The Husbandry of Canary Seed. By the Reverend Mr. Edward Tenison

VIII. The Husbandry of Canary Seed. By the Reverend Mr. Edward Tenison. To prepare Land for this Seed, let it be broke up some time in April, and plough'd again about Midsummer, and plough'd again in August, that by frequent Tillage the Weeds may be burnt up and destroy'd. Plough the last time about the latter end of February, or the beginning of March, if the Season proves dry; if not, you had best wait for a dry Season; for in such a Season only will the Ground be fit to receive the Seed. With a Hoe, (that has a Bit about the bigness of an Onion-Hoe,) you must from time to time carefully cut up the Weeds. If they are not kept entirely under, much of the Seed will be lost for want of ripening. In very good Land half a Bushel of Seed will be enough to sow an Acre. It will thrive best upon a stiff Clay: It will grow upon any sort of loamy Land, that is Rich enough to bear Hemp. If you apprehend that the Land is not sufficiently strong, you will do well to allow from half a Bushel to seven Gallons of Seed to sow an Acre with. The Seed is ripe sooner or later, according as the Spring affords you an early or late Season of sowing it. In some Summers 'tis cut in August, but the most usual time is after Wheat-Harvest. When it is cut, it must in most Years lie 5 or 6 Days in Swarth, and then be turn'd, and lie till one side is dry'd and rotted as much as the other, which may be about 4 or 5 Days longer. The certain number of Days can't be fix'd, because they must be more or less, according as the Weather proves fair or rainy. The reason of its lying so long in swath is, that the lower Heads of the Seed (being exposed to the Air Wind and Sun) may the better perfect their ripeness, and the Grass and Weeds that sprung up with the Stalks be thoroughly wither'd, and the Ears or Heads well and sufficiently rotted, that the Seed upon threshing may come out clean. The Produce upon Land that is very good, is about six Quarters per Acre. If the Land be but indifferent, or if the Weeds be not kept under, then from four to five Quarters upon an Acre is as much as you can expect: The Price of Seed is from two Pounds to six Pounds per Quarter; but the most usual Price is from Forty Shillings to Three Pounds. It is difficult to Thresh. So much of the Seed as, after threshing, is beaten out (as soon as 'tis fann'd) is to be run thro' a Wire Sieve (such as is used to separate Cockle from Corn) and the Husks of every sifting, that will not pass through the Sieve, are to be thrown by in a heap to be thresh'd over again. The ordinary Price for threshing is Five Shillings, but in some Years the Thresher has Six Shillings per Quarter.