311 



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TO DESTROY 



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fi 



Henry Hollingswokth, to the 



6 



ilofoph 

 efore ti 



held at Philadelphia^ 



I 



ofF. 



1769. 



GENTLEMEN, 



' H E laudable defign with which you feem aduatcd to 

 promote the good of your country, and the earneft 



re you have expreffcd in the public papers, to be in- 

 formed of whatever may tend to that purpofe, induce me 

 to lay before you fuch experiments as 1 have made and 



found efFedual to deftroy the wild garlic, with which the 

 country is in many places infeded, and which is very per- 

 nicious to the grain. If what I offer, fhall meet with your 

 approbation, and be judged worthy the attention of the 

 public, you are at liberty to communicate it in fuch a way 

 as you fhall think moft proper. For my own part I fhall 



think my felf happy if my experience may, by your means, 



be made ufeful to my country. ^ r , 1 r 



In 1753, I fallowed and fowed with wheat, a held ot 



about CO acres, the greateft part of which was very full of 



\ 





M 



in September. In April 1 754, 1 perceived the wheat much 

 choaked with garlic, and at harveft found in many parts 

 of the field almoft every tenth head was garlic, which ren- 

 dered the wheat unfit for ufe, until by immerfing it in 



tubs of water the garlic (which floats) was feparated from 

 it. But though the wheat, if carefully dried, receives 

 little injury from this immerfion, yet the trouble attend- 

 ing it is fo great, as to difcourage farmers from raifing 

 large crops. ' In April 1755, I planted the fame field with 

 Indian-corn, and had a good crop. In April 1756, I fowed 

 the fame field with oats, in Auguft I ploughed down the 

 oat ftubble; and in September fowed a crop of wheat. In 

 April 1757, I was agreeably furprizcd at feeing but very 

 little garlic, and that fmall and dwindling; and at harvefl 

 there was fcarce a head to be found, except along the fide 

 of the fences. The fuccefs of this culture, which was 



merely 



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=5". 



