1^4 Prppofals for Injlituling April 



Experimental Farms, may be fafcly acknowledged ; in the 

 fame manner, as, in early ages of fociety, manufactures 

 were carried on for domeftic purpofes, without the aid of 

 much machinery. But, no fooner had the population and 

 commerce of a country incrcafed, than it became necef* 

 fary to improve the art of manufafluring even the moit 

 common articles, by means of new inventions; and it is 

 equally neceffary to inrprove the art of agriculture, fo as 

 to produce more grain, and to feed more cattle on the 

 fame extent of ground, otherwife it will be impoflible to 

 furnifh food to the increafing population of a country. 

 Without Experimental Farms, this cannot be effected : 

 Without fuch eftablifliment, it is impoinble to afcertain 

 what pradlices ought to be avoided, and what ought to 

 be purfued. The former is as important to be known as 

 the latter ; yet they are feldom communicated to the pub- 

 lic, be'caufe the farmer is in general afhamed of acknow- 

 ledging his want of fuccefs ; and indeed, where his expe- 

 riments anfwer, they are frequently concealed, left others 

 fliould avail themfelves of fuch difcoveries. The objc6t 

 of an Experimental Farm, however, is to afcertain fa£ls, 

 and to publifh them ; and as much credit would be ac- 

 quired by an intelligent and public-fpirited Society for 

 their exertions in detecting errors, as in proving ladls 

 likely to be ufeful. 



Second Objection. That there are many Experimen- 

 tal Farms }70%v carried on by ifidividuals, nvhich ivill aiijiver 

 the fame purpofe. 



It is faid, in the fecond place, that there are many dif- 

 tinguiflied characlers, who carry on experiments for their 

 own am.ufement and information, by whofe means every 

 important facl v,'ill, in procefs of time, be afcertained. 

 No man is more difpofed to do juftice to the merits of the 

 refpeClable perfonages above alluded to, thsn I am; nor 

 can be more convinced, that their example is of infinite 

 advantage to thoie who have the means of examining the 

 progrefs they make. Their farms, however, are more 

 properly to be accounted pattern farms ^ for the advantage 

 of their own immediate neighbourhood, than experimen- 

 tal ones, in the ftrlcl fenfe of that word. In order to ren- 

 der, indeed, Experimental Farms generally ufeful, the 

 farms muft be open to the infpedion of the public; the 

 account of each experiment muft be regularly publiflied; 



