1803. CommuN/cn/Jofi of the Bnron Mimchaufdi, A'^% 



To fay truth, there is a fort of rcflivenefs in animals, both ra- 

 tional and irrational, aj^ainft yieUlin;^ thrmfelvcs up quietly to be- 

 come the fubje(fls of philofophical experiment, which unhappily 

 retards the advancement of the fciences. WouKl you believe me 

 Sir, when 1 aiTure you, iipon my veracity^ that, in all your Scots 

 metropolis, I could not find a fmglt* notelefs wh-re, nor a por- 

 ter, who would fuhmit to the Talicotian experimeut ; althou|Tli 

 I promifcd to the one, a nofe of the m.f^ft perfecSl: a!}tique Gre- 

 cian cofm wey gnu IS ; and to the other, an indemnification, a- 

 monnting to ten times more than his whole breach was worth! 



Defpairing, thus, of finding fuitabie analogies in the animal 

 kingdom, I turned my attention next to that of vegetables, a. 

 much more quiet and pacific fubjedl of experiment. Neither 

 let it be thought that the analogy betwixt the two, is any way 

 obfcure or diitant. For what, pray, is an animal, but a vegeta- 

 ble, carrying its roots inclofed within its own body ; and volun- 

 tarily fupplying thefe roots with the proper fuhflance of its nu- 

 trition, by ingellion ? and what is- a vegetable, but an animal, 

 with its roots fixed in the foil, whence it is nouriflied; and 

 thence, as 1 fuppofe, deprived of the po.wer of locomotion ? 

 From the one to the other, of fubjedls fo fimilar, the inferen- 

 ces of analogy can never be confidered as drained. Here then, 

 in the varied inftances of budding, grafting, hioculating^ inarchingT^- 

 I found the moil: Incontrovertible confirmation of the principles 

 of the Talicotian practice. Here I was prefentcd with in- 

 numerable fpecimens of the union and homogenization of the 

 parts oi /pedes the moft diifimilar ; with the moll wonderful 

 mutual intercommunion of properties the moft different. 



Fortified by fo many fl:rong analogies, I forthwith proceeded to 

 the cxtenfion of the Talicotian practice, to the purpofes of ru- 

 ral economics. 



But, here, metliinks I hear you or your readers exclaim, ivhy 

 this long preamble? why not come at onceto the point? Let me, how- 

 ever, obferve, once for all, that fuch interruptions only bcfpeak ill- 

 bieeding. Imiportant experiments, like import nt perfona<jjes ia 

 fociety, cannot properly be introduced to company, without a 

 fuitabie prefatory ceremonial. 



At the. time I was about to inftitute my experiments, your 

 wifeft political economifls had determined that the profperity, 

 if not the very falvation of your Britlfh Ifland depended upon 

 the extenfion of the growth of fine wool; whillt others feem- 

 ed, as fagely, to be of opinion, that, if all your flocks of (lieep 

 were converted into the bearers of fine clothing wool, you 

 ihould not have an ounce of coarfe wool for a fingle rag of 

 Wajiketing or petticoat. I therefore confidered that the views 



of 



