and restored again to its furmer 
character and habits, by a similar process.(1) 
According to the course of crops, detailed in our 
last section, potatoes, ina sandy soil, precede rye. 
The ploughing, harrowing and manuring given to 
that crop, will therefore make part of the prepera- 
tion necessary for this. After harvesting the pota- 
toes, cross plough the ground and sow and harrow 
in the rye, taking care, as in all other cases, that the 
seed be carefully selected and thoroughly washed 
in lime water, asthe means best caculated to pre- 
vent the ergot ; a disease, to which it is most liable, 
and which is supposed to be.an effect of too great 
humidity.(2) 
Rye is not exempt from the attacks of insects ; but 
suffers less from them than either wheat or barley. 
Wheuever the straw of winter rye becomes yellow, 
shining or flinty, and circulates no more juices, na- 
ture makes the signal for harvest, and no time should 
(1) Spring rye, sown in the fall, will give a tolerable crop; winter rye, sown in 
the spring, a very bad one: which shows, that the nature of the plant requires a 
slow, rather than a guick vegetation. 
(2) See Tessier on the diseases of plants. 
