e to give an
unexceptionable demonstration, I hope always to be provided with a
practical proof, which may prove equally beneficial.

Let us now see what passes in a state of low combustion, such as may be
the result of fermentation in vegetables, arising from heat, moisture,
and motion, when impacted together. The most obvious occurrence of this
nature is found in new hay, which, under these circumstances, for want
of care and attention, often spontaneously takes fire, particularly in
wet seasons.

Fermentation, being one of the lowest degrees of combustion, is here
the spontaneous effect of the moist hay being impacted together, and
not properly made, that is, without the superfluous juices being dried
out of it, by which it retains a sufficient degree of fluidity or
moisture to begin a fermentation, in which heat and motion are
generated, and light, in a nascent state, extricated; these appearances
accumulated and accelerated by incumbent pressure, the redundant
moisture being soon exhausted, and the heat and motion increasing, the
actual combustion of the mass takes place, which is much facilitated by
a decomposition of the water of this moisture, and the air of the
atmosphere, unavoidably insinuated between the interstices formed by
the fibres of the hay, as they are impacted together into cocks, or
stacks, breaks out into actual flame, or _light visible_. These are no
novel appearances, but such as fall within the observation of every
one; and the candid maltster will acknowledge, that from the same
cause, though differently produced, similar effects may, and sometimes
do, happen in the malt house, in the preparation of that modern
article of luxury, by which we are enabled to make malt wine; and
these instances are sufficient to prove fermentation to be a low
degree of combustion, and to both simplify and explain the justness of
this doctrine. The malting of corn is the first stage of vegetation,
low combustion, and fermentation.

From observation and reasoning on what passes before our eyes, we
discover the low species of fermentation, in which the malting of corn
consists, to be a low degree of combustion, which, for want of due
attention, may break out into actual flame. We were always acquainted
with the _effect_: now reasoning on the subject brings us to a
knowledge of the cause.

To any one well acquainted with the nature of fermentation, it must be
manifest, that the malt distillers have paid more att