lGo3 Of Improved Breed of Sheep y is C» 43^" 



1 perfvclly a^rcc with your refpeciable corrcfpondent Mr Demp- 

 fter, th.it it is the fparks from the collifion of argument in a 

 free ii^quiry, that mull light up the torch of truth, by which 

 mankind only can explore their way to the tree of knowledge ; 

 a plant of heavenly growth, that muil flrikc root, and grow out 

 of fads, and mult be trimmed and trained up by experience 

 ;»lone, before it can perfect its fruir, but not by the fpeculative 

 opinions, even of the moll learneil and eminent men, as is evi- 

 dent from the hifory of the progrefjive imprcivtment of the human 

 mind ; for nubiljl manhnd continued to fill tht nvorld luith difpiites 

 en the fpcculative opinions of Plato ^ or of Arifiotle, and other great 

 meny they made but poor progrefs in the difcovery of ufeful know- 

 ledge ^ only becoming adepts in the war of words ^ and faves to fuper- 

 Jlilion ; till the immortal Bacon arofe, who. taught mankind to make 

 experiments^ and argue from fatls. By recording, therefore, fa6ls 

 in agriculture, and bringing them before the public, that they 

 may be tried by the teil of opinion, your periodical Publication 

 is well adapted for promoting the improvement of Agriculture. 

 I, however, have my doubts, if the marks of approbation or 

 diflike which you make, as Conduclor, upon fundry of the 

 papers inferted in the Magazine, will not have the efFecl to re- 

 tard this improvement ; for numbers of your readers will form 

 their own opinion from yours, without inquiring into the mat- 

 ter ; the greatell bar lo the progrefs of knowledge, being that 

 propenfity in the generality of mankind to pin their faith to 

 this or that great man's opinion, name, or authority, rather 

 than be at the trouble of inquiring into the merits of the caufs 

 themfelves : and in this, they very much refcmble the (heep we 

 are treating of ; for when a leader, more bold than the rell, 

 runs in a particular dire6lion, all the reft follow at his tail, 

 without reflection. On the other hand, the vain will be difguft- 

 cd, if you take no notice of their performances ; whilft others, 

 from timidity, will keep back their information on important 

 fubjc6ls, when they obferve your fentiments difler from their 

 own : And I actually know this to be the cafe with a farmeif 

 who has made comparative trials of the value of Iiorfes and 

 oxen in labouring his farm, and gives the preference to oxen *, 

 hut will not communicate his obfervations \ becaufe he fays that 

 you are always at exercife, with your fword ready drawn, and 

 is afraid left you wound him to the quick with the ftiarp nib of 

 yo'»v critical pen. 



This train of thinking always entered my mind upon peruf- 

 ing the notes which you, as Conductor, attached to various 

 papers publiOied in the Farmer's Magazine ; and fhall therefore 

 proce-ed to make fome obfervations on your Remarks on the 



P p p 2 ' Moder<OL 



