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THE FLYm-WEEVIL. 



286 



He fpeaks of it as a 



moved the abfurcllty hinted at. I have mentioned the ruft, 

 as prefumptively occafioned by fomc corrofive quality in 

 the air; and though it is out of my prefent fubjcd, I will 

 juft hint that Du Pratz, in his hiftory ofLouifiana, takes 

 notice of fuch a deftrudive obftrudion to the raifing of 

 wheat in that country, though he does not call it by any 

 name that conveys an idea of rull. 



brown red pearly drop, found at the lower joint of the 

 ftalk, which, in a fhort time, pervaded" the whole ftalk 

 upwards, and periflies the grain: As this is pretty fimilar 

 to what we difcover here, it may not be amifs to look upon 

 it as a corrofive fubftance, communicated by the air; and I 

 do believe it will be found to be the better opinion, upon a 

 more accurate inveftigation; for I have long been fatisfied, 

 that the afcenfion of the juices are thereby prevented; and 

 the rufty duft feems to be nothing more than thofe juicCvS 

 oozing out of thofe corroded parts, or w^ounded pores, that 

 turn to that colour on drying; however 1 muft declare, I 

 never yet difcovered Du Fratz\ brown red drop on any 



wheat of mine, notwithflanding it has fometjmes been de- 

 ftroyed vvuth the ruft. This rubigo vs^as a dilorder obferved 

 in wheat ot very ancient date, and the writers, from one 

 to the other, recommend preventing it by brining, &c. as 

 before; fome indeed juft hint at the truth, by calling it by 

 the general term a blight; but why they fliould think of 



curing blights by an application before fowing, is a curi- 

 ous myftery, it fhould feem as if fuch men fancied, that 

 the poffible cqnftitutions of air can as eafily be prevented 

 by their brine, as it can be kept out, or exhaufted by an 

 air pump. Some, indeed, impute both weevil and ruft to 

 certain foils; but as wifer men than I, have feen caufe to 

 complain of the abfurditics that have been adopted by 

 writers that were good philofophers in other matters, I Ihafl 

 not give myfelf any trouble to endeavour at ail cxplofion 

 of fuch an opinion, well knowing that all lands, where 

 air and moth can come, may be, and are fubjcd to thofe 

 evils, when they arc about; and indeed every fort of wheat 



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