small bodied, if the same Seed is sown too often in the Soil; 'tis
therefore that the best Farmers not only change the Seed every time, but
take due care to have it off a contrary Soil that they sow it in to; this
makes several in my neighbourhood every Year buy their Barley-seed in the
Vale of _Ailsbury_, that grew there on the black clayey marly Loams, to
sow in Chalks, Gravels, &c. Others every second Year will go from hence to
_Fullham_ and buy the Forward or Rath-ripe Barley that grows there on
Sandy-ground; both which Methods are great Improvements of this Corn, and
whether it be for sowing or malting, the plump, weighty and white Barley-
corn, is in all respects much kinder than the lean flinty Sorts.




CHAP. II


_Of making_ Malts.


As I have described the Ground that returns the best Barley, I now come to
treat of making it into Malt; to do which, the Barley is put into a leaden
or tyled Cistern that holds five, ten or more Quarters, that is covered
with water four or six Inches above the Barley to allow for its Swell;
here it lyes five or six Tides as the Malster calls it, reckoning twelve
Hours to the Tide, according as the Barley is in body or in dryness; for
that which comes off Clays, or has been wash'd and damag'd by Rains,
requires less time than the dryer Grain that was inned well and grew on
Gravels or Chalks; the smooth plump Corn imbibing the water more kindly,
when the lean and steely Barley will not so naturally; but to know when it