SMUT IN WHEAT. 
81 
that brine is not essentially necessary ; but that if the 
seed-wheat be clean washed in any proper saline, alka¬ 
line, or acrimonious liquor, the smut is prevented. I 
believe clean common water would do; but prefer a 
mixture of salt, or alkaline lye, to render it more ac¬ 
tive. It is certainly a great blessing to mankind, that a 
distemper in wheat so formidable as the smut, which 
renders it disgusting and nearty unfit for human food, 
should be effectually prevented by the simple opera¬ 
tion of clean washing the seed, which 1 consider as an 
established point; and that no one need be troubled 
with smutty wheat, who is not too idle or too negli¬ 
gent to perform that simple operation. 
If wheat be ever so smutty, it is well known that 
clean washing, and careful drying on a kiln, will ren¬ 
der it fit for use; the loss is therefore the expense of 
those operations, added to the loss of the smutty grains, 
which contain only a stinking black powder. 
With'respect to black or burnt ears, they are, I sup¬ 
pose, known every where; but the contamination is so 
slight, as not to attract much attention; they are owing, 
I apprehend, to an imperfect impregnation, or abortion ; 
but never, in my observation, have they amounted to 
one hundredth part of the crop. Barley is equally 
subject to this complaint with wheat; when it occurs to 
any extent, the produce should be rejected as seed; 
as I have experienced, that the evil is inclined to in¬ 
crease. 
With respect to the quantity of wheat grown in this, 
or in any other extensive district, it is difficult to esti¬ 
mate, with any certainty, without authentic documents, 
which can only be obtained by authority. I shall 
however risk an estimate, which those who are dissatis¬ 
fied with it may correct; after premising that Worces- 
worcestershire.] g tershire 
