INTRODUCTION. 5 



Aniongft a people unacquainted with the means of multi- 

 plying and rearing domertic animals to the proper extent, 

 there muft, even though they were poflefled of the art of cur- 

 ing their flefh, have been a deficiency of food, which would, 

 as population increafed, become every day more apparent, 

 and prompt them to fearch for other articles. The different 

 kinds of fruit and herbs would, in all probability, be firfl 

 had recourfe to, and would form no inconfiderable addition 

 to their former refources. They would alfo foon perceive, 

 that both the milk and flefli of their animals were improved 

 by good feeding during the Winter. This would naturally 

 lead to the cutting and preferving of green herbage for that 

 purpofc : hence the origin of hay. 



The cultivation of grain, and the other vegetables now in 

 ufe, belongs to a more advanced period of fociety ; and many 

 ages muft have elapfed, before men, who were deftitute of 

 any other helps than thofe derived from experience and ob- 

 fervation, could attain even an imperfeft knowledge of Agri- 

 culture. The facred writings inform us, that Noah under'- 

 ftood Hu{bandry ; of courfe he taught it to his defcendants : 

 and, as it is one of thofe arts, which, v/hen once known, the 

 wants of men will for ever prevent from being loft, we may 

 naturally conclude, that it has conthiued its courfe, with va- 

 rious progrefs, from that period, down to the prelent day^ 

 Many circumftances have, no doubt, contributed to favour 

 that progrefs in fome fituations, and retard it in gtliers. The 

 hiftory of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, and many 

 other ancient nations, alfo informs us, that they were well ac- 

 quainted with Agriculture. The pretenfions of the Chinefe 

 go ftill farther back. They claim, and not without fome found- 

 ation, the precedence of all the countries we have mentioned, 

 Huftjandry, without queftion, flouriflied in China at a very 

 early period, and was then deemed of fuch importance, and 

 held in fuch refpecl, as to claim the firft, and indeed the prin- 

 cipal attention of the government. The Emperors, in order to 

 imprefs all orders of the community with proper ideas of its 

 importance, condefcended, once a-yeai^, to hold the plough, in 

 prefeiice of their chief nobility, the great oflicers of ftatc, and 



A3, - the 



