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■might be a means to mould the draw, and funk the grain; 



therefore I fay, I fell folely upon the exclufioa of the air 



as much as poffible; and this I was happy enough in ef- 

 feding with great fucccfs to my crop for many years, till 



my old age and infirmity prevented my attending my fer- 

 vants whilft they were purfaing my diredions; and not 

 till then had I the leaft reafon to complain, whilft others 

 were eaten up in their crops; but villainy and negligence 

 arc fuch concomitants in fervitude, that I have been again 

 "deftroycd, plainly to be accounted for from the vifible 

 abufe of myconftant diredions. The method I have tak- 

 en is this. 



I reap as early as T poffibly can, refpedlng the drynefs 

 of the grain, as well as the flraw, which would otherwife 

 funk it: At leaft two feet quite round the mow I leave a 

 vacancy, which is to be well trod with foft hay, or beaten 



ftraw; therefore I keep perfons conftantly treading down 

 thofe margins as the mow rifes; and when I reach the 

 eves of my barn, I lay on and tread down a very thick 

 covering of the fame ftraw or hay, and weighed it well 

 down at top. Had I not found this cff^edual, I would have 

 gone to the expence of filling in and plaiftering ray barn, 

 being convinced that the exclufion of air, as much as pof- 

 fible, could be the only effedual method of killing thofe 

 eggs, which as they are fo very fmall before hatching, could 

 not give the leaft difagreeablenefs in either look, tafte, or 



quality, in the flour. This method I publifted many 

 years ago; and many gentlemen have aflured me, they 

 have pradifed it ever fince, and continue to do fo now 

 with tlie greateft fuccefs. The farmer that chufes to try, 

 if he fuffers nothing to prevent an early harvcft, will I 

 am perluaded, confefs the jufticc of what I have fuggcft- 

 ed; but if, by any means, he ftiould be late in his harveft, 

 and the temperature of the weather ftiould be fuited to the 

 principles of hatching; or if he fliouM be too early in 

 beating out his grain, it cannot then be of any real fervice, 

 but by accident, as the mifchief may be done in the field, 



and' 



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