^^ AccGUfit cf Farmer Crefitius and his Enchafitmenth Aug'. 



importance of certain fpells, charms and enchantments, and their 

 efficacy in fccuring the intercfts and fuccefs of the farmer, i 

 confeis the current of the times feems rather to run counter to- 

 fuch doctrines, men feeming now difpofed to rcfufe thefe caufes 

 much of that merit which they were formerly allowed to polTefs, 

 And I mult acknowledge that my own inquiries, inilituted with 

 2 view to obtain unequivocal proofs of their efficacy, and fo to e- 

 llablifh, on fure grounds, a fyilem in favour of wh.icli I was ear- 

 ly prejudiced, liave not, on the whole, been very fatisfa^torily 

 anfwered. I cannot fairly fay, for inftance, that I have obferved 

 any remarkable diiTt^rence (r,«/67;j/>ar/^//j) between hoifcs kept in 

 a common itable, and thofe kept in one that had the additional 

 advantage of having an old horfe fhoe nailed to the door fecundum 

 aricm. I fpe;»k,- however, under correction. Again, it is ufual- 

 ly fuppofed that a couple of twigs of the mountain alli, or roun- 

 trte, as we call it, properly tied together "wnth a fcarlet thread, 

 and placed carefully on the top of the wall, right over the door 

 in the byre, is a good remedy both for the prevention and. cure 

 of any kind of itch or Icab in cows ; while, at the fame time, it 

 has this advantnge, that the application does not injure the gene- 

 ral health of the animals, or caufe any great degree of luiuffa. 

 I hope and -witli that all this 'may be f o ; but I cannot affirm it 

 from any experience of my own. 



Difapf^ointcd in thefe and other inflances, I was on the point 

 of giving up b:li t-f in fpells and inchantments altogether, and 

 renouncing the whole fyftem as abfurd in theory, and ufckfs in 

 pradtice, when I was agreeably favcd from incredulity, by meet- 

 ing with a pan''^c;e in an old author, one Mr Pliny, who writes 

 on this, among crher fubjeCts. In this paffage, which I am a- 

 bout to quote for the edification of the public, he makes men- 

 tion of a particular charm or fpcll, or call it what you will, 

 vhich is found to be poflefled of extraordinary virtue in improv- 

 ing the quality and increafing the quantity of grain Qr other pro- 

 duce on any given fpot of ground.' Now, this is precifely what I 

 had always wilhcd and hoped to difcover myfelf, and it is a fe- 

 tret which, I prLfume, many a farmer will be glad to learn. 



I am well awaits, thatj in this enlightened age, I fliall be laugh- 

 ed at by fome, and abufed by cithers, for giving any degree of 

 "credit to fuch jluff, as they will call it, and for prefuming to, 

 obtrude it on the public. But let not a generous public be biaffied 

 againfl me or my diicovery. I am going to whifper fomething 

 into the ears of tliofe gentlemen who may laugli at me, which 

 they i\re little dreaming of. The chakm has actually been 



nrRlED EY ONE OR TWO RESPECTABLE IRIENDS OF MINE TO 



WHOM I CAVE i^E HINT (I have not tried it as yet myfelf), 

 /^D IT HAS ANSWEKED AMAZINGLY. Seeing is belicving. I am 



readv 



