C .374 3 



advantageous both to the land-holders and the 

 pubiick at large. 



It is well known, that foils naturally rich and 

 fertile will produce hemp and flax in abundance; 

 and as thefe are ameliorating crops, they will not, 

 if cut without feeding, impoverilh the land. And 

 as the bed crops of flax are raifed from foreign 

 feed, (which is eafily procured cheaper than we 

 can raife it) there is the lefs occafion for fuffering, 

 it to feed in this country. 



The vaft quantities of hemp and flax which 

 have been raifed on lands of the fame kind in the 

 Lincolnfhire marlhes, and the fens of the Ifle of 

 Ely and Huntingdonfhire, are a full proof of the 

 truth of my affertion; and a convincing argu- 

 ment of the fuperior wifdom of the farmers in 

 thofe places. This will appear in a ftill ftronger 

 light, when we confider, that the other commodi- 

 ties raifed on fuch land fell at higher prices than 



in this 



county. 



Many hundreds of acres in the above : mentioned 

 places, which for pafturage or grazing were not. 

 worth more than twenty or twenty-five millings, 

 per 'acre, have been readily let at four pounds the 

 firil year* three pounds the fecond, and forty 



millings 



