"8 



; — 



OBSERVATIONS concerning 



-m 



and an egg not cleftroyed in the mow, may hatch in the 



granary. 



You mufl: here permit mc to tell you, I have conftantly 



laughed at all thole ridiculous noftrums of brining, &c. 



to prevent this mjury of the weevil, as well as that other 



deftruaive evil called the ruft. They may be of fervice 



to quicken the vegetation of the grain; and it is rcafona- 



ble to conclude they will deftroy all vermin that he in the 



ground when it is fown; but that this brine, or any other 



folution, can remain and pafs through the courfe of circu- 

 lation, in a very long feries of winter months, and preferve 

 its virtue to the kerning time of the grain, fo as to prevent 

 thefc flies from invading it, or indeed to check or corrc£t 

 the corrofive moifturc of particular airs, which produce 

 ruft, is anabfurdity bclov/ the dignity of a rational man; 

 notwlthftandingmany writers have given into it. I always 

 looked upon thofe gentlemen, as forgetful of the philo- 

 ^fophy upon which they fct out within the firft parts of their 

 works; and I fuppofe to make a book of bulk, they fluff 

 in the errors of old and obftinatc farmers, from one cen- 

 tury almoft to another. I remember I had an afs of that 

 kind, and for the fake of conviftion, I indulged his pro- 

 jed of fteeping and brining; and went fo far as to leave 

 him a parcel of wheat which he might put up or mow as 



he pleafed ; and though his obftinacy would not fuffer him 

 to be convinced, I was, to my coft, whilft the reft of my 



grain, conducted by my diredion, was good and ufeful 

 Quickfilver, weare lately told, will circulate with the juices 

 of a plant in vegetation, without injury to it, and it has 

 been fuccefsfuUy applied that way to kill the flugs and 

 fnails on wall fruit; yet if the difticulty of inferting it, or 

 impregnating wheat with it, before fowing, could be got 

 over, I cannot fuft'er myfelf to embrace any perfuafion, that 

 the virtue or fubtility of the quickfilver could continue fo 

 many months in the wheat, by any kind of innate quality, 

 in fuch a long ftage of growth, through a very bad winter. 

 Therefore even that difcovery, in my opinion, has not re- 

 moved 



f 



p. 



3^ 



