30

PLANTS USEIUL IN AGRICULTURE.

of cansing it to vegetate quickly, and to prevent the attacks of manyinsects when the seed is first put into the ground. This is consideredas productive of great benefit to the crop; but it is also to be remarked,that it is almost the only grain that is ever prepared with this mixture,although it might be applied with equal propriety to all others. Seearticle Pisum sativum.

91. TBITlCtTM targUum. Cone Wheat.— This a fine grain, andcultivated much in the strong land in the Vale of Evesham, where it isfound to answer better than any other sorts. It is distinguished by thesquare and thick spike, and having a very bng arista or beard.

The following sorts of Wheat are mentioned as being in cultivation.Eut 1 have not seen ihem, neither do I think any of them equal to thesurls enumerated above:

Triticum nigrum. Black-grained Wheat.

Triticum polonicum Polish Wheat.

Triticum monococcon. One-grained Wheat.

Triticum Spelta. Spelt Wheat.

Besides tbe use of Wheat fur bread and other domestic purposes,large quantities are every season consumed in making starch, whichis the pure fecula of the grain obtained by steeping it in water andbeating it in coarse hempen bags, by which means tbe fecula is thuscaused to exude and d fTnse through tbe uater. This,from being mixedwith tbe saccharine matter of the grain, soon runs into the acetous fer-mentation, and the weak acid thus formed by digesting on tbe fecularenders it white. After settling, the precipitate is washed several times,and put by in square cakes and dried on kilns. These in drying partinto flakes, which gives the form to the starch of the shops.

Starch is'soluble in hot water, and becomes of tbe nature of gum.It is however insoluble in cold water, and on this account when pul-verized it makes most excellent hair-powder.

92. Vieia Faba. The Bean. —Several kinds of Beans are cultivatedby farmers. The principal are the Horse-Bean or Tick-Bean; theEarly Mazagan; and the Long-pods. Beans grow best in stiff clayeysoilsj and in uch they are the most convenient crop. The season forplant is either the winter or spring month, as the weather affordsop-por mil ,'. i bey are either drilled, broad-cast sown, or put in by thedibble, which is considered not only the most eligible mode but in ge-nera! affording the best crops. The seed is from one to three bushelsper acre.

93 ZKA Mays. Indian Corn, or Maize. In warmer climates, asthe South of France, and the East and West Indies, this is one of themost useful plants ; the seeds forming good provender for poultry, hogsand cattle, and the green tops excellent fodder for cattle in general. Ionce-jww a small early variety, that produced a very good crop, nearUxbridge'j but I believe it. is not in cultivation.