PHYSICAL AND LITERARY. 6) 



For that reafon, I gladly pay my tribute 

 of praife to the author of this paper, 

 for his freedom of inquiry ; tho' I ana 

 not convinced eirher by his authorities 

 or reafonings, that, in general, fhallow 

 ploughing is beft ; that is, where the 

 plough is kept within three inches of 

 the furtace. 



A pradice eftabliQied upon fenfible 

 principles ought to be much regarded ; 

 not where it is derived from ignorance, 

 chance, or prejudice. Hufbandry is yet 

 in its infancy, and the bulk of its prac- 

 tice hitherto is, I am afraid, derived 

 from one or other of the fources now 

 mentioned. Practice, therefore, ought not 

 to have great weight in hufbandry; and, 

 were it ^o have weight, it would lie a- 

 gainft fhallow ploughing ; for in Britain, 

 at leaft, I prefume, that deeper plough- 

 ing prevails. And if w^e were blindly 

 to follow authority without reafoning, 

 I fhould certainly embrace deep plough- 

 ing, which, as it is attended with addition- 

 al expence and trouble, could not readi- 



