I don’t know that I ever had an Acre yet, that was tolerably well managed in this Manner, but what produced much more. CHAP. X. _Of_ SMUTTINESS. Smuttiness is when the Grains of Wheat instead of Flour, are full of a black, stinking Powder: ’Tis a Disease of Wheat, which I don’t know is usual any-where but in cold Northern Countries; for if it had been common in _Greece_ or _Italy_, there would probably have been some Word to express it by, in those Languages, as well as there is for the Blight. I take it to be caused by cold wet Summers; and I was confirmed in this by several Plants of Wheat, taken up when they were in Grass in the Spring, and placed in Troughs in my Chamber-window, with some of the Roots in Water. These Wheat-plants sent up several Ears each; but at Harvest, every Grain was smutty; and I observed, none of the Ears ever sent out any Blossom: This Smuttiness could not be from any Moisture that descended upon it, but from the Earth, which always kept very moist, as in the aforesaid Mint Experiment. The Wheat-plants in the Field, from whence these were taken, brought very few smutty Grains, but brought much larger Ears than these. Whatsoever the Cause[149] be, there are but Two Remedies proposed; and those are Brining, and Change of Seed. [149] The largest grained, plump, fat Wheat, is more liable to Smuttiness, than small-grained thin Wheat. Brining of Wheat, to cure or prevent Smuttiness (as I have been credibly informed), was accidentally discovered about Seventy Years ago, in the following Manner; _viz._ A Ship-load of Wheat was sunk near _Bristol_ in Autumn, and afterwards at Ebbs all taken up, after it had been soaked in Sea-water; but it being unfit for making of Bread, a Farmer sowed some of it in a Field; and when it was found to grow very well, the whole Cargo was bought at a low Price by many Farmers, and all of it sown in different Places. At the following Harvest, all the Wheat in _England_ happened to be smutty, except the Produce of this brined Seed, and that was all clean from Smuttiness. This Accident has been sufficient to justify the Practice of Brining ever since in all the adjacent Parts, and in most Places in _England_. I knew Two Farmers, whose Farms lay intermixed; they bought the same Seed together, from a very good Change of Land, and parted every Load betwixt them in the Field. The oldest Farmer believed Brining to be but a Fancy, and sowed his Seed unbrined; the other brined all his Part of Seed, and had not a smutty Ear in his Crop; but the old Farmer’s Crop was very smutty. Wheat for Drilling must have no other Brine, than what is made of pure Salt; for if there be any Brine of Meat amongst it[150], the Grease will not suffer the Wheat to be dry enough to be drilled. [150] Urine also makes the Wheat so greasy, that it will not be dry time enough to be drilled.