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a fixed yearly falary: and that Tusser's old book 

 of hufbandry fhould be taught the boys to read, 

 to copy, and get by hearty for whith purpofe it 

 might be reprinted.*'* 



Connplaints of the impradlicability of illiterate 

 peafants making any confiderable improvements 

 in rural ceconomics, and the necelTity of aflifting 

 them, began now to be as general as juft ; being 

 founded on fads and fad experience, which were 

 pregnant with many pernicious confequences. It 

 was clearly feen, that they could not deviate from 

 the beaten track ; that they were not capable of re- 

 fleding on the nourilhment of plants, in order to 

 increafe vegetable food by judicious and frequent 

 ploughings and fuitable manures; of introducing 

 new clafles of vegetables, however advantageous; or 

 of making any experiments on fcientific principles 5 

 efpecially as they knew, that if theje failed, they 

 fhould rifque the failure of their rent. On all 

 accounts, therefore, they mud continue in the courfe 

 marked out by their anceftors, however defedtiye 

 and injudicious, 



Thefe imperfedlions having been long obfcrved 

 and lamented, feveral gentlemen of publick fpiric 



f Dublin, Ann, 1723, Hartc's Eflay I. p. ij6^ 



(the 



